Since my last column was about artificial intelligence it seems somehow fitting to lead this one off with a few words about lack of intelligence.

The Japanese Government, in its infinite wisdom, has seen fit to impose the imposition of a five per cent tax on office automation equipment - word processors, facsimile machines, personal computers and the like - whether purchased for commercial or private use.

It isn't so long ago that this same Government held back the proliferation (or at least, the meaningful proliferation) of personal computers by imposing a stiff tax on disk storage units. This in turn held back several other developments, notably of sensible software so that users were soon awash in games, cassette-loaded word processors, and simple home-budget programs. These were all clumsy to load and operate, and they made the storage and manipulation of data some kind of joke.

Now it looks like the Government will go out of its way to make all sorts of small businesses think twice about introducing the hardware they need to bring their offices into the twentieth century. And by inhibiting the growth of a good user base, it will also inhibit the development of decent software. The price of available software will probably be driven up, and those enterprising spirits that do automate may be forced to participate in a little clandestine piracy.

Naturally the prospect of lining the Government's coffers has got the manufacturers rather concerned. There were hopes that they would have sufficient clout to prevent the tax from being imposed - it is still at the proposal stage - but if they aren't successful, overseas markets will appear all the more attractive to the growing Japanese productive capacity.

Here's an example, if you needed one, of how domestic policies spread outwards until the ripples here turn into a tidal wave somewhere on the other side of the world. A five per cent tax on office automation equipment is just a revenue earner for the Japanese government - it doesn't seriously want to discourage automation. But the upshot in overseas markets could be an unwelcome increase in Japanese imports, something that most Western countries seem to have more than enough of as it is.

Not that the Japanese are putting their computers to their most productive use. From thenew Seipa department store recently opened in the Ginza, rumours of computer-assisted shopping are spreading. For a month or so my wife and I managed to resist the temptation to see for ourselves, but you can't ignore the onward and irresistible march of technology for so long.

What a disappointment...

The system consists of a touch-screen with a simple menu offering directions in a choice of Japanese, English and French. Why French? Why not? It's a beautiful language.

The subsequent screen offers floor and wares information, followed by entertainment and establishment details. By now the novelty of touching the screen has worn off and you notice suddenly how slow the system is. By the time it searches its database and refreshes the screen you can forget what it was you were asking about.

Needless to say, a map would be more helpful and an information desk staffed by beautiful young things would be a great deal more pleasant, but the screen's final message had some redeeming charm: "Please look above the wares with relaxation in the store."

I saw no other information, nor directions to the other computer in use in the store. But an old nagging question was answered. In a previous column I mentioned that I'd love to have a colour printer but have no idea what I'd do with one. In Seipa some enterprising employee has implemented a graphics program on an anonymous personal computer with incredible colour graphics, a mouse, and a colour inkjet printer. For 300 Yen (about £1) you can select one from some 50 designs, compose a short message in Japanese or English to be integrated into the design, and then watch as your personalised Christmas card is printed out.

Somehow I resisted the temptation to buy, probably because there were a dozen or so people in the line before me. But at least now I know, if and when I get a colour printer, how I'm going to pay for it - even if I do have to charge an extra 15 Yen apiece, if the geniuses in the Government get their way.