table of contents
- 1What is Society 5.0?
- 1What is the new society that Society 5.0 represents?
- 2Balancing economic growth and solving social issues
- 3From Society 1.0 to 4.0 to 5.0
- 2Social issues that Society 5.0 is trying to solve
- 1Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- 2Increase food production and reduce food loss
- 3Promoting sustainable industrialization
- FourEliminating regional disparities
- FiveControlling increases in social costs due to declining birthrate and aging population
- 3Technologies supporting Society 5.0
- 1IoT
- 2robot
- 3AI (artificial intelligence)
- Fourbig data
- Four[By field] Examples of new value
- 1disaster prevention
- 2energy
- 3Agriculture
- Fourfood
- Fivemanufacturing
- 6Medical/nursing care
- 7traffic
- 8Smart city (municipality)
- FiveSociety 5.0 challenges
- 1technical issues
- 2Infrastructure development
- 3Building a security system
- 6summary
What is Society 5.0?
First, let’s take a look at what kind of society Society 5.0 is.
What is the new society that Society 5.0 represents?
Society 5.0 is the new social image that Japan is aiming for. It was formulated in the ” 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan ” approved by the Cabinet on January 22, 2016 . Specifically, it is said to be a “human-centered society that achieves both economic development and the resolution of social issues through a system that highly integrates cyberspace (virtual space) and physical space (real space).” I am.
Cyberspace is a virtual space constructed based on computers and networks. Physical space is the real space in which your body exists. It can be said that this is a society equipped with a system that skillfully combines these two spaces to solve both economic development and social issues.
Approximately 30 years have passed since the Internet began to spread in Japan in the 1990s. Currently, IoT (Internet of Things), AI (artificial intelligence), robots, etc. are being developed one after another. Opportunities to come into contact with such products and services are gradually increasing in our daily lives.
Balancing economic growth and solving social issues
Society 5.0 aims to achieve both economic growth and the resolution of social issues. Without economic growth, it is impossible to live an economically prosperous life. However, economic growth does not automatically resolve social issues.
Current issues facing Japan include a declining birthrate and aging population, rural depopulation, and the gap between rich and poor. In addition, there is a growing momentum to consider social issues on a global scale, such as the SDGs.
Under these circumstances, humans are creating new value by analyzing data obtained in each field. However, from now on, we are changing to a society in which people choose values ​​by utilizing digital technology and by using AI to analyze vast amounts of data and present new values.
From Society 1.0 to 4.0 to 5.0
- Society 1.0: hunting society
- Society 2.0: Agrarian society
- Society 3.0: Industrial society
- Society 4.0: Information society
- Society 5.0: new society
Society1.0 to 3.0
Society 1.0 is a hunting society. This was a time when people hunted and captured wild animals and gathered nuts and shellfish to satisfy their hunger. It is said that during this period, teams were formed to secure food. It began 200,000 years ago, when humans were said to have emerged.
The next Society 2.0 is an agricultural society. It is said that farming had already begun during the Jomon period. It is said to have been around 3000 years ago.
The development of Society 3.0, an industrial society, was triggered by the industrial revolution that occurred in England in the late 18th century. In Japan, industry flourished from the mid-19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, with the construction of spinning factories one after another.
From Society 4.0 to 5.0
And now we have a Society 4.0 information society. It is said that the Internet was born from research into information and communication networks that began in the United States in the 1960s. Since 1992, when the first Internet provider was established in Japan, the Internet has spread rapidly. With the advent of tablets and smartphones in addition to PCs, connecting to a network is now commonplace.
And now, we are moving from an information society to a new society, Society 5.0. There are issues that have become apparent as society evolves. In the next chapter, let’s take a look at the challenges that Society 5.0 is trying to solve.
Social issues that Society 5.0 is trying to solve
The social issues faced by the current information society include the following.
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Increase food production and reduce food loss
- Promoting sustainable industrialization
- Eliminating regional disparities
- Controlling increases in social costs due to declining birthrate and aging population
Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gases are considered one of the main causes of global warming, causing abnormal weather and large-scale disasters.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, global temperatures are rising by 0.73°C per 100 years. In particular, there has been an increase in the number of years with high temperatures since the mid-1990s. The cause of abnormal weather is long-term temperature rise. Specifically, there are a variety of challenges, including sea level rise, flooding, heavy rain, infrastructure suspension due to water damage, heat stroke, water and food shortages due to drought, and loss of ecosystems.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global challenge. Each country is working on this based on the Paris Agreement, which came into effect in 2016. Carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbon gas are well known as greenhouse gases, but there are also methane and nitrous oxide. All of these need to be reduced as quickly and continuously as possible.
Increase food production and reduce food loss
Food issues are also one of the issues that must be solved. Japan faces the challenge of a declining birthrate and an aging population, but due to population growth in countries such as India and Africa, the world’s population will exceed 8 billion in November 2022.
With population growth comes the challenge of increasing food production. As of 2021, there are over 800 million hungry people around the world who do not have enough food for the day. It is said that the number of people suddenly increased by 150 million due to the impact of the new coronavirus infection in 2020. It is also related to issues such as droughts and heavy rains due to balloon warming, and deforestation due to agricultural land reclamation.
Under such circumstances, the issue of food loss is attracting attention in Japan as well. Food loss is food that is still edible but is discarded. In Japan, food loss in 2020 is estimated to be 5.22 million tons, exceeding the total amount of global food aid provided to hungry people around the world in 2020, which was 4.2 million tons.
Promoting sustainable industrialization
Sustainable industrialization is essential to overcome challenges such as greenhouse gases and food. Rather than becoming too obsessed with short-term profits and sacrificing the global environment, society, and workers, we must transform into an industry that can coexist for a long time while protecting these.
To this end, it may be necessary to review everything from raw materials and materials, manufacturing methods, transportation, sales methods, and usage methods. The same thing is called for in the SDGs, which call for changes in behavior throughout society (behavioral change) and for all stakeholders to work together to address this issue.
Eliminating regional disparities
There are rich countries and poor countries in the world. It is said to be a world where the richest 10% own 80% of the wealth. Eliminating regional disparities is an important issue.
When we look at Japan, we notice that there are regional disparities within the country as well. The top income earners are in metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, Aichi, and Osaka. The population is concentrating in urban areas in search of high-income jobs, and the population continues to migrate from rural areas to cities. The outflow of young people is particularly noticeable.
Because there are differences in prices, living costs, and living environments including living environments, it is not possible to make general comparisons based solely on income and population, but it is not possible to eliminate disparities in industry, employment, population, etc., which are the factors that cause regional disparities. This is an important issue.
Controlling increases in social costs due to declining birthrate and aging population
It is also important to resolve the issue of increased social costs due to the declining birthrate and aging population. Japan is one of the countries in the world with a declining birthrate and aging population. According to the Cabinet Office’s White Paper on the Aging Society 2020, Japan’s aging rate is 28.6%, meaning that one in 3.5 people is 65 years old or older.
In addition, the rate is 16.6% in the United States and 12.0% in China. Another statistic shows that Italy is in second place (23.6%), followed by Portugal (23.2%), Finland (23.0%), and Greece (22.6%).
The aging of the population is a blessing in disguise as people are living longer, but at the same time it also brings with it increased social costs such as medical care, nursing care, and pensions. Labor shortages are also a serious problem in medical and nursing care. Given the current situation where the population pyramid is predicted to remain almost in an inverted triangle shape, it is no exaggeration to say that how to control these costs is an urgent issue.
Technologies supporting Society 5.0
Let’s take a look at the technologies that support Society 5.0. Let’s understand how technology contributes to the challenges mentioned in the previous chapter, and how pervasive it is already in our daily lives.
IoT
IoT (Internet of Things) is a system that connects things to the Internet so that data can be collected from the sensors of those IoT devices and that they can be controlled remotely from smartphones and other devices. We will advance the digitization of things and the automation of processing.
Specifically, systems that can obtain location information of buses, taxis, etc., manufacturing equipment that allows real-time management and understanding of production status, housing equipment that alerts residents to accidents in the home such as falls of elderly people, and remote control that can be accessed from smartphones. Smart home appliances such as air conditioners and bathroom water heaters that can be operated. Smart speakers that can be used by talking can also be said to be a representative of IoT.
robot
The range of robots is expanding from industrial robots to service robots. Industrial robots used for assembly and other purposes on production lines in factories are probably well known. The aim here is to automate repeating the same tasks accurately.
In order to collaborate with humans, service robots require complex, three-dimensional movements that traditional industrial robots do not have. Examples include hotel reception robots, airport guide robots, and medical and lifestyle support robots.
In familiar places, we use cleaning robots and baggage handling robots at train stations, guide robots at shopping malls, and serving robots at restaurants.
big data
Big data is a collection of data so vast that it is difficult for humans to understand it all. It is considered to be rich in both quantity and quality, and generally needs to have the three Vs: volume, variety, and velocity or frequency.
Browsing history and purchase history in the web service field mentioned above is an area where the use of big data has already begun. In addition, we also have SNS usage history, usage history of distribution services such as music and videos, store cashier information (POS system), and location information from GPS, IC cards, smartphones, etc. Big data includes a variety of information, such as systems used in offices, email data, customer information, and transaction information.
The true value of big data is the creation of new value by integrating data that has traditionally been collected in each field and combining it with AI.
[By field] Examples of new value
Let’s take a closer look at the new value provided by Society 5.0.
disaster prevention
Disaster prevention in Society 5.0 will reduce the damage caused by disasters, quickly deliver the information necessary to ensure the safety of disaster victims, and enable recovery to begin as soon as possible. Disaster prevention issues include the following:
- quick rescue
- Delivery of relief supplies to disaster areas
- Providing evacuation information
New value in disaster prevention
When a disaster occurs, rescue robots are dispatched to areas where it is dangerous for people to enter. Rescuers wearing assist suits can use the power of the suit to move even heavy objects. If relief supplies cannot be delivered to disaster areas by car, drones will deliver them, and if cars can pass, autonomous delivery vehicles will deliver them. For those who do not know where the evacuation center is, evacuation information can be provided on a personal smartphone and directions to the nearest evacuation center can be provided.
- Rapid rescue using rescue robots and assist suits
- Delivery of relief supplies using drones and automated delivery vehicles
- Providing information for disaster victims to safely evacuate (smartphone)
We use AI to analyze big data, including information such as observation data of disaster-stricken areas by satellites, ground-based weather radars, and drones, and damage information from sensors installed in buildings, making the above solutions possible.
energy
Society 5.0 can be expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in addition to ensuring a stable supply of energy for households, communities, and during disasters. Current challenges include:
- Energy supply during disasters
- Stable supply according to demand
- Possible energy shortage
- global warming problem
New value of energy
Society 5.0 uses AI to analyze big data, including weather information, power plant operating status, household energy consumption, EV (electric vehicle) charger usage status, etc., making it possible to: .
- Accurate energy demand forecasting and stable supply by combining weather forecasting, demand forecasting, etc.
- Local production and local consumption of energy through EVs and hydrogen production
- Information on consumption status that leads to energy savings at home
Energy consumption increases in summer and winter. The weather also has a big impact, so by combining weather forecasts and the amount of power generated, it will be possible to adjust the excess or deficiency of energy. If EVs become widespread and each household generates solar power, it will be less likely to cause major problems even if large power plants are temporarily shut down or energy is distributed to disaster-stricken areas. If you can understand your home’s energy consumption, its breakdown, and charges, your awareness of energy consumption will change.
Agriculture
Society 5.0 will also bring about major changes in the aging of agricultural workers and labor shortages. The challenges in agriculture are:
- Aging of producers and labor shortages
- Responding to weather
New value in agriculture
We will solve these challenges by making a major shift to smart agriculture.
- Labor saving and improving productivity
- Production and shipping that meet market needs
At production sites, tractors, combines, rice transplanters, additional fertilizers, water volume adjustments, etc. will be automated, and the growth status of crops will be automatically monitored using drones. Harvested crops are automatically shipped to the sales destination.
With highly accurate weather forecasts, you can prepare for the next task or weather changes such as drought or typhoons. AI will be used to analyze big data, including food trends and needs, market prices, crop cultivation information, etc., and make production plans.
food
In the food field, we solve food loss and allergy issues. It can also be expected to have the effect of extending healthy life expectancy and reducing social costs for the elderly. The main challenges we currently have are:
- Food loss at home and stores
- I don’t know which foods are good for my body and suit my health condition.
- Difficult to tell if it contains allergens
New value of food
Society 5.0 uses AI to analyze big data that includes information such as food information in home refrigerators, store inventory information, market information, personal allergy information, information on food ingredients and additives, etc. The solution is as follows.
- Home ingredient management (refrigerator ingredient display) and menu suggestions
- Store purchasing management based on market trends
- Improving food safety by making allergy information, additives, etc. visible on a digital device when purchasing at a store
Approximately half of food waste is said to come from households, so this will help you avoid buying too much and use up all your food. Also, the foods that you need to be careful about in order to maintain your health vary depending on the person. If you can check detailed information on food allergies, additives, etc. on your smartphone before purchasing, it will lead to food safety.
manufacturing
In manufacturing, it is possible to solve the following issues and improve customer satisfaction.
- Diversification of needs
- Occurrence of excess inventory
- Labor shortage
New value in manufacturing
Industrial robots will be introduced more than ever before. In addition to consumption trends and needs, we use AI to analyze big data, including supplier inventory information, manufacturer production status, delivery information, etc., to ensure smooth coordination between raw materials, production, and supply.
- Labor saving through the use of industrial robots and AI
- High-mix, low-volume production based on needs
- Maintaining appropriate inventory
- Efficient delivery through truck platooning (self-driving)
Overstock is a major challenge for suppliers, manufacturers, and delivery companies alike. We eliminate overstock by creating products that meet the needs of customers and consumers, and delivering them in a timely manner so as not to miss out on sales opportunities in stores.
Medical/nursing care
In the medical and nursing care fields, we will reduce social costs such as medical and nursing care costs and solve labor shortages. At the moment, we have the following challenges:
- Shortage of medical workers
- Lifestyle support for people who require nursing care
New value in medical care
Medical/nursing robots and life support robots for people who want to live an independent life will become widespread. Physiological measurement data such as an individual’s heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar level is collected in real time, and big data, including medical information such as infectious diseases and information such as the congestion status of medical institutions, is analyzed using AI.
- Robot support in medical and nursing care settings
- Proposing appropriate treatment for patients
- Early detection of abnormalities and diseases through daily physiological data measurement
Early detection of diseases through AI-based diagnosis assistance and daily data collection will lead to early treatment and speedy recovery. This will help reduce the social costs of medical and nursing care.
traffic
In the transportation field, it contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and revitalizing local regions. Let’s take a look at the current challenges.
- Transportation congestion and road congestion
- Traveling in a wheelchair
New value in transportation
As self-driving technology advances, we will be able to leave the driving to the car. AI analyzes big data, including information from sensors installed in cars, congestion information on various transportation systems, weather, accommodation, meals, tourist spots, etc., to realize smooth travel that avoids accidents and traffic jams. Masu.
- Automated driving reduces the burden of driving
- Suggesting the best means of transportation to your destination
- Reducing the burden on companions with mobility support using a self-supporting wheelchair
If transportation and tourist information are integrated, you will be able to enjoy sightseeing by targeting vacant spots, and you will also be able to receive suggestions for destinations depending on the weather.
Smart city (municipality)
A smart city is a city that aims to take the lead in utilizing technologies that support Society 5.0 and solve the issues faced by the region. Specifically, medical institutions and commercial facilities will be brought together to improve convenience, disaster prevention and transportation data collected in the region will be made public, and administrative information apps will be released for citizen-participatory town development. I am. There are already several cases in the country. Representative smart cities are as follows.
What I have listed here are just some of the examples. Depending on the local government, smart cities may be currently in preparation or under consideration, but smart cities will gradually spread from the cities mentioned above where projects are underway to the surrounding areas.
Society 5.0 challenges
So far, we have introduced the future vision that Socitey5.0 is aiming for. In order for Japan to move closer to an ideal future, there are issues that must be improved in order to realize Society 5.0. Lastly, let me touch on that point. The main challenges are:
- technical issues
- Infrastructure development
- Building a security system
technical issues
One of the technologies represented by Society 5.0 is AI. Unfortunately, however, Japan’s IT technology cannot be said to be at the leading edge of the world. The lack of budget and human resources for IT technology research has been pointed out for some time.
Infrastructure development
In terms of infrastructure, there are issues with communication speed and data centers. Data collected every day must be processed at high speed. You will also need a place to manage and store the collected data. Since AI itself is a computer program, a computer with the ability to perform a series of processes is essential.
Building a security system
Big data is a collection of diverse data. This includes confidential information such as personal information and business know-how. It would be a problem if such information were leaked. A security system must be built to utilize the information while protecting privacy and interests.
However, once the technical issues are resolved, it can be said that the realization of Society 5.0, as discussed here, is just around the corner.
summary
Society 5.0 is a vision of Japan’s near future. It can be said that this is a reality that is moving forward step by step and getting closer. Let each of us work together so that we can realize the future society that Japan is advocating ahead of the rest of the world.
