Japanese Government Draws Up Rural Digitalization Plan
The Japanese government has drawn up a rural digitalization plan under its initiative to expand digital technologies nationwide to revitalize rural areas.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, related cabinet members and experts agreed on the basic plan at a meeting on Wednesday in Tokyo.
The government sees digitalization as a key to solve local problems, such as depopulation and hollowing out of industry. The plan is aimed at using digital technologies to create jobs in local areas and attract people from urban areas.
One of the goals in the plan is to have 1,000 of municipalities across the nation to make focused efforts for digitalization by the end of March 2025. Another is to assign staff in 100 local areas to play a central role in community building based on digital technologies.
The plan also aims to secure more than 20,000 people as promoters of digitalization, who are supposed to help elderly people use digital equipment and services. The government also plans to educate 2.3 million people to have digital expertise by the end of March 2027.
In terms of digital infrastructure, the plan sets a goal to cover 99 percent of the population with 5G networks by the end of March 2031.
The government is expected to approve the plan at a Cabinet meeting soon.