For all its high-tech innovations, Japan trails in the digital rankings compared to most advanced economies. The programme Insight looks at what lies behind its slow pace of digitalisation and the extent of its cyber vulnerability.
New: You can now listen to articles.TOKYO: With its shiny robots and bullet trains, Japan seems like a technological utopia. But beneath the surface lies a digital dysfunction that leaves the country vulnerable in today’s interconnected world.
This service is not intended for persons residing in the E.U. By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive news updates and promotional material from Mediacorp and Mediacorp’s partners.“The government is now saying that a cyberattack hits Japan once every 14 or 13 seconds,” highlighted Motohiro Tsuchiya, a professor at Keio University’s Graduate School of Media and Governance.
Many people in Japan may take digital photos, but according to Statista, only 32 per cent used mobile payments at the point of sale in the first quarter. Novelties such as toilets that have automatic functions and play music, conveyor belt sushi as well as humanoids at company receptions and game centres make people “feel like Japanese people are living in the future”.
One enduring symbol of Japan’s digital inertia is the “hanko”, a personal seal used in place of a signature for many transactions in banking, real estate and company paperwork. Japan’s ageing society also plays a role. Almost three in 10 people are over 65 years old, and a 2021 study found that nearly a third of Japanese aged 50 to 79 were unenthusiastic about digitalisation.But even younger people are not pushing for change. “A significant number of young people would choose the easier option … going with the old-fashioned Japanese culture and legacy ways,” said Nawa.
Yuriko had not changed the address on her certificate of residence even a month and a half after moving to her rented unit. Also, about half of Japanese firms do not discuss cybersecurity strategies at the executive level. Many firms are prioritising day-to-day operations over IT risks while the economy remains sluggish.
“When those who’ve experienced success with older methods move to upper management, they inevitably impose their way of doing things,” added Nawa. To avert this crisis, the government launched the Digital Agency in 2021 to drive Japan’s digital transformation. “Japan is one of the largest economies in the world. So you have a lot of intellectual property to protect and also information,” said Yohei Ishihara, security evangelist at internet security firm Trend Micro.Cyberattacks can even remain undetected “for years”, added Tsuchiya, allowing malware to “quietly” extract information.
But if the US military “can’t trust Japan’s government or Self-Defence Forces” because of the country’s digital systems, this could put Japan’s national security at risk, he warned.Notwithstanding its late start, Japan is pushing forward with digital reforms to close the gap with other advanced economies.
This comes after Japan unveiled a new national security strategy in 2022, which included plans to more than quadruple the number of cyber defence personnel from 890 to 4,000 by 2028, supported by about 16,000 staff. “It depends on the school, but I’ve heard that only three five hours a year are allocated for this purpose,” said Tomohiro Murano, the founder and chief executive officer of Arschool, which provides programming classes.
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