What is Society 5.0? Japan’s Approach to Digitalized Future Explained

The Japanese government recently revealed a view for New Society, where people’s lives are made easier and more comfortable by digital technology. The vision is a response to the nation’s chronic problems such as depopulation and aging, economic stagnation and environmental challenges. The government calls this blueprint for Japan’s future “Society 5.0,” or a “super-smart society.” It is envisioned to be realized through digital transformation (“DX”), an ongoing phenomenon that is fundamentally changing our society and business.

What does this futuristic vision look like? How can it be achieved?  A former Mitsubishi Electric representative explained during a recent online seminar.

The Japan America Society of Chicago invited Noritsugu Uemura, former Corporate Executive , Government & External Relations at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, for the July 14 webinar: “Digital Transformation to Society 5.0: Japan’s Approach to Digital Transformation.”

Noritsugu Uemura, former Corporate Executive , Government & External Relations at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Noristugu Uemura previously worked as a Corporate Executive, Government & External Relations at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. He spent one year as President of Mitsubishi Electric Russia LLC, and seven years as General Manager and President of Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V., Russian Branch. He is currently Senior Executive Advisor at Agekke Corporation

Society 5.0: Japan’s Blueprint for Future

According to the Japanese government, Society 5.0 is a human society that comes after our current one, Society 4.0. Starting with the hunting/gathering stage, human society has advanced through agricultural and then industrial stages. Now we are living in society 4.0, an information society that depends on digital technology.

The Japanese government views the next stage as a “human-centered society,” where today’s social problems are solved through a high level of integration of cyberspace and physical space. Today, we use the cloud technology to store data collected in the real, physical world. The stored data is then retrieved from cyberspace, to be analyzed and used in the real world.

In society 5.0, cyberspace and physical space are much more integrated. There, information from physical space is stored in Big Data in cyberspace, where it is analyzed by AI to create value-added information to be fed back to the real world. This way, all the information in our society – road conditions, health data, and production schedule at a plant, for example – are put into single, integrated storage place (Big Data) for AI analysis. It’s for everyone’s use, unlike individual cloud storage where useful data are for individual use only.

Such a high level of data integration can’t be achieved without a sophisticated use of digital technology, or digital transformation.

Digital Transformation: Path to Society 5.0

According to Uemura, DX means fundamental changes in our society, industry, and everyday life that are caused by adopting digital technology in unconventional ways. For example, an advanced use of digital technology is now causing a change in the categorization of industrial sectors. Traditionally, industrial structure we are familiar with has been in a “pyramid style,” categorized by products and services. Big players sit at the top of the pyramid of one industrial sector. Now, going forward, industries will be reorganized according to the type of task they perform, social issues they aim to solve, or value they create for human life.

DX is now developing globally and each country or region has their own DX strategy. Uemura says Japan pursues its original direction, different from those of the U.S., China or the EU. DX in the U.S. is led by big businesses like Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon. China’s DX is government-driven. In the EU, member countries follow their own strategy individually, focusing on their strong fields.

The Japanese government’s DX strategy focuses on cooperation with diverse players that share consumer value, such as startups, academia, and local governments, as well as corporations. The government calls this alliance “value co-creation” based on a reliable data linkage. It’s also a key element of DX in the private sector.

Smart City: a Showcase of Society 5.0

A smart city is defined as a city where data is collected via electronic methods and used to provide various public services efficiently. The Japanese government plans to implement its vision of Smart City in the experimental stage toward the realization of Society 5.0.

 In a smart city, explained Uemura, its public services and functions are made efficient and sophisticated through the use of IT technology. Real-life data about weather, road conditions, healthcare needs, and public infrastructure will be gathered and placed on a data exchange platform. After the data is processed and analyzed by AI, it will be turned into information with added value for our use. The end product will be efficient systems for disaster prevention, autonomous driving, community-based healthcare, inventory management for retailers and production control, all digitally implemented, managed and maintained.

The entire vision is aimed to solve problems Japan is facing today, including a widening economic gap between large cities and rural communities. Sustainability is another significant focus in this vision. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – including clean energy, responsible consumption, climate actions and elimination of poverty  - are the goals the Japanese government believes can be achieved through implementation of a smart city vision.

Currently, 38 smart city projects are underway across Japan as an experimental phase of the government’s Society 5.0 plan. The designated cities get official support to physically develop a community following the smart city concept.

Mitsubishi Electric participates in two of them, the Tsukuba city Project in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture and the Osaka City Project in Osaka Prefecture. 

Mitsubishi Electric and DX: Technology, Achievements, & Strategy

A global electric equipment maker with a 100-year history, Mitsubishi Electric is actively involved in experimenting with and implementing the smart city vision. Its business is now largely centered on providing integrated solutions to a wide range of social issues, specifically in the fields of mobility, industry, life, and infrastructure. For example, the company’s proprietary “e-F@ctory” system helps manufacturers with their remote production maintenance and monitoring. Its lane hazard warning system contributes to autonomous driving by sharing information about surrounding obstacles via a cloud system.

 e-F@ctory is a system based on the shop floor needs and experiences, and aims to optimize manufacturing processes. It uses Edge computing instead of the cloud-level computing. This allows shorter response time at the production site and alleviates production control problems.

The company has a network of partners – e-F@ctory Alliance – with more than 750 software developers, FA equipment makers, and SI (system integration) companies to promote e-F@ctory system. The alliance, together with the open Edge computing platform (“EdgeCross”), creates “smart manufacturing,” one of the elements in the Society 5.0 vision.

Autonomous driving is another area for which Mitsubishi Electric offers its expertise.  An autonomous driving system is a staple in the smart city and Society 5.0 visions. Positioning satellite is the key technology for it, and many countries have their own satellites.

Mitsubishi Electric developed positioning satellites for Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (“QZSS”). The first satellite was launched in 2010. By 2023, seven satellites are expected to be in operation, providing centimeter-level positioning data. This high precision positioning service, or the Centimeter-Level Augmentation Service (“CLAS”), is distributed in Japan for free.

Mitsubishi Electric also developed the Mobile Mapping System (“MMS”), a system to create a high-precision 3-D map for more efficient and intelligent driving.

An autonomous car that is equipped with the MMS oscillates detecting laser to the surrounding objects. The MMS transforms the detected items into 3-D point data to create a 3-D map.

In a digitalized city – smart community - power generation is expected to come in diverse forms.

In addition to conventional forms, alternative ways of producing power will include renewable power generation such as solar and on- and off-shore wind power, as well as on-demand power supply and battery exchanges. As part of its involvement in building a greener society, Mitsubishi Electric has constructed a “zero-energy building” in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. It’s a test facility for the company’s zero energy building (“ZEB”) technologies, which are designed to bring net annual energy consumption in buildings to zero.

Mitsubishi Electric Strategy for Future

Toward the realization of Society 5.0, Mitsubishi Electric eyes on further expansion of its integrated solutions, explained Uemura. The key will be further DX and open innovation, which includes co-creation of people’s value with customers and partners. The strategies include expanding business domains through active M&As, and collaborating with startups in different industries to create new solutions, among others. The Business Innovation Group within the company, established in April 2020, will continue to play a central role in implementing these strategies, Uemura said.

 ************************

Noristugu Uemura previously worked as a Corporate Executive, Government & External Relations at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. He spent one year as President of Mitsubishi Electric Russia LLC, and seven years as General Manager and President of Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V., Russian Branch. He is currently Senior Executive Advisor at Agekke Corporation.