Scene from the red carpet at the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival, the largest festival of its kind in Japan

Consumers today want to communicate via the Internet and mobile information terminals; they want to enjoy films, music and games; they want to polish their skills to further their careers; they want cheaper and more convenient shopping. The permeation of information communications technology and the development of the service and distribution industries are vital elements in realizing our individual values and leading rich lives. The development of new businesses in these areas is also essential in adding value to and stimulating Japan's economic and industrial activities.

The Commerce and Information Policy Bureau is engaged in the design of a wide range of measures to promote computerization, develop the service and distribution industries, and protect consumers. In doing so, the Bureau takes the perspective of both individuals and the economy, with the ultimate goal of creating a richer 21st-century economy and society.

CEATEC cutting-edge IT and electronics exhibition (Photo courtesy by Japan Electronics Show Association)

The IT revolution is in the process of transforming our daily lives, our economy, and our society.

The popularization of the Internet and the development of mobile phones, mobile information terminals, and home information appliances are examples of the swift permeation of information technology into every facet of our lives. We are reaching the point where anyone will be able to access and send information, any time it is required, and from any location, enabling us to lead more fulfilling lives.

In the economy and industry too, by strategically utilizing IT for management, companies can not only rationalize management efficiency through shortened lead-times, reduced warehouse time, and stronger corporate international competitiveness, but also pioneer new businesses geared to the Net era.

Moreover, in society as a whole, information technology is being introduced into areas such as administration, education, medical care, welfare, and transport. To provide a catalyst for the introduction of this technology across the entire society, the government is pursuing an "electronic government" strategy designed to shift administrative procedures online. These trends should encourage more effective and sophisticated provision of public services.

We aim to create a society in which everyone will be able to enjoy the convenience of IT. The Commerce and Information Policy Bureau is currently promoting the introduction of IT in schools, designing information security measures, developing e-commerce rules, training high-level human resources, developing advanced information communications technology, and working to provide high-quality public services.

What sorts of businesses come to mind when one hears the term "service industry"? Such businesses include the tourism and hospitality services, and medical and welfare services. In fact, the service sector is divided into innumerable branches. This diverse sector accounts for about 70 percent of Japan's GDP and employment, yet compared to Europe and the U.S., Japan's service sector productivity is low. Raising productivity in the service sector is the key to further rapid progress in the Japanese economy. Based on the vitality of the private sector, the Bureau is engaged in a grand policy that crosses industries.

Japan's media content industry, including movies, games and animation, has established a solid reputation around the world. "Pocket Monster" (or "Pokemon"), which started as a computer game, has won the hearts of children all over the world, and its character products enjoy a market size of over 2 trillion yen in total. The Bureau will enhance the competitiveness of the Japanese media content industry in the global market and make people overseas more aware of its products.

Experiment demonstrating the use of IC tags in the wine section of a supermarket. IC tags attached to wine bottles contain information on price, place of production, flavor, cuisine that suits the wine, and so on. A customer has only to take out the bottle he or she wants, and the information is displayed on the shelf-mounted screen. (Photo courtesy of Jijigaho)

The distribution and logistics sector is faced with the important challenge of achieving greater efficiency as it provides an infrastructure that supports industry in general.

Therefore, the Bureau is working to computerize and standardize sector activities using IC tags and other devices. At the same time, it has established the Committee on Partnership for International Logistics Competitiveness to promote greater efficiency in logistics throughout Asia based on government and private-sector company collaboration in Japan and abroad.

Last year, Japan officially became a society suffering from a declining population. The 20th-century style of dispersion-oriented towns, which is based on the assumption of population growth, may cause municipalities to fail financially and communities to collapse. To that end, we will continue to aggressively promote the location of mega-stores and residences in towns. Thus we aim to build compact, lively towns that will enable full use to be made of regional creativity and originality.

Credit is a convenient means of settlement. While the use of credit has been on the increase in recent years, it has given rise to financial problems for consumers and information leaks. In view of this situation, we are working to ensure the security and safety of payments, particularly those related to Internet transactions, and to prevent leaks of the data involved.

The Bureau works to prevent accidents from occurring or reoccurring by creating rules that product manufacturing businesses should follow in order to provide consumers with safe products, and by maintaining a system for the collection and the publicizing of information on product accidents. Through these efforts, the Bureau aims to foster a "culture of product safety" in which companies and consumers highly value product safety.

"Where do we come from?" "Who are we?" "Where are we going?" These are not simply classic questions from the 19th century, but imminent issues we face when considering present-day consumer policy, Internet auctions, one-to-one marketing, blogs, advertisement on affiliate programs, the new concepts of today will be hackneyed terms tomorrow. That is the nature of the age we live in. The source of value is shifting rapidly from the tangible to the intangible, and from goods to information and ideas�\that is, from products themselves to the people who produce them. The size of an organization or the amount of its financial capital is no longer decisive. This is the age where the individual is the focus of value. Relationships between manufacturers and consumers, and sellers and buyers, are now entering a completely new phase. This is a new era, with new values and new consumer-based government. We are working to develop and deliver next-generation consumer policy.