Neon lights and ancient palaces: Arriving at Tokyo’s Narita airport in late September and taking the train into the city centre, I was struck by the city’s unique blend of modern technology and traditional culture. Over the next three weeks, I travelled from the bustling intersection of Shibuya, where numerous screens flash images incessantly, to the temple gardens of Kyoto, where time seems to stand still. On my return to Europe, I realised that throughout my trip, I had been immersed in a reimagining of technology that, beyond the current hype of AI, showed how digital innovation can help a country preserve its culture and help its citizens dealing with modern life – but also how it can lead to certain challenges that should not be ignored.

The foundations of Japan’s technological rise

Japan’s journey to become a high-tech society began in earnest with the Meiji Restoration of 1868. As economic historians have repeatedly pointed out, this moment marked the end of feudal isolation and the beginning of rapid modernisation. The Meiji government actively sought Western knowledge and technology, sending students abroad and inviting foreign experts to Japan. Key developments included the establishment of a modern postal service in 1871, the construction of Japan’s first railway line in 1872, and the establishment of the Tomioka Silk Mill in 1872, which introduced advanced French spinning technology. Initiatives like these laid the foundation for Japan’s industrial revolution and set the stage for subsequent technological advances.

Japan then transformed itself into a true technological powerhouse in the post-World War II era. Despite the devastation of the war, Japan adopted a policy of aggressive technology adoption and innovation. The steel industry, for example, successfully adopted advanced rolling technology from abroad, while companies such as Toyota developed their own innovations (such as the G-type automatic loom, first introduced in 1924). The government played a crucial role by supporting research and development, encouraging collaboration between industry and academia, and promoting the export of high-tech products. By the 1980s, Japan had become a world leader in electronics, automobiles, and robotics. This rapid rise was fuelled by a combination of imported technology, indigenous innovation, and a highly skilled workforce.

Digital art: immersion or distraction?

My first encounter with Japan’s embrace of modern technology was the ubiquitous digital art in Tokyo. The city itself feels like an ever-changing canvas of light and sound. Entering the teamLab Planets exhibition in Tokyo, organised by an artist collective renowned for dissolving the boundaries between art, technology, and the viewer, was like entering a virtual dreamscape. Environments shifted with every step – walls dissolved into galaxies full of electronic lights and floors bloomed with virtual flowers. As the artists themselves write on their website, this is “a museum where you walk through water, and a garden where you become one with the flowers”.

The way a culture interacts with and values art can reveal much about its relationship with technology and the balance between virtual and physical experiences. While I think the teamLab exhibition is a great example of how the proliferation of digital art can deepen our connection to creativity, I also noticed how some visitors passed by the exhibits through the lenses of their smartphones, intent on capturing every moment for social media. Here, the immersive experience seemed to take a back seat to digital documentation. Does art now have to be Instagram-ready to be published and funded? Has art, through its digitalisation, become merely an elaborate backdrop for our online personas, or can it still teach us something about the real world we live in?

Figure 1: Visitors immerse themselves in the digital art exhibition at teamLab in Tokyo, wading through water filled with virtual fish. This interactive installation exemplifies Japan’s embrace of cutting-edge digital experiences that blur the boundaries between art, technology, and physical space. Source: private picture.

Figure 2: AI-generated street art in Tokyo transforms visitor input into unique visual displays. This public installation showcases Japan’s integration of algorithmic art into urban environments, making advanced technology accessible and engaging for everyday citizens. Source: private picture.

Interactive screens, Wi-Fi, and apps: convenience at a cost?

Tokyo’s embrace of technology extends to its public spaces, where interactive screens have become as commonplace as vending machines. In Shinjuku Station, for instance, I could observe how effortlessly locals navigated complex transit systems via diverse touchscreens. While walking the bustling streets of Tokyo, my smartphone became an indispensable companion: For instance, it guided me through plenty of train stations and helped me decipher the menus at small local restaurants. This seamless digital experience was made possible by the widespread availability of free Wi-Fi in many public places throughout the city. In addition, most shops and services offered their own apps to help navigate their offerings and facilitate purchases in multiple languages.

Figure 3: A large interactive screen helps visitors navigate a busy Tokyo train station, allowing them to locate shops and services with a simple touch. This smart infrastructure demonstrates Japan’s commitment to using digital solutions to improve urban mobility and quality of life in densely populated areas. Source: private picture.

Still, it is important to realise that this technological convenience, which I enjoyed from day one, is not always easily obtained. In particular, I sometimes noticed older commuters and even some tourists hesitating in front of digital screens, expressing uncertainty or even frustration. Are we inadvertently creating a society where technological fluency is a prerequisite for basic navigation and services? In ageing populations such as those in Japan and many European countries, the relationship between these so-called digital divides and social cohesion must be reflected and studied even more seriously.

The ikigai of innovation: Japan’s digital efficiency

In stark contrast to many European countries, where digital displays on public transport often malfunction and new technology prototypes often run into problems, Japan’s digital infrastructure seemed to operate with remarkable smoothness. This efficiency is not just the result of technological prowess: as my trip progressed, I became increasingly aware that it may also have something to do with culture, specifically the Japanese concept of ikigai. The philosophy of finding purpose and meaning in one’s work – in short ikigai – surely acts as a driving force behind the attention to detail seen in Japan’s public digital systems. In other words, the country is demonstrating how traditional craftsmanship can now be applied to the digital realm. Rather than replacing jobs, digitalisation can also help people find joy and meaning in their work.

In my observation, Japan’s process-oriented work culture, with its emphasis on continuous improvement, fits well with the iterative nature of digital innovation. In the digital age, where constant updates are the norm, this focus on process over immediate results can be advantageous when applied, for example, to areas such as software development, user experience design, and digital system maintenance. In contrast, Germany’s outcome-oriented approach, which served the country well during the industrial manufacturing age, may face challenges in such a setting. Clearly, the digital age requires a balance between achieving tangible results and maintaining the flexibility to adapt to changing technologies and user needs. Japan’s cultural emphasis on process refinement, combined with the personal investment fostered by ikigai, may provide a societal framework that is inherently more attuned to this balance.

Lessons for Europe’s digital future

After returning home, I found myself reflecting on the digital development of Japan that I had witnessed during my trip. Not least due to numerous Japanese engineers and technicians who see their work on public digital interfaces as more than just a job, namely as an integral part of their ikigai, the country enjoys a digital ecosystem that not only functions seamlessly, but also improves the daily lives of millions of Japanese citizens. Still, beneath the surface of progress lie also certain societal challenges – digital divides and the potential diminution of genuine human connections. At a time where the EU is pursuing its new agenda of digital sovereignty, aiming to foster innovation while safeguarding fundamental values, Japan’s example underlines the need for a measured approach. This extends to the regulatory environment, too.

It was during one of my journeys on Tokyo’s subway system, while waiting between lines and scrolling through some messages on my phone, that I learned about Japan’s latest legal changes to the digital world: the Smartphone Act. This legislation, which came into effect in July 2024, aims to level the playing field in the smartphone ecosystem, targeting tech giants such as Google and Apple. For someone who usually analyses EU digital policy, this act stood out as an interesting contrast to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). While both pieces of legislation aim to promote fair competition in the digital space, Japan’s approach struck me as more targeted. Unlike the broad scope of the DMA, which covers various digital services, the Smartphone Act focuses specifically on smartphone ecosystems. This focus on operating systems, the key backbone of the modern app economy, reminded me of the efficient trains I had been riding throughout my trip. Local lawyers have highlighted how the law clearly limits the justifications companies can use for certain practices, a departure from the – so far – more uncertain approach in Europe.

As the new European Commission begins its work in Brussels, the path it chooses will define the nature of Europe’s digital society for generations to come. Japan’s journey to become a technological powerhouse and its current integration of digital services into everyday life offers both inspiration and caution – a reminder that technological progress is most meaningful when it enriches, rather than rewrites, our collective history.

Anselm Küsters is Head of Digitalisation and New Technologies at the Centrum für Europäische Politik (cep), Berlin.

As a post-doctoral researcher at the Humboldt University in Berlin and as an associate researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt am Main, he conducts research in the field of Digital Humanities.


Copyright Header Picture: Dall-E via own prompting