When I developed the QR code in 1994, my priorities were to achieve the ability to handle large amounts of information with fast and reliable reading. A QR code can store about 200 times more information than conventional bar codes and is designed to be read quickly and reliably. Because the patent was made free to use by anyone, it could spread all over the world and these days is used in all kinds of situations, such as accessing websites, making cashless payments, and downloading games.
I worked with a car parts manufacturer as an engineer in the R&D department, where I was initially in charge of developing barcode readers. Barcodes can only store information in one horizontal direction, so they can only hold a limited amount of information. I figured that in the future, there would definitely be a need for a new kind of code that stores large quantities of information and with a higher reading accuracy. It took a lot of trial and error, but in 1994, we finally succeeded in creating the QR code, which can record data in two directions, vertically and horizontally. The idea suddenly came to me while playing the board game Go with friends during lunchtime, and looking at the arrangement of black and white stones on the board.
What I want to impart to students in this faculty is the importance of developing problem-solving skills, by which I mean a proactive attitude that can identify problems on their own. Throughout the development of the QR code, I listened to the opinions of several people who use barcodes in manufacturing, logistics, and retail, so I could understand the issues with conventional barcodes. As you may know, many universities are focusing a lot on the development of problem-solving skills. However, it’s the ability to formulate problems themselves that will also become important from now on. In developing these skills, it is crucial to gather information, listen carefully to others, repeatedly ask why something is occurring, and probe deeply into the essence of the problem. I hope that through your studies with this faculty, you will foster such an ability to formulate problems.
In today’s society that is saturated with information, we gather the needed data and utilize it for business management. The study of how to accomplish this is data-driven management. In business, the collection and analysis of customer data from a range of perspectives will become increasingly important. One example involves the sharing of vast amounts of data managed by companies, local governments, and public institutions individually. Alternatively, embedding individual facial data can bypass conventional check-in procedures at companies and public facilities. QR codes are also actively used in these situations, and while sharing anecdotes from my own experience as a developer, I would like us to explore from a data management perspective ways that QR codes can be used to improve society.