POLICY & DIPLOMACY

One-stop
moving service outline

Moving portal

Public sector(Offered by private sectors)

Public service procedures
User database

MynaportalRegisters
one’s information

The user whoplans to move

The Digital Agency
offices have a different
ambiance from that of
traditional Japanesebureaucracy: theoffices are colorful andprovide free-address
workstations.

Providesmoving-related services

Guidancefor each procedure

NEW DIGITAL AGENCY PURSUES

Public sector
database

The new Digital Agency began operation on September 1.
It will serve as a control tower of the country’s digitaltransformation, including the provision of administrative
services by the government online. HIRAI Takuya, on the right,
minister of Digital Agency, shown with ISHIKURA Yoko,
the first chief officer of the Agency.

INCLUSIVE
DIGITALIZATIONThe Japanese government has established a new Digital Agency with a view to overcoming inefficiency in public
administration. An expert with years of experience in promoting the ICT of governmental organizations talks about
the Agency and its mission.
It is frequently pointed out that Japan has
been laggard in digitalizing the governmental
administrative functions both at the national andlocal level. A specific example of this has been theresponse to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:
applying for cash benefits was felt to be unduly
complicated and payments were slow in arriving,highlighting the problems of a system that is unfriendly
to users and in which data is inadequately linked. The
Digital Agency came into being on September 1,
charged with the mission of fundamentally solving
such issues through the digitalization of public
administrative procedures, and promoting thestandardization and coordination of data systems.
“Japan is far from lagging behind other nationsin information technology since it is equippedwith the necessary infrastructure for nationwidecommunication,” says ZAMMA Toshiyuki, whoworked for many years as an executive advisor to thegovernment CIO in both the Ministry of Financeand the Cabinet Secretariat. He has just assumed thepost of head of International Strategy at the Digital

Online public service
procedures siteAgency. “In fact, Japan ranked 14th last year in theUnited Nations’ E-Government Survey, putting itin the ‘Very-High’ class. However, the story changes
when it comes to optimizing ‘digitalization’ in sucha way as to provide good administrative services by
the government, which often involves joint efforts
with the private sector. Even when individual systems
are competent, they will not be user-friendly unlessthey are properly linked, and it is also important
to coordinate with private services that are used ona day-to-day basis. The Digital Agency will play a
critical role in overcoming these issues,” he asserts.
Zamma himself was previously a systems engineer
from the private sector and a long-time consultant at
global consulting firms.
One of the missions of the Digital Agency is tobreak down silos (vertical segmentation) within
administrative systems. The Agency aims to strongly
improve data linkage across the boundaries ofseparate government organizations, leading toincreased efficiency in their services and operations.
It also focuses on capitalizing on expertise from the• Moving-in/out registration• Updating address(National Health Insurance,National Pension, etc.)

Private sector
Private service procedures• Arranging a moving company• Closing and opening
utility accounts• Updating address (telephone,internet, postal service, etc.)

Private sector
database*This service is currently under consideration.

private sector. By actively employing professionals,
it assumes a more flexible and speedy approach,including utilizing the agile methodology, than had
been done in the past. In that manner, the Digital
Agency is expected to function as a “lubricant” and anengine of reform to push the government forward—
both nationally and at the local level—and improve
its performance.
Zamma declares that the focal point of the Agency’s
agenda lies in “improving people’s day-to-day lives.”
He says, “Let’s say you are moving house. This
involves a great deal of work, such as de-registeringand registering at various offices, signing up forelectricity and gas, and engaging a removal service.
You are obliged to write the same address over andover and the whole procedure is very inefficient. We
are aiming for a one-stop service that involves lesseffort and improves citizen’s experiences.”
The idea of a one-stop moving service draws on asimilar method, Service Design Thinking, promoted
earlier in the U.K. “We are eagerly referencing foreign
experiences and methods where we can. Singapore
introduced something similar to a digital agency fiveyears ago, and we have also learned from countries
such as Finland, Denmark, Estonia and more. But

ZAMMA Toshiyuki, thenewly appointed head ofInternational Strategy, hails
from the private sector. By
relaying information to theworld about Japan’s experiencein digitalization, he hopes to“pay back” those countries that
presented him with knowledge
and insights, contributing tointernational discussions.

different countries have different problems andsocial settings, so simply copying solutions from
elsewhere will not work. We must understand Japan’s
needs correctly, pick and choose cases and methods,
and then make further improvements to provide
feedback to the rest of the world. That is international
collaboration in digital age.”
In some instances, however, foreign nations arelooking to Japan as the leader. The Earthquake Early
Warning System is one such example. Japan has aunique system whereby every cellphone carrier is able
to emit an earthquake alert with remarkable speed
when a quake occurs. Also highly regarded is the useof real-time hazard maps—which are being improved
every day—to aid in times of disaster.
This year, the Vaccination Record System (VRS),
which was developed based upon continuous
feedback from municipal governments, the system’s
main users, made progress in streamlining processes
by data linkage. The Digital Agency bears theresponsibility of abolishing inefficient practicesof the past and thoroughly focuses on the value of“improving people’s day-to-day lives.” Guaranteeing
the security of data and systems while providing aplatform for collective administrative endeavors,
the Agency aims to speed up digitalization in a userdriven manner.
The Digital Agency has just begun the challengeof getting the message out regarding solving social
problems through digitalization, and that will
eventually help realize a society where all can enjoy
the benefits of digitalization in a way that best fits
everyone’s individual needs. 