Introduction This is the 50th edition of the White Paper on Information and Communications in Japan, which has been published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) annually since 1973. The White Paper’s objective is to introduce the current state of information and communications in Japan and related policy trends. The White Paper consists of two parts. The first part, under the special topic of ”50 years since the publication of the first Information and Communications White Paper – changes in ICT and digital economy,” looks back at changes in systems, services and technologies in the ICT field over the past 50 years, and analyses the role that ICT will play in Japanese society in the future. The second part describes the current status and challenges surrounding ICT. This part consists of Chapter 3 with statistical information on domestic and overseas market trends surrounding ICT, and Chapter 4 with a summary of the status of ICT policy at MIC. The data of this White Paper can be downloaded from the following page of the MIC website. Past white papers can be downloaded from the following pages. Legend ♦ “Year” refers to a calendar year from January to December, while “fiscal year” refers to a “budget year” from April to March of the following year. ♦ “Inc.,” “CO., Ltd.” etc. are omitted from the name of enterprises in principle. ♦ The following symbols are used for supplementary units: 10 hundred quintillion (10 ) fold …Z (Zetta) 1000 quadrillion (10 ) fold …E (exa) 1,000 trillion (10 ) fold …P (peta) 1 trillion (10 ) fold …T (tera) 1 billion (10 ) fold …G (giga) 1 million (10 ) fold …M (mega) 1,000 (10 ) fold …k (kilo) One tenth (10
) fold …d (deci) One hundredth (10
) fold …c (centi) One thousandth (10
) fold …m (milli) One millionth (10
) fold …μ (micro) ♦ Units are rounded up to the nearest whole number in principle. The total of the breakdown and the value of the total column may not agree due to rounding. ♦ Total of composition ratios (%) may not be 100 due to unit rounding. ♦ Maps in these materials do not show the entire territory of the country. ♦ Figures, etc., without attribution are MIC materials. ii Overview of the 2022 White Paper on Information and Communications in Japan Part 1 Special Topic (50 years since the publication of the first Information and Communi- cations White Paper – changes in ICT and digital economy) Part 1 overviews the evolution of ICT services/technologies and changes in the international situation surrounding ICT in the 50 years since the publication of the first white paper, and looks over the current state and challenges facing Japan in the ICT field, as well as future prospects. Introduction Changes in the Environment from the Time of the Publication of the First White Paper up to Now Diversification and sophistication of ICT service and utilization Chapter 1Review of Changes over the Past 50 Years in Chronological Order This chapter divides the 50 years since the first White Paper publication into five periods from the point of views such as ICT advancement, service diversification, and summarizes changes in the systems, services, technologies, etc. in each period.
and Appearance of New Services
Chapter 2Future Prospects of Japanese Society While taking a view of the future roles of ICT in Japan with various social challenges, this chapter takes an overview of responses to the challenges that have been appearing with the development of ICT into social and economic infrastructure. Part 2Current Status and Challenges for Information and CommunicationsPart 2 overviews market trends in the information and communications field and the current status of digital technology utilization, and summarizes the current status, challenges and future directions of information and communications policy. Chapter 3Trends in the ICT Market Analysis of the overall status of Japan's ICT industry (e.g., GDP of the information and communications industry, investments in computerization by private companies and im
ports/exports of ICT goods/services) Analysis of the current status of each ICT sector (e.g., telecommunication, usage status of radio waves, equipment/terminal-related businesses) Analysis of the current status of digital technology utilization in Japan and abroad Chapter 4Status of ICT Policy at MIC Summary of cross-departmental initiatives (e.g., “Promotion Headquarters of the Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation, MIC”, “Desirable information and communications policies toward 2030”) and the policies implemented by MIC and future directions in each policy area (e.g., telecommunication, radio, broadcasting policies) iii Key Points of the 2022 White Paper on Information and Communications in Japan
