Becoming a digital power: Japan’s path for domestic transformation and international influence

With the growing risk of the fragmentation of the international digital ecosystem, prioritizing digital transformation has never been more important for Japan. The country’s digital transformation will largely determine its ability to adjust to profound demographic changes brought on by an ageing and contracting population, find new sources of competitiveness and drivers for productivity at home, and consolidate its international role in securing a data governance regime that delivers on the promise of free data flows with trust. Closing the digitization gap has emerged as a central priority for both government and industry as evidenced in the launch of the new Digital Agency. Can Japan overcome the challenges ahead to become a successful digital power?

On September 16, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings hosted a panel of experts to examine the opportunities and obstacles for Japan to realize its own digital transformation and to influence the rules of digital trade.

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