User:DMuser123/sandbox

Information Technology in Japan

Information technology is the technology involving the use of computer networks networks, software and systems for the processing and distribution of data. Information technology (IT) is transforming how business, government, and consumer relations are managed as a result of new forms of communication. Nowadays, information technology is important to business operations and has a significant impact on the way we exchange information and communicate in our daily lives. However, this transformation has often been overlooked in Japanese government. Many nations are partaking in implementing IT for government services, in which traditional functions of the government are carried out electronically. Where does this leave Japan, a modern nation with massive technological capabilities? Japan used technology to become world leaders in science and industry, but is surprisingly slow in information technology.

History

In the 1970s, policy advocates developed the idea of information society, and set a simple plan to encourage the spread of administrative information. However, no systematic policy ideas concerning e-government were set forth primarily due to concerns for protecting the security of the state and an unenthusiastic attitude toward openness of government information. In a revised “Master Plan” of 1997, the Japanese government introduced the word “e-government”, aiming at implementing a highly advanced electronic public administration by the beginning of the twenty-first century. On December 6, 2000, the government announced the e-Japan Strategy, the most up-to-date holistic framework for developing the nation’s IT. It is observed in past efforts to create policies on the proper implementation of IT that there is an overall lack of strong leadership and coordination in execution of the policies.

Current Implementation

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how unprepared Japan was in executing national policies using digital technology. The poor IT infrastructure made it difficult for hospitals and schools to share information and emergency cash handouts took longer to process because people could only apply manually. In September 2020, Prime Minister Suga announced a Digital Agency aimed to drive the government’s archaic IT systems and paper-based services into the digital era. His surprise resignation shortly after makes it vague whether the Digital Agency will possess the same momentum. In the search for a solution, it should be noted that Japan’s IT policies have failed in the past.

E-government

E-government is generally defined as the application of information technology to deliver traditional government services to citizens and businesses. With digital services, governments can deliver information anywhere at any time on various devices and platforms. This leads to increased efficiency, transparency, and citizen participation, potentially reframing democratic processes. The reality of Japan is that it is primarily an old-school, paper-based nation. Government services are provided to Japanese citizens in a conventional way where they hold a monopoly and have poor management over its flow and storage of information. In 2002, compared to other economically and technologically robust nations, Japan had become a catch-up state in e-government. Currently, Japan ranks 27th in the world in the IMD Digital Competitiveness ranking, behind China, South Korea, and Malaysia. Other countries recognized the importance of having dedicated agencies, while Japan fell behind due to the lack of political and public will that is crucial for developing e-government.

Japan's Aging Society

Japan Population Pyramid (2018)

Japan has the oldest society in the world, with the median age of 48. The population of 65 or older makes up 28.7% of the country, with women being the majority. Since 2011, Japan’s population has been shrinking. The population is expected to drop from 127 million to 88 million in the span of 2015 to 2065. Japan also has the second highest life expectancy in the world of 81.3 years. The consequences of the country aging and population shrinking include an economic crisis. The average age of policy makers is 55 years old. Since 2017, young, up-and-coming politicians are banding together to work toward a social reform.

Other countries

Estonia is the most digital society on earth, which makes us wonder: What is Japan doing differently? Estonia uses a unique 11-digit identification code that remains the same during their entire lifetime. Japan is mimicking this as they use a 12-digit identification code called “My Number” to develop online services for citizens. In Estonia, all public services are conducted online due to an effort coordinated by its government that also digitizes itself. The two central ideas to this are the transformation of state role and the digitalization of trust. They believe that an aspect of modern life that has no benefit is the labyrinth of bureaucracy. In most countries, citizens don’t trust the government and vice versa. Estonia uses a form of blockchain technology to create and maintain a user centric system by actively responding to citizens' needs. Public data collection follows the “Only once” policy where officials ask for each piece of information once. This is beneficial in terms of unnecessary data collection and task duplication. Some are threatened by this technology since interfacing with computer systems might imply that human factors such as elected individuals and participating in elections are less valuable. Even with strong IT implementation, political power struggles and polarization in the society persist.