Agile Governance for a Better World: Japan’s perspective

A: In 2016, the Japanese government introduced the concept of “Society 5.0” and positioned it as the future vision of Japan. As you note, Society 5.0 is defined as “a human-centered society,” one in which a high degree of integration between cyberspace and physical space works to promote economic development and to solve societal problems. We view this as the latest type of society, following from our past hunting society (Society 1.0), agricultural society (Society 2.0), industrial society (Society 3.0), and information society (Society 4.0).

There are three major points embedded in the goals of Society 5.0. First, we should understand that this concept is about “society”, not just “industry.” It is often compared to terms such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, but Society 5.0 aims to transform not only industry but also society as a whole, through the power of digital technology.