I created this in November 2018. When the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Survey on Science and Technology Trends asked what kinds of social applications we would like to see, I provided a response based on materials from the IT Division and other sources.

With the aim of incorporating cutting-edge technology into all industries and aspects of daily life to realize a safe, secure, and prosperous society, we have outlined social implementation goals across 10 areas: healthcare, agriculture, government, finance, work styles, education, disaster prevention, foreign residents, transportation, and human resource development.

As social issues—such as an aging population, natural disasters, the strain on local communities, and workplace reform—become increasingly diverse and complex, we look forward to the resolution of these issues and the creation of innovation through the use of cutting-edge technology, as well as the establishment of a supportive social and institutional environment to facilitate these efforts.

May this contribute to the realization of an inclusive and sustainable society—including the creation of a society characterized by health and longevity, a highly productive society, and the revitalization of local economies.

　

1. Health and Medical Care: “Hospitals Anywhere”

As we move toward a super-aged society, we will link information on health, medical care, and long-term care—from birth to the present—to create a society focused on preventing pre-disease conditions. This will extend the healthy life expectancy of the population and reduce the national burden of medical expenses.

Every object in the home is equipped with sensors, and data related to health, medical care, and nursing care is managed on the blockchain. Based on this data, AI provides health advice, each household has a nursing care robot, and people can receive medical treatment without having to go to a hospital.

　

2. Agriculture: “Full Automation of Farm Work”

The adoption of AI, IoT, robotics, and other technologies has led to a dramatic improvement in agricultural productivity, enabling the transfer of technical expertise to the next generation of farmers and further boosting productivity.

The introduction of AI, IoT, robots, and other technologies in agriculture has led to fundamental improvements in productivity and resolved labor shortages and the lack of successors. Furthermore, manual farm work is becoming a thing of the past. In addition, the collection, sharing, analysis, and utilization of data—from production through distribution—are being promoted, leading to increased production efficiency.

　

3. Government: “Government Service Counters Will Disappear”

Through the 100% digitization of government services and the 100% opening of government-held data, a "push-type" government has been realized, minimizing the need for in-person applications and other procedures at government offices. 

All the procedures that used to be handled at government office counters can now be done from home.All data is interconnected, so once you enter your personal information, you’ll never have to fill out paperwork again. All documents held by the government have been digitized and are publicly available. Furthermore, the introduction of artificial intelligence technology has advanced and streamlined various government operations, bringing about an innovative e-government system.

　

4. Finance: “Money Will Disappear”

The shift toward cashless payments is streamlining payment and settlement processes, and the accumulation and utilization of consumer purchase history data are laying the groundwork for the creation of new services. 

Cashless payments are now the norm at all convenience stores and supermarkets. All purchase history data is collected, and new services that utilize this data—such as personalized product recommendations—are emerging. Convenience stores and supermarkets are also becoming unmanned, with robots handling operations.

　

5. Work Style: “Integrating Work and Life to Share Skills”

We are transitioning to a highly productive society based on flexible work arrangements that do not require coming into the office and are designed to accommodate side jobs. 

I’ve adopted a “work-from-home” lifestyle where I no longer go to the office. Only robots are in the office, and I operate them remotely from home to get my work done. In fact, I don’t belong to a single organization; instead, I work across multiple teams while sharing my skills and time.

　

6. Education: “Learning of Tomorrow”

With the introduction of AI and blockchain into education, learning styles that transcend the boundaries of school districts are being established, and a society focused on lifelong skill development is becoming a reality. 

There’s no concept of attending a single school; instead, students learn whenever and wherever they choose—at home, at the library, or at multiple schools. Everything they learn is recorded and managed via blockchain. In this era, there are no exams; instead, their learning history serves as a portfolio for evaluation. Each student has a robot that learns alongside them. Rather than writing by hand, homework is completed through voice conversations with the robot.With the introduction of AI, class schedules are customized for each individual. Furthermore, students learn core academic subjects efficiently in half the time, allowing the remaining time to be filled with enriching learning experiences such as creating things and gaining hands-on experience. The concept of “school refusal” no longer exists; even children who are hospitalized can send a robot to school and control it from their hospital room.

　

7. Disaster Prevention: “Building Disaster Response Infrastructure”

Through integration with the My Number system, digital technology is being used to facilitate the dissemination of disaster information and streamline procedures for rebuilding lives. 

After a disaster, the system accurately tracks information on individual residents, enabling the immediate delivery of the appropriate amount of relief supplies and other assistance. Information necessary for rebuilding lives is displayed in real time on digital signage and other media.

　

8. Foreigners: “Communicating with the World Through Machine Translation”

Against the backdrop of welcoming foreign visitors, efforts are underway to enhance the environment for foreign visitors through improvements in translation technology. We aim to make Japan a destination of choice for both foreign tourists and skilled workers.

Even though people are speaking their respective native languages with foreigners, they can still have normal conversations using the automatic translation feature. As a result, both tourists and immigrants are able to live comfortably, creating a diverse society.

　

9. Transportation: "Autonomous Driving and the Air Transportation Network"

Autonomous driving and the use of drones have made a variety of transportation options a reality, enabling the maintenance of local public transportation networks while also driving transformation in the logistics sector. 

Thanks to self-driving cars, people can now live comfortably even in the most remote areas. Logistics are handled by drones, and because an aerial transportation network has been established, there are no traffic jams and the number of accidents has dropped to zero.

As a result, this has helped resolve labor shortages, improve productivity, and enhance safety.

　

10. Workforce Development: "AI Talent for All Citizens"

An inclusive society has been realized in which all citizens have acquired IT literacy and everyone can enjoy the benefits of digitization. As a result, the shortage of IT professionals has been resolved. 

Since everyone has the ability to use robots and AI effectively, there is no shortage of IT professionals, and all citizens are living happily.