Japanese smart cities and communities: Integrating technological and institutional innovation for Society 5.0

After one decade of smart city implementation, Japan has reached a crossroads. The focus is shifting from experimental projects to platforms that foster comprehensive and innovative solutions to climate, energy, demographic, and technological challenges. Crises and opportunities have compelled Japan’s smart city paradigm to adapt, leading to an institutional sea change. The emergent, all-hazard approach to smart cities and communities are marked by collaborative, multilevel governance increasingly coordinated under the rubric of Society 5.0 industrial policy. This policy is integrating with global Sustainable Development Goals and is further enhanced by the impending rollout of 5G networks. As a consequence, infrastructure is becoming intrastructure: lifeline systems that are simultaneously linked, monitored, and managed through smart communications. Japan’s transformation has been driven by learning from a diverse range of smart city projects. The transformation is also impelled by the increasing intensity of challenges facing Japan. In this context, it is especially pertinent to analyze Japan’s experience on how to scale-up equitable, resilient, and decarbonizing smart cities and communities.