Publication:
Riding the Wave of Digital Transformation: Insights from Japan’s Journey

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dc.contributor.authorWorld Bank
dc.date.accessioned2024-05-30T20:47:43Z
dc.date.available2024-05-30T20:47:43Z
dc.date.issued2024-05-30
dc.description.abstractIn the dawn of the new millennium, Japan found itself lagging in the global race to embrace information and communication technology (ICT). In 2000, its internet penetration was only at a modest rate of 30 percent, dwarfed by other peers of the advanced economies. Japan faced the urgency of advancing its digital development as acutely acknowledged by the government that the country lagged not only in internet usage but also in integrating ICT into businesses and public administration, and that the gap could further jeopardize the nation’s competitive edge in an era of rapid digital revolution (Japan Prime Minister’s Office, 2001). By 2008, Japan had turned around its internet status completely. Japan’s internet penetration surged to 75 percent, marking a significant leap that brought it on par with major comparators, Canada 77 percent, New Zealand 72 percent, US 74 percent, South Korea 81 percent. While the development of the broadband infrastructure and the penetration of the Internet into business and private practices saw significant progress during the first decade of the 21st Century, the implementation of applications for public sectors and the integrations of data separately developed and stored in public organizations were stranded due to the lack of clear and robust strategies and these have resulted in Japan’s setback of digitalization and digital transformation behind other countries like Korea and Singapore. The transformative journey, nevertheless, continued, and in another eight years’ time, Japan unveiled its visionary digital transformation initiative, Society 5.0, in 2016. This ambitious vision showcased Japan’s determination to not only keep pace with but to take a lead in shaping a future where digital technologies will elevate residents’ quality of life. This report analyzes the key components of digital transformation in Japan over time and across key sectors. In Japan’s digital journey, importance of sound governance, solid infrastructure investment, and smart city development are intricately woven together with the challenges posed by a stagnating economy, an aging society, archaic business processes, and major disasters. The inclusion of smart city development perspectives is a key feature of this report as it provides critical insight into how social, economic, and environmental challenges in cities can be addressed through digital technologies. Four key components stand out as critical areas in Japan’s digital transformation journey and would collectively pave the way for other societies to embark on their own.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099352305232428567/P177977145b03308b19ef61f321c4e404f4
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/41631
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/41631
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWashington, DC: World Bank
dc.rightsCC BY-NC 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/igo
dc.subjectINFRASTRUCTURE AND GROWTH
dc.subjectDIGITIZATION
dc.subjectINFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
dc.subjectICT
dc.subjectINTERNET USAGE
dc.subjectDIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
dc.subjectJAPAN
dc.subjectINDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
dc.subjectSDG 9
dc.titleRiding the Wave of Digital Transformationen
dc.title.subtitleInsights from Japan’s Journeyen
dc.typeReport
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titleRiding the Wave of Digital Transformation: Insights from Japan’s Journey
okr.date.disclosure2024-05-30
okr.date.lastmodified2024-05-23T00:00:00Zen
okr.doctypeReport
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099352305232428567/P177977145b03308b19ef61f321c4e404f4
okr.guid099352305232428567
okr.identifier.docmidOPSIDU-5e7b2b93-75df-4fb8-8d26-cb4fff13b599
okr.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1596/41631
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum34323735
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum34323735
okr.identifier.report190560
okr.import.id4323
okr.importedtrueen
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099352305232428567/pdf/P177977145b03308b19ef61f321c4e404f4.pdfen
okr.region.geographicalWorld
okr.sectorSub-National Government
okr.themeUrban Infrastructure and Service Delivery,Mitigation,Environment and Natural Resource Management,Climate change,Urban and Rural Development,Urban Development
okr.topicInformation and Communication Technologies::Digital Divide
okr.topicInformation and Communication Technologies::ICT Applications
okr.topicInformation and Communication Technologies::Information Technology
okr.topicInformation and Communication Technologies::Telecommunications Infrastructure
okr.unitUrban GP (SURGP)
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