At 82, the day the era of calling '104' comes to an end

— Numbers were something you 'asked people for' —

“I don't know the number...”

There really was such an era.
Nowadays, you can search on your smartphone in an instant.
But in the past, 'looking up a phone number' was an activity in itself.

■ The habit of calling 104

You would pick up the receiver and dial (or press) '104'.
Then, a gentle voice would ask:

“Directory Assistance speaking. May I have the name you are looking for?”

If you provided the name and address, they would tell you the other party's phone number.

This was the standard of the era.
This directory assistance service was a very mainstream practice in the era of rotary phones.
Until quite recently, it played the role of connecting people to people.

■ The 'analog database' known as the phone book

Back then, there was one, and later several, thick books in the house.
That was the 'phone book'.

・Searching by name → Hello Page
・Searching by profession → Town Page

These two books were the 'search engines' of daily life.
The Town Page, in particular,
for things like 'electricians,' 'sushi restaurants,' and 'hospitals,'
was a reliable source when you were in trouble.

■ 'Life's number book' known as speed dial numbers

On the other hand, there were also numbers that were easy to remember and had special meanings.
These were called 'speed dial numbers' and were systematically assigned by purpose.

🚨 Emergency/Government
110 Police
119 Ambulance/Fire Department
118 Japan Coast Guard (Maritime Emergency)
104 Directory Assistance

🌤 Life Information
177 Weather Forecast (Local Weather)
117 Time Signal (Accurate Time)
171 Disaster Message Dial

📞 Call Support
116 NTT General Inquiry/Customer Consultation
113 Telephone Repair Reception
115 Telegram Application

The reason the numbers were short was
'for people who were in a hurry'.

It was also an era when people memorized these sequences of numbers by heart.

177 (Weather Forecast) was something we called many times before trips or on the morning of a sports day.
Many of you likely remember that voice that started with, 'Tomorrow's weather is...'

117 (Time Signal) was the 'correct answer' when your clock was off.
Along with that 'beep, beep, beep, boop' sound,
clocks all over Japan were synchronized.

Besides 110 and 119, 177 and 117 are still active today.
In the age of smartphones, they continue to live on quietly, but surely.

■ The peace of mind that comes from asking

We are in an era of 'searching' now, but
back then, it was an era of 'asking people'.

If you called 104,
・They would look it up carefully
・They would confirm if there were any mistakes

If you called 177,
・A calm voice would tell you tomorrow's weather

If you called 117,
・The accurate time would always answer you

There was a sense of security there that machines do not have.
It was an era where you could feel somewhat relieved because there was a 'voice'.

■ The era shifts from 'searching' to 'self-resolution'

But times change.

Fewer people open phone books,
and fewer people call 104.
People no longer go out of their way to ask for the weather on 177.

The reason for this is—
Smartphones and the internet.

Now, if you enter a store name, you can find the number in an instant.
The weather is obvious at a glance with an app.
The time is always displayed on the smartphone screen.

As a result, the use of phone books and 104 has decreased significantly,
and finally—
At the end of March 2026 (exactly today as of this post),104 will end its service.

■ From 'searching' to 'appearing immediately'

In the past, we would:

・Flip through the phone book
・Ask 104
・Check the weather on 177
・Set the clock with 117

There was that "extra step" involved.
Now, it's:

・Search on a smartphone
・Call with one tap

As things have become more convenient,
the very acts of "searching" and "verifying"
are gradually disappearing.

■ 82 years old, thoughts on the other side of the number

From the era of wall-mounted phones,
to rotary phones, push-button phones, mobile phones, and smartphones.
The shape of the telephone has changed.

Regarding the evolution of telephones

However,
"I want to connect with someone"
"I want to know the right information"
"I want to feel at ease"
Those feelings remain the same, now as they were in the past.

■ Afterword

If a young person were to ask me,
"What is 104?"
I would answer like this:
"Back in the day, you see, phone numbers were something you asked people for."

And if I asked them if they knew "177",
they would surely tilt their heads in confusion.
Precisely because it has become so convenient now,
I feel a little nostalgic.

For the time that existed on the other side of that gentle voice.

Self-introduction is

Next time,
"82 years old, phone numbers (extra edition)"
I would like to write about that experience.
It is another new challenge.

#Senior82note
I am recording my digital challenges starting at age 82.
I would be happy if you could follow me.