Japan 2040: Dialectics of Transhumanism and Society of the Future

DOI: 10.33917/es-5.191.2023.78-93

Analysis of the essence, content and forms of the scenario state of Japan in 2040, reflected in the 11th Scientific and Technical Forecast of NISTEP in 2019, revealed a number of conceptual dialectical contradictions. They narrow down to the question of admissibility and expediency of changing a man’s nature in order to ensure his prosperous, safe, meaningful and happy existence. The author proposes for discussion a conclusion on inevitability of the transhumanization of a mankind on the scale of a single country (Japan) and the whole world, given the nature of the great challenges facing it. The possibility of keeping the historical development in a conditionally humanistic direction is noted, given the emphasis of social reforms in Japan, reflected in the 6th Basic Plan for scientific, technical and innovative development of the country, on building a society for the fullest realization and use of human intellectual potential.

References:

1. The 10th Science and Technology Foresight Scenario Planning from the Viewpoint of Globalization. Summary Report. Science and Technology Foresight Center, National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). September, 2015, available at: https://nistep.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/4491

2. Report on the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan. Council on Science, Technology and Innovation. Cabinet office, Government of Japan, 2015, December 18, available at: https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/kihonkeikaku/5basicplan_en.pdf

3. Toward Realization of the New Economy and Society — Reform of the Economy and Society by Deepening of the “Society 5.0” — Outline. Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), 2016, April 19, available at: https://www.keidanren.or.jp/en/policy/2016/029_outline.pdf

4. Mamed’yarov Z.A. Doroga k “Obshchestvu 5.0” [The Road to Society 5.0]. Ekspert, 2018, no 44, available at: https://expert.ru/expert/2018/44/dorogak-

obschestvu-5_0/?ysclid=llm6l4drah852037971

5. Uemura N.M. “Obshchestvo 5.0” — vzglyad Mitsubishi Electric [Society 5.0: the View of Mitsubishi Electric]. Ekonomicheskie strategii, 2017, no 4, pp.

122–131, available at: https://www.inesnet.ru/wp-content/mag_archive/2017_04/es2017-04-122-131_Uemura_Noritsugu.pdf

6. Mitsubishi Electric predstavila platformu e-F@ctory rossiiskim kompaniyam [Mitsubishi Electric Presented the e-F@ctory Platform to Russian Companies]. OOO “Mitsubisi Elektrik (RUS)”, 2017, 20 iyulya, available at: https://ru.mitsubishielectric.com/ru/news/releases/local/2017/0720-a/pdf/170720-a_local_ru_ru.pdf

7. Overview of Japan’s Green Transformation (GX). GR Japan, 2023, January, available at: https://grjapan.com/sites/default/files/content/articles/files/

8. Green Transformation (GX). Main points. Tentative translation. Keidanren, 2022, May 17, available at: https://www.keidanren.or.jp/en/policy/2022/043_point.pdf

9. Kostyukova K.S. “Zelenaya” transformatsiya Yaponii i nekotorye kontury novoi energeticheskoi politiki strany [Elektronnyi resurs]. π-Economy, 2022, vol. 15, no 6, pp. 54–70, DOI: https://doi.org/10.18721/JE.15604

10. The 11th Science and Technology Foresight: S&T Foresight 2019 — Summary report, NISTEP REPORT, N 183, National Institute of Science and Technology Policy, Tokyo, 2019, November, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15108/nr183

11. Society in 2040 through the Development of S&T. Conceptual Scenario, Research Material N 291. NISTEP, 2020, June, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15108/rm291

12. Discussion on Desirable Society 2040, Research Material N 276. NISTEP. 2018, September, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15108/rm276

13. Close-up Science and Technology Areas for the Future in 2050. Extraction and Analysis through a Combination of AI-related Technologies and Expert Judges, Research Material N 290. NISTEP, 2020, June, DOI: http://doi.org/10.15108/rm290

14. The 6th Science, Technology and Innovation basic plan. Government of Japan, 2021, March 26, available at: https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/sti_basic_plan.pdf

15. Yaponskoe tsifrovoe agentstvo [Website], available at: https://www.digital.go.jp/en/domestic-policies-en/

16. Nakamura, Akira. Japan’s Attempts to Digitalize Government: An Introduction of “My Number” System in Reforming Public Management. Public Service Excellence in the 21st Century. January, 2019, pp. 145–167, DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-3215-9_5

17. Sistema “moi nomer” [Website], available at: https://www.kojinbango-card.go.jp/en-mynumber/

18. Yaponskaya komissiya po zashchite personal’nykh dannykh [Website], available at: https://www.ppc.go.jp/en/legal/

19. Arielle Busetto. Japan’s My Number Card System Goes Forward: What to Know. Japan Forward Magazine, 2023, August 5, available at: https://japanforward. com/japans-my-number-card-system-goes-forward-what-to-know/

20. Report of the Sub-working Group for Trust-Assured Digital Transformation. Japan Digital Agency, 2022, July 29, available at: https://www.digital.go.jp/assets/contents/node/basic_page/field_ref_resources/0f321c23-517f-439e-9076-5804f0a24b59/3b9ab650/20220729_meeting_trust_dx_report_en_01.pdf

21. Arielle Busetto. PM Kishida Wraps Up Session with New Push for Digitalization. Japan Forward Magazine, 2023, June 21, available at: https://japanforward.com/pm-kishida-wraps-up-session-with-new-push-for-digitalization/

22. Zapis’ videotranslyatsii press-konferentsii prem’er-ministra Yaponii Kisida Fumio 4 avgusta 2023 g. [Recording of the Video Broadcast of the press Conference of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on August 4, 2023], available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcTc9yQQq84

23. Yoichi Masuzoe. Political turmoil in Japan: Kishida’s cabinet approval rating drops amidst my number card controversy. Arched Magazine, 2023, August

8, available at: https://www.archyde.com/political-turmoil-in-japan-kishidas-cabinet-approval-rating-drops-amidst-my-number-card-controversy/

24. Simon Sharwood. Japan’s digital ID card gets emergency review amid data leaks. The Register Magazine, 2023, June 22, available at: https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/22/japan_my_number_security_review/

25. Japan to Extend Health Care ‘Eligibility Certificate’ to 5 Years. Yomiuri Daily, 2023, August 4, available at: https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/

politics-government/20230804-127643/

26. Kishida Cabinet approval drops to 26.6%: Jiji poll. The Japan Times Daily, 2023, August 10, available at: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/japan/2023/08/10/

kishida-cabinet-approval-drops-to-266-jiji-poll/

27. Hiroyuki Akiyama. Japan’s move to scrap insurance cards rested on tricky politics. Asia Nikkei Daily, 2023, August 5, available at: https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-s-move-to-scrap-insurance-cards-rested-on-tricky-politics?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=IC_telegram_channel&utm_content=telegram_channel_posts

28. Yoshiko Hara. Millennium Project aims to boost Japan’s competitiveness. EE Times, 1999, May 11, available at: https://www.eetimes.com/millenniumproject-aims-to-boost-japans-competitiveness/

29. e-Japan Strategy. IT Strategy Headquarters, Government of Japan, 2001, January 22, available at: https://japan.kantei.go.jp/it/network/0122full_e.html

30. Basic Act on the Formation of an Advanced Information and Telecommunications Network Society. Act N 144 of December 6, 2000 [Website], available at: https://japan.kantei.go.jp/it/it_basiclaw/it_basiclaw.html

31. Mina Matsumoto. Is the Digital Transformation of Education a Realistic, Sensible Goal? Tokyo Foundation, 2022, February 17, available at: https://www.

tokyofoundation.org/research/detail.php?id=878

32. Japan’s GIGA School Program equips students for digital society. Government of Japan sponsored publication, The Japan Times, 2021, March 22, available at: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/2021/03/22/special-supplements/japans-giga-school-program-equips-students-digital-society/

33. Roadmap on the Utilization of Data in Education. Digital Agency, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, 2022, January 7, available at:https://www.digital.go.jp/assets/contents/node/basic_

page/field_ref_resources/0f321c23-517f-439e-9076-5804f0a24b59/20220307_en_education_outline_01.pdf

34. Policy Proposals for Realizing a True Digital Society in the Post-Coronavirus Era: Building a Better Japan. Japan cybersecurity innovation committee, 2020, August, available at: https://www.j-cic.com/pdf/report/JCIC-Policy-Proposal-2020-Details-EN.pdf

35. Nafikova M.Yu. Yaponiya. Reformy shkol’nogo obrazovaniya i integratsiya v “Obshchestvo 5.0” [Japan. School Education Reforms and Integration into “Society 5.0”]. Aziya i Afrika segodnya, 2021, no 1, pp. 30–36, available at: https://asaf-today.ru/s032150750011289-9-1/, DOI:10.31857/S032150750011289-9

36. Students, Computers and Learning: Making the Connection. PISA project, OECD. OECD Publishing, Paris, 2015, available at: https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264239555-en

37. Children’s Future Strategy Council. Prime Minister’s Office of Japan, 2023, June 13, available at: https://japan.kantei.go.jp/101_kishida/actions/202306/13kodomo.html

38. Tomato Otake. Long COVID’s psychological toll in focus as Japan’s deadliest virus outbreak ebbs. The Japan Times, 2023, Feb 2, available at: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/02/national/science-health/long-covid-psychological-toll/

39. Japan government survey finds 1.5 million living as recluses. Medical Xpress Magazine, 2023, April 5, available at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-japan-govt-survey-million-recluses.html

40. Naoki Matsuyama. Cabinet approves 3 new security documents to bolster defense. Asahi Daily, 2022, Dec 16, available at: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14794341

41. Strel’tsov D.V. O novoi kontseptsii natsional’noi bezopasnosti Yaponii [On Japan’s New National Security Concept]. Problemy Dal’nego Vostoka, 2023,

no 2, pp. 9–25, available at: https://pdv.jes.su/s013128120025335-9-1/, DOI:10.31857/S013128120025335-9

42. Proposal for Execution of Defense Industry Policy. Keidanren, 2015, September, available at: https://www.keidanren.or.jp/en/policy/2015/080_proposal.pdf

43. Business ecosystems come of age. Deloitte University Press, 2015.

44. Goryacheva E.A. “Novyi kapitalizm” Fumio Kisida i ego znachenie dlya sovremennoi politiko-ekonomicheskoi situatsii Yaponii [ “New Capitalism” by Fumio Kishida and its Significance for the Current Political and Economic Situation in Japan]. Rossiya i ATR, 2023, no 2, pp. 11–27, DOI: 10.24412/10268804202321127

45. Banyan. Kishida Fumio’s “new capitalism” is many things, but it is not new. The Economist, 2022, February 12, available at: https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/02/12/kishida-fumios-new-capitalism-is-many-things-but-it-is-not-new

46. Mitsubishi Electric Corporate Strategy. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, 2022, May, available at: https://de.mitsubishielectric.com/de/about/global/

strategy/pdf/0530.pdf

Следить за новостями ИНЭС: