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The Government of Japan is pursuing an ambitious policy programme, Society 5.0, designed to respond to the formidable economic and social challenges facing Japan and the world, capitalize on Japanese technological sophistication and commercialization abilities, and provide a coordinated, forward-looking strategy that could ensure Japan's leadership in the technological revolution. Society 5.0 is the label attached to a vision of 'whole of government, business and academia' plan to integrate new technological systems across various fields to the benefit of humanity. This paper explores the conceptual background, rationale, policies and programmes Japan has enacted in pursuit of this vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Already leading the world in the development of consumer electronics, South Korea and Japan have been leading innovators in the creation of digital content economies. Both governments recognized both the commercial potential and the employment possibilities associated with the digital content industry. The sector, however, did not fit easily with existing industrial and technological models of economic development, particularly due to the small size of digital firms, the youth culture orientation of most products and services, and the antiestablishment ethos of the creative industries generally. In Japan, digital content firms created a robust domestic market but struggled to get international market share. Government policy, therefore, has focused on building international interest in digital products. Although South Korea has enjoyed considerable success through their K‐pop cultural exports, it has really capitalized on the country's highly successful online gaming industry. South Korean policy initiatives emphasize public promotion of Korean digital content with sizeable investments in creator and incubator spaces for start‐up firms. Together with initiatives in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, the Japanese and South Korean efforts demonstrate how Asian countries have sought to integrate the digital content sector into their national innovation strategies and to jump‐start a promising and potentially valuable economic sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over two decades, Japan has been a leading nation in the development of the digital economy. The country's business development in mobile computing, video games and animation led the world. While this prominent role continues, the country has struggled with a "digital island" reality in three areas: the wireless industry, which tried but failed to expand globally; an active but Japan-focused digital content sector; and digital services, which have not expanded as expected to non-Japanese markets. This article examines the evolution of Japan's digital media and digital content sector which has created significant global interest but less business development than expected. The article argues that Japan's "Galapagos" reality reflects the inherently (but not exclusively) culture and language-specific characteristics of the digital content economy and the country's largely inward-looking culture industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the host for the United Nations conference that resulted in the Kyoto Protocol, Japan has been intricately linked to the global climate change agenda. Once known for the high levels of industrial pollution in the country, Japan has opted in recent years to position itself as a world leader in environmental sustainability. The result has been an aggressive set of policies on recycling, environmental protection, new technologies, and on a concerted effort to combine environmental initiatives with the creation of new export industries aimed at delivering made-in-Japan solutions to the global marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan has been a key player in the global competition based on scientific and technological innovation. Through a series of Science and Technology Basic Plans, the national government sought to restructure the country's approach to scientific and technological development, with initiatives ranging from a fundamental restructuring of public universities to major investments in regional clusters. Collaboration with business has likewise been a centerpiece of the Japan strategy, as has high level political leadership of the broad initiative. This paper examines the international and national context of Japanese innovation, outlines the core elements of the Japanese innovation strategy, and provides preliminary observations about the first decade of the country's extensive efforts to establish Japan as a global leader in the commercialization of science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]