The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has published the 2021 edition of the White Paper on Information and Communications. The theme of this white paper is "Livelihood and Economy Supported by Digital Technologies" It examines the present state and problems of digital utilization in the daily life of citizens, business activities, and the public sector, as well as the changes due to digitalization accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also looking back on past Japanese initiatives for digitalization. The white paper also reports that it is necessary to strategically and seamlessly improve the digital utilization capacity of citizen's lives, as well as digitization in the public sector and private enterprises, to realize a resilient society capable of coping with infectious diseases and natural disasters.
The white paper is posted on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. It is also sold as a book and published as a free e-book. Regarding the progress of digitization in Japan, since the Basic Act on the Formation of an Advanced Information and Telecommunications Network Society was established in 2000, various national strategies such as the e-Japan strategy have been advocated to promote digitization, while great progress has been made in optical fiber and other broadband network developments. On the other hand, ICT utilization is inadequate, and human resources, data analysis, and other related areas scored low among international indicators on digital competitiveness and e-government, ranking Japan poorly in global competitiveness.
Regarding digital utilization in citizen's lives, Internet use through mobile devices expanded with the rapid popularization of the smartphone, but the primary use was in lifestyle and entertainment areas, such as for shopping, payments, and video sharing, while the utilization rate of public services was low, highlighting a challenge.
In terms of the utilization of ICT devices, a generational gap was observed, with the utilization rate of persons aged over 70 years old being especially low. The reasons given by elderly people aged 70 and over that do not use smartphones and tablets are listed in descending order according to the results of a survey on the use of ICT devices conducted by the Cabinet Office, such as "I think they are not necessary for my life," "I don't know how to use them," and "I think I could ask my family members to use them if necessary." Regarding the digital transformation (DX) of enterprises, ICT investment of Japanese enterprises is mainly used for improving operational efficiency, and DX that involves business model transformation, such as business expansion and new business expansion, is not being broadly developed.
When looking at human resources, ICT human resources in Japan are unevenly distributed in ICT companies, the most serious issue encountered by companies in advancing DX is a shortage of human resources. Japan's shortage of ICT human resources was about 220,000 in 2018, but it is predicted that this will increase to about 450,000 in 2030.
In the present state of digitization in the public field, residents' demand for online administrative procedures rose with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the white paper also identified the problem that online use has not spread because "administrative procedures that can be completed electronically are limited," "people are not aware that they can be carried out electronically," and "electronic applications are complicated to use." Furthermore, it is reported that digital utilization has expanded during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as internet shopping, video sharing, and other leisure related activities have grown, and internet traffic has increased by more than 150% from the previous year due to an increase in hours spent at home, etc. The paper also finds that these changes in consumer trends lead to changes in economic trends, with industries that require personal meetings continuing to suffer from sluggish performance.
The paper also goes into detail regarding the use of digital technology in the public sector during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Various issues have emerged in the process, but efforts have been made to keep track of transmission and risks in local areas, including the swift implementation of economic assistance to citizens using digital technology. It was highlighted that in other countries, digital technology is utilized to pay out benefits, control face mask demand, keep track of, and notify citizens about the spread of the disease. However, in Japan as well, in the fields of education and medical care, distance learning and online practice were carried out for the sake of preventing the infectious spread. An example of change in corporate activities during the COVID-19 pandemic was the implementation of remote work. The rate that such initiatives were carried out increased during the declaration of a state of emergency, but after it was lifted, the rate of implementation decreased. It was shown that digital utilization, for example in remote work, must be firmly established to ensure resilience to infectious diseases and natural disasters.
This article has been translated by JST with permission from The Science News Ltd.(https://sci-news.co.jp/). Unauthorized reproduction of the article and photographs is prohibited.