FY2010. In FY2011, in cooperation with the “Learning Innovation Project” of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, it is deriving and analyzing issues focused on information and communication technology aspects at school sites, and performing demonstration experiments on technical conditions, other benefits, etc. Its demonstration research results were put together and published in April 2012, as the “2012 Guidelines (Guidebook) concerning Information Communication Technology to Promote Use and Utilization of ICT in the Field of Education,” considering the study results of the “Future School Promotion Research Society.” In FY2012, demonstration research continues in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, in order to improve the content of the guidelines.

## (2) Promotion of ICT utilization in health and medical fields

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is striving to promote ICT utilization in the health and medical fields. For example, it is performing demonstrations to promote dissemination of wide area joint use type medical information coordination infrastructure, for safe and smooth delivery of medical and health information held locally.

## (3) Promotion of telework

In FY2012, to encourage the full scale spread of telework, there is a plan to provide private companies nationwide with human resource support for the introduction and operation of telework, establish good introduction models which suit the security levels and operations content, and thereby encourage its wider use.

### 2. Regional development utilizing information and communication infrastructure

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ “Regional ICT Activation Panel” put together a recommendation in July 2011 that maximizing utilization of ICT functions and achieving regional activation are very important issues for the aim of recovery of Great East Japan Earthquake disaster regions, and for Japan’s revitalization. Considering this, to develop a comprehensive support system for regional ICT activation, “Regional Computerization Advisors” and “ICT Regional Managers” were dispatched, and ICT utilization is being promoted in Japan’s regions.

### 3. Promotion of Content Distribution

In the Telecommunications Policy Subcommittee of the Information and Communications Council, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications established the "Study Group on the Promotion of Digital Content Distribution." This Study Group is proceeding with discussions of "Faster and more efficient rights processing," "Promotion of overseas deployment of contents," "Promotion of smart TV," etc., as issues which should be worked on urgently. Based on these, it is promoting various policies such as "Promotion of centralization of rights processing of broadcast contents," "Measures against unauthorized distribution of contents," "Proper manufacturing transactions of broadcast contents," "Promotion of digital archives," "Demonstration experiment on standardization of smart TV," "Overseas Content Expansion Conference," and "Development of environment for electronic books."

### 4. Establishment of a barrier-free information environment

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is moving forward with the following initiatives toward establishing a barrier-free information environment in order to realize a world in which everyone, including older people and people with physical and mental challenges, can make use of ICT and enjoy its benefits: “Promotion of and assistance for ICT usage by challenged people,” “Promotion of broadcasts for visually and aurally challenged people,” “Promotion of a universal usage environment,” etc.

### 5. ICT contributions for global environmental problems

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is promoting its “Green ICT Project,” with two pillars: “Green of ICT (greening of ICT system itself)” and “Green by ICT (greening of each field by utilization of ICT).” Also, considering that the global warming problem is a serious international issue, in order to promote research and development in the ICT field to solve this problem, this research and development is being carried out in the “Strategic Information and Communications R&D Promotion Program” starting FY2012.