C o - c r e a t i n g
C o - c r e a t i n g
t h e f u t u r e

K e i d a n r e n K a i k a n , 1- 3 - 2 , O t e m a c h i , C h i y o d a - k u , T o k y o 1 0 0 - 8 1 8 8 , J a p a n
P h o n e + 8 1 - 3 - 6 74 1 - 0 1 5 0
h t t p : / / w w w . k e i d a n r e n . o r. j p / e n /t h e

f u t u r e

SOCI

CH A P TER Ⅰ
Development of Human Society

Hi roa k i
Na k a n is h i

ETY6

CH A P TER Ⅲ
The Nature of Society 5.0

years have passed since we entered the 21st century. Now we live in an age of8

uncertainty with violent changes in global environment that makes it difficult to make afuture forecast. This report titled "Society 5.0 - Co-creating the future" is based on my wish to describe
an image of ideal society and to join forces to realize it particularly in such an age. Keidanren will takethe lead in making full use of technological innovation to achieve more human society and economic
development to support it. I wish you read through this report and take action to materialize it.

C o - c r e a t i n gt h e

f u t u r eTable ofContents

H i r o ak i
K i t an o , Ph . D.

5.0

he future is not a mere continuation of the past, and it is up to us to design and create it. The Society 5.0
report from Keidanren was compiled with a proactive mindset that welcomes not just technological innovation

but disruptive change, positioning both as opportunities to co-create the future that we wish to see. The report
points to the realization of a sustainable society whose fundamental values include recognition of all forms ofdiversity and their inclusion, and where personal aspirations and imagination are highly valued.

CH A P TE R Ⅳ
The fruits of Society 5.0

1014
CH A P T E R Ⅴ
Blueprint of Society 5.0 for SDGs

1. Cities and Regions
2. Energy

Chairman, Taskforce on Co-Creation ofSociety 5.0, Keidanren
President and CEO, Sony Computer
Science Laboratories, Inc.

T

4

CH A P TER Ⅱ
Digital Transformation

Chairman of Keidanren
Executive Chairman of Hitachi, Ltd.

18

2

I N TR OD U CTI ON
Towards a Bright Future

15
16

3. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

16

4. Healthcare (health, medicine, and nursing)16

5. Agriculture and Food
6. Logistics
7. Manufacturing and Services

17
18
18

8. Finance19

9. Public Services

19

10. Partnership20

Co n c l u s i o n

20

 1

i n t r o d u c t i o nexacerbate uncertainty in the world, a sense of insecurity is also

challenges that the world is going to face sooner or later.

rising. However, every change brings opportunities as well.

Potential cannot be realized without action. It is essential for

If we accept these changes positively and take advantage ofJapan to create a vision for the society it wishes to create andthem, we will be able to create a better society. We cannot

reform itself.

carve out the future with a pessimistic mindset. The future is

Humankind is about to enter a new societal phase where

not an extension of the past. We must start by moving beyond

development of digital technologies causes tremendous change.

the experiences and assumptions we have had so far.

Japan has dubbed this "Society 5.0" 4 and is working hard to

Imagination is the key to shaping the future. It is important to

Towards a
Bright FutureJ

exercise our imaginations for the future of earth and humankind

It is hard to say that Japan has presented and proposed

and recreate the world for the better. Someone may imagine theconcepts encompassing the whole world in the past. From now

future deemed crazy by society. However, we should recognize

on, Japan should embrace the role of contributing to sustainable

the truth; “the people who are crazy enough to think they candevelopment of society by taking leadership in reforms with achange the world, are the ones who do.” We will continue toclear concept of the future it wants to create. The main player indevelop the world for the better by unleashing the full range ofthese reforms is the business community, and the process will

imagination produced by individuals with diverse backgrounds

test the ability of business to change itself.

3

and sense of values. Diversity is a source of inspirations in timesof change.

Therefore, in this report, Japanese business community setsout concept of and draws a concrete picture of Society 5.0 as a
future society that we wish to create with the world, byJapan has the potential to cause the most drastic change indiscussing aims for the society of tomorrow and considers what

the world. It is facing an unprecedented crisis with a vast arraykind of society to create based on the global changes describedof problems including a declining birthrate and ageing society, aabove.

low rate of growth, declining research capabilities, and fiscal
deterioration. Conversely, however, it can be said that Japan isapan is committed to Society 5.0. It is the vision of

The emergence of China as a superpower has radically altered

blessed with a golden opportunity to make the most of thean emerging form of society characterized as

the global landscape from economic and geo-politicalchange occurring in the world. IoT development will connect“Creative Society” enabled by the digital transformation.

perspectives. Besides China, other Asian countries including

everything to the Internet. Many Japanese firms have strengths

Digital transformation, especially with artificial intelligence (AI)India and the ASEAN members are expected to achieve rapid

in technologies performing in the physical real world and will be

and robotics, provides augmented abilities to people enabling

growth in the future, which will shift the world economy’s center

able to take advantage of this trend. Japan also neighbors

Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations inthem to pursue their dreams, big or small, some of which shallof gravity from the West to Asia. Also, while some countries are

China, which is a huge and growing market, and has a favorable

S e p t e m b e r 2 015 f o l l o w i n g t h e M i l l e n n i u m D e v e l o p m e n t G o a l smake major contribution for global agenda including

facing rapid ageing of the population amid extremely low

relationship with rapidly growing India and ASEAN countries.

sustainability and social inclusions, and other majorbirthrate, the global population is growing explosively. Such

Maintaining close contact with Western nations also gives Japan

breakthrough to push human race forward.

rapid change of population dynamics affects economy anda geo-political advantage. Moreover, from a cultural perspective,

geo-politics with increasing demands to solve sustainability andthe mindset embodied in the SDGs has long guided Japanesesocial inclusion issues among other issues.

economic activities, as seen in the concepts ofSociety 5.0 is inevitable and an opportunity. First of all, the1

The S D G s are inte rnati o nal g o als with targ et d ate s b etwe e n
2 016 a n d 2 0 3 0 t h a t w e re i n c l u d e d i n t h e 2 0 3 0 A g e n d a fo r

( M D G s ) a d o p t e d i n 2 0 0 1. T h e y a r e c o m p o s e d o f 17 g o a l s a n d
16 9 t a rg e t s t o re a l ize a s u s t a i n a b l e w o rl d .
2

ES G investment places emphasis on sele cting firms thatc o n s i d e r t h e e n v i ro n m e n t , s o c i e t y, a n d g o v e rn a n c e. S p e c i fi c
em p h a s is is p la c e d o n me a su re s to ad d re s s climate c h a n g e
in the e nviro nme ntal s p he re, atte nti o n to human rig hts in thes o cial d o main, an d c o m p lian c e and d is cl o su re in the

Third, problems such as global environmental issues and"sampo-yoshi"(three parties satisfaction), which emphasizes the

backdrop of rapidly advancing innovation in digital technologies

social disparity are worsening, and in 2015 the United Nations

importance of business rooted in society and stresses that there

such as AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, andadopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed atmust be benefits for the seller, the purchaser, and society, andblockchains, as well as biotechnologies. This will go beyond

addressing these. In the financial sector, environment, social,"mottai-nai" (aversion to waste), which embraces the spirit of

S teve J o b s. " While s o me se e them as the crazy o ne s, we s e emere technological innovation to trigger revolutionary changes inand governance (ESG) investment 2 is expanding. These trends

symbiosis with nature.

t h e y c a n c h a n g e t h e w o r l d , a r e t h e o n e s w h o d o ." T h i s w a s

the forms of industries and societies. Platformers such as

demonstrate an emerging change of mindset caused by the

Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple (GAFA) are not the sole

shared perception that dealing with external diseconomies is a

resources has been characterized by abundant imagination topromoters of this innovation. As seen in the German "Industrieserious issue affecting political and economic stability and evencreate a better society and firm resolution to accomplish this4.0" and Chinese "Made in China 2025" strategies,

the survival of humankind.

goal. Japan will have a promising future if it can harness various

world is facing an even greater tide of change against agovernments are launching national projects to encouragechanges.
Secondly, there is a rapid economical and geopolitical shift.
2materialize it.

SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the future1

g ove rn a n c e are n a.
3

g e niu s. B e c au s e the p e o p le who are crazy e noug h to thin kt h e s t a r t o f t h e d ra m a t i c re v i v a l o f t h e c o m p a n y, w h i c h n o w

Japan’s track-record of achieving growth with limited natural

These three major changes, namely technological change,

forms of imagination to change society. This host of challenges

economic and geo-political change, and change in mindset willis also a treasure-chest for problem solving. If it can solve its

become more obvious and accelerated in the future. As theyown problems, it will also be able to help resolve similar

Fro m the "Thin k D iffe re nt " adve rtis ing c am p aig n, which wasl a u n c h e d b y A p p l e I n c . i n 1 9 9 7, r i g h t a f t e r t h e r e t u r n o f

has the wo rld’ s largest market capitalizatio n.
4

The term " S o ciety 5.0 " denotes the fifth stage of so ciety
fo ll owing the H u nting, A g rarian, I nd u strial, and I nfo rmati o n
S o cieties. I t was p ro p o sed by the p rivate-se cto r mem bers oft h e J a p a n e s e g o v e rn m e n t ’ s C o u n c i l f o r S c i e n c e , Te c h n o l o g y
and Innovation as a conceptual model for the society of thefutu re. I t was p ro p o s e d fo r the first time in the 5th S cie n c e
a n d Te c h n o l o g y B a s i c P l a n .

3C h a p t e rⅠ

Development of
Human Society
To date, humankind has lived in four typesof society: Hunting, Agrarian,Industrial,
and Information. Digital transformation
heralds a fifth stage.

T

4th Industrial Revolution

SOCIETY 5.0

Creative Society
End of 20th century〜

SOCIETY 4.0

Information Society

2nd Industrial Revolution

Heavy and chemical industry

1st Industrial Revolution

Light industry

SOCIETY 3.0

but the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan 5 identified

Industrial Society

since the 1990s has produced abundant data thatcirculate around the world creating new value all thetime. Having inhabited such an Information Society inthe societies in which humankind lived in the past as theHunting Society (Society 1.0), Agrarian Society (Society 2.0),
Industrial Society (Society 3.0) and Information Society (Society 4.0),

recent years, humankind is now at an important turningand termed a new society to follow them “Society 5.0.”

point for civilization. The premises on which society
is based are about to change dramatically as
people come to terms with the emergenceof environmental burden and social
disparity caused by traditional
economic systems on the one
hand and rapid digital

A series of past revolutions including the agricultural and industrial

13000 BC

revolutions have brought about not only technological advances and greater

SOCIETY 2.0

convenience, but also structural changes to society. It is difficult to accurately foresee
what kind of society the ongoing “Society 5.0” revolution will create. Rather thanAgrarian Society

attempting to predict the future, it is important for us to be key players in the revolution, to
indicate direction, and to work with a diverse range of people to create the future.
The history of human society has been characterized by liberation from restrictions andtransformation on theother.
Opinions on how
to categorize
societies

acquisition of freedom through enhanced capabilities stemming from new tools and techniques. Moving

The emergence of human beings

from the Hunting Society to the Agrarian Society, humans gained and enhanced the ability to produce food,

SOCIETY 1.0

which freed them from hunger. In the Industrial Society they increased production capabilities and mobility byharnessing motive power. In the Information Society digitalization enhanced the capacity of telecommunications andinformation processing, which drastically increased freedom to access information and communication of all kind, andHunting Societyvary,

3rd Industrial Revolution

Computer Internet

End of 18th century〜

he rapid spread of the Internet and smartphones

Digital Transformation
AI, IoT, Blockchain

21st century〜

freely exploring various opportunities for internet-based services. In the following chapters, we will first summarize how thepremises on which society is based will be changed by digital transformation. Based on this summary, we will then describe a
new society to be created and consider the kinds of capabilities to be acquired and enhanced, restrictions to be eased andC hart 1: D evelo pment of H uman S o ciety

freedoms to be gained, and values to pursue in this new society.
5

G o v e rn m e n t o f J a p a n , Th e 5 t h S c i e n c e a n d Te c h n o l o g y B a s i c P l a n ( J a n u a r y 2 2, 2 018 )http://www8.cao.go.jp /cstp /kihonkeikaku / 5honbun.pdf

4

SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the future5C h a p t e rⅡ

DigitalTransformation
Digital transformation will dramatically alter many
aspects of society, including private lives, public
administration, industrial structure, and employment.
Utilization of data and AI will open up many new
possibilities. The important question is what to use
these technologies for.

O

acquire a high level of driving skill far beyond most drivers,

their own abilities combined with "abilities of AI". However, notusers can share the systems and enjoy skilled driving without

all human abilities will be substituted by AI. Real interactions

depending upon individual skill. The Information Society enabledsuch as information exchange among people andhumans to access information from anywhere in the world. With

communication based on empathy that can hardly be distributed

AI innovation, they get access to a high level of abilities fromwill gain even more importance.

anywhere. This is the “distribution and commoditization of

These unstoppable trends in digital transformation

abilities" that will transform society by dramatically enhancing

fundamentally change the premises on which society is based.

individual abilities.

There are countless alternatives for directions in which society
will be advanced by technological development. Technologies

Robotics: AI exerts its capabilities not only in cyberspace, but

could have negative effects such as impact on employment andalso in physical real world via robots. These are being deployed

growing disparity and maldistribution of wealth and information.

in manufacturing as well as various service sectors, supported

The direction in which we guide future society is up to us. We

by rapid growth in robotics. In the future, a variety of robots willmust consider what kind of society we wish to create rather

play important roles everywhere, including homes, offices, andthan trying to foresee the kind of society it will be. It is essential

urban areas, and AI and robots will be able to replace or support

to take the initiative in reform to create an ideal society without

humans in carrying out routine tasks. For example, a vehicle

being swallowed up by the waves of change.

with autonomous driving functions is considered as a kind ofrobot. In this way, as AI is incorporated everywhere, everything

6

acquires intelligence and society gets smarter.
Distributed Ledger Technology: Distributed ledger
technologies such as blockchains do much to improve

Kitano, H ., “The futu re of b l o c kchain s lie s in lin kag e toa r t i f i c i a l i n t e l l i g e n c e ,” D I A M O N D H a r v a r d B u s i n e s s R e v i e w ,A u g u s t 2 0 17. ( i n J a p a n e s e )7

R e k i m o t o , J ., “ F ro m I oT t o I o A , a n e t w o rk t o e x t e n d
h u m a n k i n d ,” N i k k e i E l e c t r o n i c s , J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6 . ( i n J a p a n e s e )transaction efficiency and traceability. Such technologies which
are currently used as a basic technology for cryptocurrencies,
are expected to be applied to a variety of areas as they become
able to ensure a high level of transparency and reliability inngoing digital transformation is triggering the

cyberspace. From now on, it will be possible to convert any kindsharing transaction data via the Internet. This will bring about

evolution of a new society. Digital transformationof activities in both physical real world and cyberspace of our

new forms of credit and trust that could fundamentally overturnmeans that advances in digital technology and datasociety into digital data. Digital transformation will expand to

the way society operates.

utilization drastically changes aspects of society including

encompass everything, everyone, and every event.

private lives, public administration, industrial structure, andIn this way, IoT, AI, robotics and blockchains together with
AI: The capabilities of AI, which was first proposed in thedata at its core are transforming society, and we call this digital

As large-scale collection, transmission, storage, and analysis

1960s and has been the subject of study since then, have beentransformation. Most of the abilities that AI obtains by learning aof data become possible at low cost, various forms of innovation

rapidly improved in recent years by invention of deep learning

large amount of data will be distributed as trained AI modules.

are spurred. Data enables visualization of issues and suggests

and by a series of technological breakthroughs particularly in a

Abilities of individual people, at least in some aspect, can be

solutions. Such knowledge and insights can be instantly shared

broad field of machine learning, as well as environments

learned by AI and distributed. "Internet of Abilities" (IoA) 7 willaround the world, leading to the resolution of management andenabling computation of large data volumes. Though AI is by nocome into being where abilities in both human capability and AI

social issues. In digital transformation, application of data-basedmeans all-powerful, it has abilities for complex patterncapability can be made transferrable, interconnectable, andtechnologies including IoT, AI, robotics and blockchains brings

recognition, prediction of behaviors for complex systems, highwork synergistically. In such a society, individual people will be

about fundamental changes in society.

precision execution of physical system operations, and a certain

able to create high value business, for example, by exploring

employment.

AIlevel of decision-making and can solve highly complex problems
IoT: IoT means that every "thing" is connected to the Internet.

6

if appropriately designed and operated. Many human tasks can

Improved technologies for sensing precise data from physicalbe automated by AI. One essential aspect of AI can be viewed

real world will enable appropriate data to be gathered in realas “distribution and commoditization of abilities.” 6 Driving, fortime and deployed in cyberspace. To date, innovative services

example, has depended upon the individual driving skills of

have been invented utilizing data mainly produced inpeople driving taxis or private vehicles. When AI systems

SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the future7

C h a p t e rⅢ

The Nature ofSociety 5.0

Chart 2: Society 5.0

SOCIETY 1.0

Hunting
Society

Digital technologies and data should be
utilized to create a society where people
lead diverse lifestyles and pursue happinessin their own ways.
In the future, humans will require imagination
to change the world and creativity tomaterialize their ideas.
Society 5.0 will be a Creative Society.

W

hile digital transformation heralds a new stage ofmaking use of digital technologies and data. The combination ofsociety, it is important to utilize digital technologies

digital transformation with the imagination and creativity ofand data to create a society where people can pursue

diverse people will facilitate not only problem solving but also

diverse lifestyles and forms of happiness in their own ways. The

SOCIETY 2.0

AgrarianSociety

SOCIETY 3.0

Industrial
Society

Digitaltransformation

SOCIETY 4.0

Information
Society

SOCIETY 5.0

Creative
Society

Imagination& Creativity ofdiverse people

Problem solving
Value creation

value creation that will lead to a brighter future.

5th Science and Technology Basic Plan, which officially presented
Society 5.0 8 for the first time, termed it a “super smart society,” 9Society 5.0 will be a Creative Society, where digitalbut that reflects only one aspect of Society 5.0.

transformation combines with the imagination and creativity of

As described in the previous section, digital transformation

diverse people to solve social problems and create value. In

enables anyone to access advanced “abilities.” With ambition

Society 5.0, humans will exercise imagination not only for

and ideas, people can conduct activities and business that could

themselves, but also for nature and technology to seek ways ofe c o n o m y a n d s o c i e t y " ( A p ri l 19 , 2 016 ) a n d " R e v i t a l izi n g

profoundly change society. As noted in the introduction, people

achieving symbiosis with them in order to enable sustainable

J a p an by R ealizing S o ciety 5 .0 -- A cti o n Plan fo r C reating

who can fulfill big dreams and fantasies are sometimes deemeddevelopment. It is a concept that can contribute to the

crazy, yet they are the ones who can change society.

achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Society 5.0 will require rich imaginations to identify a varietyof needs and challenges scattered throughout society andscenarios to solve them, as well as creativity to realize solutions

adopted by the United Nations.

8

Keid an re n has als o pu b lis he d a num b e r of p ro p o s als to
re a l ize S o c i e t y 5 . 0 , i n c l u d i n g "To w a rd re a l iza t i o n o f t h e n e w

t h e S o c i e t y o f t h e F u t u r e - - " ( F e b r u a r y 14 , 2 0 17 )9I n t h e 5 t h S c i e n c e a n d Te c h n o l o g y B a s i c P l a n , t h e s u p e r
s mart s o ciety is characte rized as "a s o ciety that is c a p a b leof p rovid ing the ne ces sary g o o d s and services to the pe o ple
who ne e d them at the re q uire d time an d in ju st the rig ht
amou nt ; a s o ciety that is a b le to re s p o n d p re cis ely to a wid evariety of so cial need s ; a so ciety in which all kind s of pe o plec an read ily o btain hig h- q uality s e rvice s, ove rc o me

8

d i f f e r e n c e s o f a g e , g e n d e r, r e g i o n , a n d l a n g u a g e , a n d l i v e
SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the futurev i g o r o u s a n d c o m f o r t a b l e l i v e s ."9C h a p t e rⅣ

The fruits ofSociety 5.0
Compared with Society 4.0, Society 5.0 ischaracterized by problem solving andvalue creation, diversity, decentralization,
resilience, and sustainability andenvironmental harmony.
The aim is to bring about asociety where anyone can create
value anytime, anywhere,
in security and harmony
with nature, and freefrom various constraints
that currently exist.

As everyone accesses advanced〜 Society 4.0

Economiesof scale

Society 5.0 〜
Liberation fromfocus onefficiency

Problem solving &value creation
A society where value is created

Uniformity

Concentration

Vulnerability

Liberation fromsuppression ofindividuality

Liberation fromdisparity

Liberationfrom anxiety

Diversity
A society where anyone can
exercise diverse abilities

Decentralization
A society where anyone can get
opportunities anytime, anywhere

Resilience
A society where people can live
and pursue challenges in security

High environmental
impact Mass
consumptionof resources

Liberation fromresource andenvironmental
constraints"abilities" in Society

Sustainability &environmental
harmony

A society where humankind lives
in harmony with nature

5.0, they will be liberated fromvarious constraints that could not be
overcome up to Society 4.0, and will obtainC h a rt 3 : C h a n g e s fro m S o c iety 4 .0 to 5 .0

the freedom to pursue diverse lifestyles andcontribution to the society.

10

SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the future11

C h a p t e rⅣ

Li b er ation from focus on e fficie ncy

A society where value is createdSocieties 3.0 and 4.0 pursued scale and efficiency via mass

In Society 5.0, needs will become more diversified, and thewealth to growing populations. In such societies, it was

supply side will be ready to meet them with digital technologies.

considered important to comply with traditional rules and plans

People will be liberated from focus on efficiency and place

and to follow a plan-do-check-act cycle. Goods and services

emphasis on satisfying individual needs, solving problems, andwere uniform, and standardized processes were applied tocreating value.

Li b er ation from suppre ssion of individua lit y

A society in which anyone can
exercise diverse abilities

In Society 3.0 and 4.0, people were required to accept

business. Diverse people will exercise diverse abilities to pursue

uniform goods and services and live uniform lives in conformity

diverse values in society. People will be able to live, learn, andwith standardized processes.

work free from suppression of individuality, such as

diverse needs and challenges in society and turn them into real

A society in which everyone canlive and pursue challenges withpeace of mind

similar things in pursuit of efficiency.

production and consumption in order to guarantee material

Society 5.0 will require people to have imagination to identify

Lib e ra t io n fro m a n x ie t y

In Society 4.0, vulnerabilities became apparent such as

infrastructure will enhance resilience 10 and enable sustainable

deterioration of infrastructure developed rapidly and in large

development. People will be liberated from anxiety and live inquantities, serious damage caused by earthquakes and floods,

security. Specifically, resilience against terrorism and disasters

deterioration of public security associated with increasingin physical spaces and attacks in cyberspace will be enhanced,

disparity, growing social anxiety about terrorism and otherand safety nets for unemployment and poverty will becrises, and a major surge in damage caused by cyber-attacks.

strengthened. A high level of medical care will be accessible

In Society 5.0, new, diversified, and decentralized social

Lib e ra t io n fro m re so urce
a n d e n viro n me n t a l co n st ra in t s

A society where people can livein harmony with nature

discrimination by gender, race, nationality, etc. and alienation by
ways of thinking and sense of values.

In Societies 3.0 and 4.0, humans depended on models with highenvironmental impact and mass consumption of resources.
In Society 5.0, as data utilization increases energy efficiency andLi b er ation from disparity

A society in which anyone can get
opportunities anytime, anywhere

In Society 4.0, concentration of wealth and information inlimited hands increased disparity.
In Society 5.0, wealth and information will be distributed and12

information will not be concentrated so that people will beliberated from disparity, and anyone will be able to get
opportunities to play a part anytime, anywhere. Data anddecentralized throughout society, and socioeconomic players will

benefits derived from them will be shared by diversified players,

share roles horizontally. In spite of growing anxiety about

not concentrated on specific companies. Opportunities to study

disparity increased by digitalization, we will not leave disparity

and work will also be guaranteed to children born in poverty or

as it is in Society 5.0. We will make sure that wealth andremote areas.

SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the future

regardless of location.

technological and systemic terms, enabling people to live
sustainable lives in any region. This will create alternatives for living
not only in big cities, but also in a diversity of regions in harmony

decentralization, there is the option of moving off-grid and notwith nature. As the sharing economy develops and interest in

depending upon traditional energy networks. At the same time,

traceability grows, food that is better for the environment and healthwater supply and waste management will also advance in bothwill command a large premium, and food wastage will drop sharply.

Value creation, diversity, decentralization, resilience,extinctions to create a diverse ecosystem and a beautiful

and sustainability and environmental harmony embody

planet, the earth. With state-of-the-art technologies andattributes of life and nature. Now is the time forwillingness, our society itself can have the attributes of life

humankind to learn from the strength and brilliance ofand nature. This is the aim of Society 5.0.

life and nature and make use of them.
We can choose to embrace the wisdom of life andnature, forces which have overcome multiple mass
10

We will make Society 5.0 a society in which anyone cancreate value anytime, anywhere, with security and inharmony with nature.

S t r e n g t h , f l e x i b i l i t y , a n d t e n a c i t y . I n t h i s r e p o r t , r e s i l i e n c e d e n o t e s n o t o n l y s t r e n g t h , b u t a l s o a b i l i t y t o r e c o v e r.

13

C h a p t e rⅤ

Blueprint ofSociety 5.0
for SDGs

Society 5.0 will transform lives and industries.
Aiming to resolve social issues in harmony withnature, Society 5.0 will contribute to delivering
on United Nations SDGs. The two reforms share
a common direction.

S

ociety 5.0 will bring major changes to ways of life andproblem-solving from diverse points of view and supports theseindustry. In addition to the transformation of existing

solutions with digital transformation.

industries, close partnerships spanning borders and1

S o u rc e : U N Pu b li c R e lati o n s C e nte r

Cities and Regions

aimed at achieving Society 5.0, including contributions tolifestyles.

delivering on SDGs. Specific reforms and roadmaps for eachin suburbs and rural areas to achieve independent, affluent regions
where people live in harmony with nature by capitalizing on thefeatures of their respective areas. Access to high standards ofsector will be considered further in the future.

medical services and education from anywhere in the world will beown happiness and lifestyles, and play their parts by unleashingimagination and creativity to achieve sustainable development inharmony with nature through resolution of social issues. Thisaligns with the SDGs adopted by the United Nations to solve
global issues and create sustainable societies. Society 5.0 is aprerequisite for many of the SDGs, but is not enough in itself.

14

Moreover, while maintaining efforts to enhance the competitivenessof large cities, sustainable, decentralized communities will be createdThis chapter sets out direction for sector-specific reforms

industries in many sectors will enable people to lead diverse
The aim of Society 5.0 is to enable all people to pursue theirC h a r t 4 : T h e 17 S D G G o a l s

Tguaranteed. Autonomous, decentralized social infrastructuretechnologies such as off-grid energy will be utilized to establisho facilitate diverse lifestyles and business success,stable, sustainable social infrastructure while reducing financial

forms of urban (high-density) and provincial

burden. In areas lacking public transportation sytems, autonomous(low-density) living will be diversified, and thevehicles will be available to senior citizens who cannot drive

attractions and quality of life offered by these options will bethemselves, thus solving problems with daily mobility such as

While some goals can be achieved directly by developing

enhanced. In urban areas, data on energy, transportation, humanSociety 5.0, others will benefit from diverse solutions devised on

shopping and hospital visits. High-standard, comfortable lives will beflows, logistics, waste, etc. will be shared to facilitate smarterthe basis of Society 5.0. The concept of Society 5.0 for SDGs11

achieved even in areas with poor infrastructure.

solutions. Promotion of autonomous systems such as automatedwill be realized as Society 5.0 brings about creative

driving and sharing economies will support diverse lifestyles while

work, enabling diverse lifestyles and creating a society whererapidly reducing environmental impact.

diversity is respected.

SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the future

Such developments will increase options for places to live and15

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C h a p t e rVwith the necessary attention at the appropriate times.

Energywill be developed integrating decentralized renewable energy,
power storage systems, and demand-side controls, and thesewill be aligned with local conditions. Off-grid systems not

I

3

Affordable, reliable energy will be available to anyone, andincluding smart cities and decentralized communities,

similarly decentralized infrastructure will also be applied tothe energy mix will change and data will be utilized to

sectors other than energy. This will guarantee sustainable andestablish efficient energy networks. Decentralized micro grids12

establishing systems for individuals to actively use andaverage patients or symptoms, new approaches will provide caremanage their own life-stage data. In this way healthy lives

tailored to individual health at the preventive stage to avert

will be ensured for everyone. For example, senior citizens

onset and aggravation of illness, thus prolonging healthy life

living in remote areas will be able to check their health byexpectancy. Individuals will use and manage life-stage data on

telemedicine, and in case of sudden illness they will betheir own initiative to actively manage health throughout theirtransported for treatment in an appropriate hospital identified

100-year lives.

with the support of AI.

5

option for energy use.
n order to realize sustainable lives anywhere,

While conventional medicine has provided uniform cures forAccess to high-quality healthcare services will bedependent upon traditional energy networks will become andiverse lifestyles anywhere.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

These technologies, operational know-how, and systems

guaranteed from anywhere by promoting next-generation

will contribute to healthcare on a global scale throughhigh-speed communication networks, AI-based medical anddeployment in remote areas of developing countries.

Agriculture and Food

16and export. Data will be collected on diverse consumer needs andpromptly reflected in food production and processing. Real-timesharing of stock and sales information will be enabled byorganizational boundaries in both the public and private sectors.

integration of data on production, logistics, and export, and foodatural disasters are becoming more intense andcontinue in the event of disasters and accidents. EnergyAwidespread around the world, demanding prompt anddecentralization will be promoted to establish systems that are

remote monitoring and control by AI, agricultural robots, andas health, medicine, and nursing and enhancing production

efficient responses and enhanced resilience.

sustainable in disasters.

autonomous drones for agricultural work on site. At the samebases will enable companies to go beyond export of agricultural

Medical services will be maintained even in the event oftime, working hours will decline sharply, work efficiency willproducts to overseas business including technology platforms

facilititate swift responses in the event of disasters by collecting

disasters. Society 5.0 will help to improve living standards andimprove dramatically, and productivity will rise exponentiallyand services, enhancing profitability across the entire agri-fooddata on damage and rescue supplies from evacuation centers, IoT

resilience, especially in areas with vulnerable infrastructure that arethrough participation by diverse players including private

business.

equipment, and social media and sharing them across regions andsusceptible to disasters.

corporations, youth, and agritech ventures. Ways of increasing

Moreover, digital technologies will be used for disaster mitigation
through day-to-day maintenance and efficient measures to preventN

aging of infrastructure. Maintenance and prompt restoration ofwater and sewerage infrastructure will enable water supply to

Disaster information collaboration systems will be constructed to

4

Healthcare (health, medicine, and nursing)Lgriculture and the food industry, which support people's

and volumes, and transportation routes. Consumers will bediets, will be transformed into attractive, independent

provided with interactive means of communication and free accessindustries in which anyone can exercise creativity.

to production histories and product information.

14

nursing will be transformed. Technological trends such

Moreover, leveraging cooperation with different sectors such

Diversification of players and technological innovation

biodiversity and minimizing environmental impact will bethroughout the whole FVC will facilitate the transition to the next

promoted to preserve rich biodiversity on land and in the water.

generation of agricultural workers and encourage the inflow ofData and technologies will also be used to opitimize the foodyoung people to rural areas to form the nucleus of sustainablevalue chain (FVC) covering production, processing, logistics, sales,1112

as digitalization of individual physical attributes and
13

Keid anren, "C harter o n C o rp o rate B ehavio r" ( R evised o n N ovem ber 8 ,14

decentralized communities.
15

O ne element that will d ramatic ally imp rove gl o b al med ic al ac ces s is

2 0 17 ) . K e i d a n r e n h a s r e v i s e d t h e C h a r t e r f o c u s i n g o n d e l i v e r i n g o n t h e

the emergence of A I -su p p orted telemed icine services. M ultilingual

S D G s through realizatio n of S o ciety 5 .0, and compiled case stud ies intranslatio n systems and symptom che c ks through A I -patientt h e p o l i c y p r o p o s a l " I n n o v a t i o n f o r S D G s - R o a d t o S o c i e t y 5 . 0 -" .

d ial o gu e will c om bine with symptom d es cri pti o n and p reliminarys cre e ning by b ac kground A I - b ased systems offering p reliminary

Autonomous p ower systems offering b oth p ower su pply and demandd i a g n o s i s . M o r e o v e r, b a s e d o n s y s t e m r e s u l t s , r e s p o n s e a p p r o a c h e sthat o perate with minimal d e pend e n ce o n p ower grid s.

and hospitals will be de cided through d iscussion between patientsand d o cto rs su p p o rted by A I . S u ch systems will have a tremend ous
impact.

K e i d a n r e n , " To w a r d a S t r o n g e r P u b l i c - P r i v a t e P a r t n e r s h i p f o r t h e
R e s p o n s e t o L a r g e - s c a l e D i s a s t e r s " ( A p r i l 19 , 2 0 16 )mechanisms will be harnessed to provide anyone needing care
SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the future

loss will be minimized through coordination of stock, delivery times

Full use will be made of cutting-edge technologies such as

ife-long healthcare including health, medicine, andactivities and progress in biotechnological investigation of life16

wellness support services 15, and telemedicine, and16

K e i d a n r e n , " A g r i c u l t u r e : I t s F u t u r e a s a Le a d i n g - E d g e G r o w t hIndustry -- Policies for the Realization of Society 5.0 -- "Ke i d a n re n , " H e a l t h c a re i n S o c i e t y 5 . 0 " ( M a rc h 2 0 , 2 018 )( S e p t e m b e r 18 , 2 0 18 )17

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C h a p t e rV

L

Logistics
sharing data on procurement, production, transportation, andFinance
optimization and customization of insurance. Necessary funds will

sales on real-time platforms and by using AI to predict supply

be available to new growth industries and other appropriate

and demand. Frameworks will also be built to match shippers'

players, and financial systems will become more stable toneeds with logistics operators' resources on such platforms toallocate funds efficiently and effectively across society.

coordinate cross-industry efforts to increase efficiency.
ogistics play an essential role in economic growth byMoreover, platforms for various trade procedures will also be

facilitating flows of goods, and form a key part ofestablished to boost efficiency. To free up manpower, most worksocial infrastructure supporting business activities andsubstitutable by autonomous driving, drones, and robots will be

T

From a global point of view, improved access to financial
ransformation of financial services will be anotherservices will contribute to stable lives, economic independence,element that enables individuals and small companies

higher living standards, and greater income equality in emerging

to deliver diverse manufacturing and services. Digitalcountries through use of digital devices and technologies todaily lives. Rapid growth of e-commerce and globalization of

automated. Diverse customer needs will be identified to realizetransformation will make available diverse, custom-madeprovide people with opportunities for financing, asset formation,

supply chains will require even more diverse and sophisticatedlogistics that create new value in areas such as repair,financial services including settlement, financing, insurance, andinsurance, settlement, and transfer.

logistics in Society 5.0, and implementation of cutting-edge

maintenance, assembly, and customization of products, goingasset formation.

technologies will transform logistics.

beyond the existing framework of logistics business.

Moreover, cryptocurrencies and token economies based on

Low-cost, convenient, prompt, secure, and diverse methods ofblockchain technologies and other innovations will create new

Such developments will enable the handling of huge logisticalsettlement will enable people to live anywhere without cash. Apps

forms of value exchange and enable lifestyles that have beenconnected to networks by deploying IoT technologies such asvolumes in urban districts, while providing efficient and prompt

linking various services and smart contracts will facilitate creation

impossible to date. Establishment of secure, smart, andRFID to enable real-time logistical tracking and control. Relevant

services in suburbs, mountainous regions, and remote areas.

of new services. In an era when people will have 100-year lives,

traceable global contract and settlement systems will build asuch services will assist stable asset formation suited tobasis for diverse manufacturing and service delivery, enabling

individual lifestyles by offering sophisticated asset management

diverse individuals to expand a range of manufacturing andand mitigating the risks of illness, injuries, and accidents throughservices on a global scale.

For example, cargos and means of transportation will be

7players will coordinate and optimize entire supply chains by

Manufacturing and Services
services offered to consumers will no longer be uniform.
Goods relating to food, clothing, housing, hobbies, and leisure,which strongly reflect individual consumers’ tastes, provide an

D

18

8

9

Public Services
prediction of demand for nurseries, schools, hospitals, andillustration: systems will be established enabling consumers tonursing homes through analyisis of demographics and othereasily and affordably make one-of-a-kind items such as clothes

data will enable public bodies to make timely and appropriate

istribution of abilities via AI will provide powerful toolsof a design, material, color, pattern, and size to suit their own

preparations and provide necessary services. Appropriate safety

for manufacturing and service delivery. Until now atastes by utilizing 3D printers uncoupled from traditional

nets established by governments will enable anyone to tackle alarge amount of investment and professional knowledge

manufacturing processes. As installation of open-source,

variety of challenges with security.

has been required to analyze data and create useful goods andmodularized digital circuits and sensors becomes common ,services. Through digital transformation, these abilities will be

integration of diverse services and hardware will accelerate.

distributed and become available as AI modules and services.

Business models will be based on services, not hardware.19

Combining them will enable speedy creation of higher-quality

In the digitalization era, manufacturing and services will not be

goods and services17. Just as the Internet expanded content

an extension of those available in the 20th century.

18

P

17

advanced multilingual translation system, a service listing recommended destinations fromublic services will also be transformed to support theresults of machine learning based on travelers' wishes and personality traits, a function

diverse lives and industries mentioned above. Central

automatically optimizing itineraries, a service automatically recommending the best-priced

and local governments will begin by rebuilding their

supply from corporations to individuals, distribution of abilities

More people will be able to participate in manufacturing andsystems based on digitalization. By digitalizing many of theirwill enable individuals and small companies to provide high levels

provision of services as part of a digital transformation creatingtasks and quickly sharing data among diverse actors, they willof goods and services that satisfy diverse needs, and goods anddiverse forms of value.

provide more creative public services. For example, precise

SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the future

For example, multilingual travel support services will be easily provided by connecting an

airline tickets and hotels, and a chatbot to interact with customers.
18

This scenario envisages hardware such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, RISC-V andyet-to-be-developed successors.

19

Subscriptions and recurring payments will become mainstream, rather than hardware
sales.

19

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C h a p t e rV

Partnershipaccomplished by one company or one country.
Japan, as the originator of Society 5.0, wishes to bring theconcept to fruition in partnership with players all over the world.

S
S

We believe it is our mission to contribute to sustainable global
development by sharing problem-solving know-how gained inociety 5.0 will be a society where anyone can
excercise creativity to pursue diverse values free fromexisting frameworks and constraints. It cannot be

C o n c l u s i o nociety 5.0 is not something to come, but something to

Keidanren will take an initiative in the reform of Japan's

co-create. Main player of that society is not technology

economy and society as a leader of Society 5.0. Following thisbut human being. It is a society realized by people whoreport, it will discuss and propose more specific measures topursue diverse values with diverse imagination and creativity.

take and move forward with its member companies as well as

This report demonstrated society 5.0 that we wish to create as

domestic and foreign stakeholders toward realization of Society"Creative Society". We hope it will trigger discussion by many

5.0.

people on the kind of future to create in times of drastic change.

20

the process.

SOCIETY 5.0 Co-creating the future

C o - c r e a t i n g
t h e f u t u r e