COVER STORY Collaborative Creation through Global R&DTRENDS

Society 5.0: Aiming for a New Human-centered Society
Japan’s Science and Technology Policies for Addressing Global Social Challenges

Yuko Harayama, Ph.D.
Executive MemberCouncil for Science, Technology and Innovation,
Cabinet Office, JapanWe are now in a new era, one in which innovation driven by enabling technologies such as IoT, AI, and robotics are bringing
significant changes to the economy and society. In anticipation of global trends, the 5th Science and Technology BasicPlan, adopted by the Japanese Cabinet in January 2016, presented Society 5.0 as a core concept. It was identified as astrategic part of the “Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2016,” which is a basic policy foreconomic fiscal management and reform, and furthermore as one of the growth strategies for the “Council on Investments
for the Future,” which was established in September 2016 as a headquarters for innovation strategy to enhance Japan’sgrowth potential. Why is the Japanese government promoting Society 5.0 now, and what is the government’s vision of
the society on which Japan’s future nation will be built? We asked Yuko Harayama, Executive Member of the Council for
Science, Technology and Innovation, about the pioneering “super smart society” aimed for by Society 5.0.

Creating Innovation that Helps
Solve Social Challenges
Fukuyama: As Deputy Director of the Directoratefor Science, Technology and Industry in theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD), you have been in close conInterviewer

Mayumi Fukuyama

General Manager and CIO
Technology Management Center,
Technology Strategy Office,Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd.
Joined Hitachi, Ltd. in 1987, and worked on theresearch and development of reliability technology forsocial infrastructure. Appointed General Manager ofthe Mechanical Engineering Center, Hitachi ResearchLaboratory in 2014, and took her current position in2015. She has a Doctor of Engineering, and is a member of the Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineeringand the Science Council of Japan.

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tact with global trends. When formulating the 5th
Science and Technology Basic Plan, what aspects ofthese global trends have attracted your attention in
the era of major change we’re experiencing today?
Harayama: I would say the dramatic changes
that are fundamentally transforming society andthe innovation that is bringing them about. TheOECD played a leading role in triggering this, andin 2010, an “Innovation Strategy” was formulatedand positioned as the core of our growth strategy.

Open Innovation for Creating the Future

Yuko Harayama received a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Geneva in 1996 and a Ph.D. in Economics from thesame institution in 1997, where she also taught as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Economy. She wasa Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade & Industry (RIETI) in Japan, and in 2002 became a Professor in theManagement of Science and Technology Department, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University. From 2006, shespent two years as an Executive Member on the Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP) in the Japanese Cabinet
Office, and from 2010 to 2012 served as Deputy Director of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry.
She was appointed in March 2013 as an Executive Member on the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI)of the Japanese Cabinet Office, and continues to serve there today. She is Professor Emeritus at Tohoku University, and in2011 was inducted into the French National Order of the Legion of Honour.

This is not limited to developed countries suchhas greatly enhanced lifestyle convenience, it hasas Japan. In emerging countries, too, movements

also increased social complexity, and some nega-

are accelerating, relying on the complementarity

tive aspects of our new digital society are becom-

between science and technology (S&T) and inno-

ing apparent. Looking at the current situation invation to fuel economic growth. Even in developing

Japan, reduced labor productivity is an urgent

countries, efforts toward bottom-up advance-

issue to address, and considering that the declining

ment of frugal innovation and inclusive innova-

labor force will become more severe in the future,tion leading to economic growth are becoming athoroughly strengthening industrial competitive-trend. Furthermore, in September 2015 the United

ness is becoming an urgent task as well.

Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable

In light of these circumstances, when formulat-Development, with Sustainable Development

ing the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan, weGoals (SDGs) as its core. In the SDGs as well, therebelieved it was important not only to advocate forare high expectations that innovation will play aS&T development and growth in Japan, but also

central role in addressing challenges.

to equip our plan with the flexibility to respond

Under these circumstances, new technologies

to a world that is changing daily at tremendousand services are also created one after anotherspeed. In this age of uncertainty, we cannot predictthrough new combinations and/or integration into

what the world will be like five years from now.

a system of existing technologies, and the world

So, as a prerequisite for innovation, we decided tohas been undergoing substantial transformation

indicate the direction for our society to be pursued

with innovation as a driving force. Yet, while thisinvolving both industry and academia.

Hitachi Review Vol. 66, No. 6 554–555

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COVER STORY Collaborative Creation through Global R&DSo, just what is Society 5.0? Taking a long viewof history, I think we can define Society 1.0 asgroups of people hunting and gathering in harmonious coexistence with nature, Society 2.0 as
forming groups based on agricultural cultivation,
increasing organization and nation-building,Society 3.0 is a society that promotes industrialization through the Industrial Revolution, making
mass production possible, and Society 4.0 as an
information society that realizes increasing added
value by connecting intangible assets as informaToday, movements toward incorporating newtion networks. Society 5.0 is an information soci-elements into existing technologies and knowl-

ety built upon Society 4.0, aiming for a prosperous

edge, thereby designing and creating previously

human-centered society (see Figure 1).

unknown business services are gaining visibility.

The outline of the 5th Science and Technology

As the rise of Uber* shows, traditional producer–

Basic Plan describes Society 5.0 as “an initiative

consumer dichotomies are also collapsing. As inmerging the physical space (real world) and cyber-

the past, innovation functions as a driving force

space by leveraging ICT to its fullest, where wefor economic activity, but its mechanisms areare proposing an ideal form of our future society:diversifying with a momentum that is overturn-a ‘super smart society’” and “a series of initiatives

ing existing industrial structures as well. Behind

geared toward realizing this,” but this is just a

all this is “digitized information.” In the future,

starting point in the Basic Plan, which goes on toinnovative information-based technologies such as

state that this is “now being further deepened andthe Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligenceintensively promoted as ‘Society 5.0.’” We consider(AI), and robotics are expected to generate new

this as a concept to be developed alongside citizens.

added value. We created the concept of Society

What I would rather focus on is realizing a

5.0 under these circumstances, and by doing so,

super smart society—a society where the various

we intend to propose a new guiding principle forneeds of society are finely differentiated and met

innovation from Japan to the world.

by providing the necessary products and services
in the required amounts to the people who need

Always a Core of People, Not Technology

them when they need them, and in which all thepeople can receive high-quality services and live
a comfortable, vigorous life.” Contributing to the10.

Fukuyama: Society 5.0 aims at a “super smart

welfare of people will of course require a varietysociety.” Is digitalization at its center?

of approaches, and Society 5.0 is that kind ofHarayama: Digitalization is a means, but webroad concept.

humans must remain central actors. Traditionally,Actually, the process of “nurturing as a concept”

innovation driven by technology has been respon-has a point in common with the generation ofsible for social development, but in the future, we

the concept of the “National Innovation System

will reverse our way of thinking, focusing on how(NIS),” which everyone today recognizes as a key

to build a society that makes us happy and pro-concept of innovation. NIS tries to capture insti-vides a sense of worth. That is why we focus on thetutional mechanisms that generate innovation as

word “society” as the foundation for human life.

a system of interactions by actors such as compa-* Uber is a trademark of Uber Technologies, Inc.

nies, universities, and governments, but it did notOpen Innovation for Creating the Future

Figure 1 The “Super Smart Society” Aimed for by Society 5.0
A super smart society is characterized as follows: a society wherethe various needs of society are finely differentiated and met byproviding the necessary products and services in the required
amounts to the people who need them when they need them,and in which all people can receive high-quality services and live
a comfortable, vigorous life that makes allowances for their various differences such as age, sex, region, or language. It is called
this to indicate a new society created by transformations led byscientific and technological innovation, following hunting society,agrarian society, industrial society, and information society.

Society 5.0

Super smart society
Invention of computers
Start of information distribution

Information society
Invention of steam locomotives
Start of mass production

Industrial society
Development of irrigation techniquesFirm establishment of settlements

Agrarian society

Economic andsocial innovation
by deepening ofSociety 5.0

Coexistence with nature

Hunting society
The birth ofhuman beings

13,000 BC

End ofthe 18th century

Latter half ofthe 20th century

From
the 21st century

Source: Prepared based on materials from the Japan
Business Federation (Keidanren)take such a concrete form from the beginning. It

Fukuyama: It seems that while the legal systemappeared as an issue in OECD science and tech-has opened some doors, the situation in Japan

nology policy in the 1990s, and it was conceptual-remains one where it is hard to imagine equal

ized over time through back-and-forth discourses

opportunity for all. Do you believe that will

between innovation and policy. In particular, theychange through inclusion of a larger variety of

took in the parts that cannot be grasped fromactors and through digitalization?

linear models of innovation by bringing a systemic

Harayama: I do. I think the most needed reform

viewpoint, and they deepened their ideas while

is human empowerment. In other words, eachconstructing an overall picture of innovation pro-

constituency of a nation or organization would becesses consisting of actor interactions.

equipped with the ability necessary for development

In the same way, we would like to deepenand change and be able to explore fully this ability.

Society 5.0 by focusing on human beings, pro-

It is important to increase the number of people

viding breadth as a shared concept. We would

working under their own initiative and acting as

also like to involve a wide variety of actors thatgame changers. In Japanese society through today,in the past have only participated in non-visible
ways. We want participation not only by experts,
but the society as a whole, especially women andyoung people who are looked to for future activity in Japan. I think that it is important to build asocial foundation that allows for game changers,
one where these participants can continue to takeon challenges, even if they fail at first. In otherwords, in the 5th Science and Technology BasicPlan, we have created space for accommodating
various bottom-up ideas, demonstrating a world
with room for dreams.

Hitachi Review Vol. 66, No. 6 556–557

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COVER STORY Collaborative Creation through Global R&D

I think that these people are constrained by existingnorms and practices and, in some respects, find it
difficult to demonstrate their own strength. FromFigure 2 Breaking through the “Five Walls”
Realizing a new economy and society in which discontinuous and disruptive changes are expected to occur
will require breaking through five walls.

now on, we need to create places where people
with a willingness to change society can fully work
toward doing so by their own initiative. I thinkthat such efforts are vital to realizing Society 5.0.

Wall ofthe ministries
and agencies

Formulation of national strategies andintegration of government promotion system

Wall ofthe legalsystem

Development of laws toward
implementation of innovative technologies

Wall oftechnologies

Formation of foundations for knowledge

Wall ofhuman
resources

Dynamic engagement of all citizens
in the new economy and society

Wall of social
acceptanceIntegration of innovative technologies
and society

However, it is difficult to create such an environment through government decree. It can be
hard to remove oneself from a comfortable situation of business as usual, thereby reducing theoccurrence of innovation. In an era of profoundchanges, we need to have pioneering courage —and the ability to disrupt stability when necessary.
We are approaching an era of 100-year lifespans,
so I consider it vital that young people accumulate
experience and cultivate their skills so that they
can accommodate drastic social change.
Of course, it is also essential that we revisit
our current value system. The past work valuethat call for families to be supported by a single
household member, is shifting to one in which

Source: Prepared based on materials from the Japan
Business Federation (Keidanren)each family member may choose to work in viewof pursuing his/her own goal, accompanied by a

Harayama: Actually, when I was involved insense of contributing to society. Therefore, there

formulating Innovation Strategy at the OECD,are various fields and options to conceive theI made a proposal at a brainstorming meeting

work, and what is needed is a society that allows

to move one step further from the Nationalits constituents the possibility to choose how toInnovation System into the “Ecosystem.” Merely

work at different times and occasions in their life,

having different organizations such as companies

which is exactly what Society 5.0 is.

and universities follow a research plan for producing results is no different from conventional

Goals of Society 5.0
as an Innovation Ecosystem

collaborative research. Innovation arises in unexpected places, and I believe that coming acrosspeople in various fields promotes the noticing

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Fukuyama: The 5th Science and Technology Basicof new things, much like in a wide-open natural

Plan states that companies, universities, and others

ecosystem. I believe that such soft forms of coop-

who are responsible for innovation systems shoulderation are the basis for an innovation ecosystem.

strengthen their cooperation, breaking down orga-So, going forward, what will be important is thenizational walls and promoting open innovation

extent to which we can build mutually inspiring(see Figure 2). As a specific initiative, full-fledged

relationships while maintaining a higher degree ofcollaborative research between industry and aca-

freedom, without being limited to formal industry–

demia will be promoted, involving the creation ofacademia collaboration. How to build so-called

innovation and ecosystems including ventures andsocial capital that regards such relationships as anthe like. Please tell me about that concept.

asset will be the key to igniting innovation.

Open Innovation for Creating the Future

Figure 3 Constructing a Platform for Society 5.0
There is a need for “systemization” of services and projects, more advanced systems, and coordination between multiple systems, and we will promote efforts toward building a common platform (a super smart society service platform)in collaboration with industry, academia, government, and related ministries.

Super smart society
Service platform

Intelligent
transportation systems

Smart food-chainsystems
Standardizationof interfaces and data
formats

Smart manufacturingsystems

Strengthening
development of information
communication platforms

Integrated material
development system

EnergyValue chains

New manufacturingsystems
Regional inclusive
care systems

Advanced security
and social
implementation
Utilizing existing
systems for positioning,authentication, etc.
Regulatory andinstitutional reform
for new services

Global environment
information platform
Hospitality systems

Utilization ofstandard data

Infrastructure
maintenance andupdates

Human resource
development

A societyresilient against
natural disasters
New businessand services

Fukuyama: Hitachi, too, is looking to transformmuch looking forward to the results of Hitachi’sideas from industry–academia collaboration that

open laboratory initiative.

matches traditional needs and seeds, and as part ofWe have passed through industrialization, andour efforts to create and disseminate a vision forthen through digitalization, providing an age ofrealizing Society 5.0 and to resolve issues based onconvenience and healthy lives. That is exactly whythat vision, we are working on open innovation

we should pause to reconsider our lifestyles andwith The University of Tokyo, Kyoto University,

take action. Of course, there have been negativeand Hokkaido University, but there is a need for

aspects accompanying scientific and technologi-

further discussion before we can produce anything

cal advancement. There has been an undeniableconcrete.

increase in inequality. We have arrived at a time

Harayama: Planning, developing a roadmap andfor engagement in social issues not just by a few

following it, checking off requirements as you

selected specialists and politicians but by every-

go along, this approach is quite well grounded.

one, especially women, the young, and the elderly.

Unfortunately, we cannot say for certain that thisPrivate enterprises have a social responsibility toapproach effectively applies to innovation. You

demonstrate leadership through their humancan never be sure you will obtain results, but noth-resources, funds, networks, and extensive tech-ing ventured, nothing gained. Of course, ideas

nologies and expertise.

that are produced by the same organization tend

Precisely because this is an era in which every-

to be homogeneous, so you cannot expect theone can enter the ring to change society, we must

spark of new ideas from these ideas. It is neces-consider alongside a broad range of other people

sary to get involved outside of one’s own walls.

what kind of society we want to create, what is

Further, efforts crossing organizational barriers

needed to do so, and how to develop the needed

are indispensable for standardization that will sur-human resources. We hope that efforts to realize

vive international competition. All you can do isSociety 5.0 will provide such opportunities (seetry various approaches. In that sense, I am veryFigure 3).

Hitachi Review Vol. 66, No. 6 558–559

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