Society 5.0 is Japan’s national vision under the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan, which aims to realize a data-driven, human-centric, next-generation society that uses technology such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Aging populations have caused complex social issues regarding mobility, health care and workforce productivity as well as the devaluation of local or suburban communities. What is Society 5.0, and how does the initiative inform smart city projects?ĭeguchi : Today, Japan is in the wake of a super-aging society, a reality that many other developed and developing countries have begun experiencing.

In this interview, Deguchi provided context on Society 5.0, which is also the focus of a Deguchi-penned book, which is slated to be published in English this year. Ī national initiative known as “Society 5.0” is helping to drive this focus on social progress. While in the U.S., smart city projects tend to focus on making technology upgrades to drive efficiency and awareness, in Japan, smart city initiatives are more likely to focus on driving social cohesion and addressing social ills, such as the country’s aging population, according to Deguchi, who is also the director of the Urban Design Center Kashiwa-no-ha. In Japan, a country with considerable technological influence on the global stage, the concept of a “smart city” has a strong social dimension, explained Atsushi Deguchi, a professor and vice dean at the University of Tokyo at Industrial IoT World last year.

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