Books etc

「AI時代」において宇宙法はいかに変革されるべきか。 人間にとって新たな支配領域である宇宙空間において、AIやスマートロボットなどの自律システムが用いられる時代を前提に、その倫理的・法的・社会的課題を明らかにする。既存の国際宇宙法の限界を超えた、サイバーセキュリティや環境法、データガバナンスを含む新たな宇宙法の必要性を論じる。

This chapter has five main aims. It (1) proposes new regulations for research and development, use, sale and supply of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and services in Japan; (2) recommends rules, i.e., harmonised standards, technical standards and requirements to act as ‘de facto mandatory standards’ in the sale and supply of services in this country; (3) suggests management system standards for planning, implementing, checking, and acting on them; (4) proposes a legal basis for disciplining these mechanisms, and (5) advocates for the ‘AI Supervisory Authority’, which will determine the regulation of AI in accordance with the ‘Japanese AI System Conformity Assessment Scheme’. In order to achieve this fivefold goal, the chapter stresses the shortcomings of every self-regulatory approach, which leaves compliance to voluntary initiatives and does not regulate through hard law. The overall aim of this chapter is to ‘optimise’ AI regulation in alignment with current and future trends of technology. The chapter proposes five ways in which the future of AI regulatory and governance policy in the research, development, and use of AI in Japan can be improved.

This chapter discusses the Japanese policy goals related to climate together with various incentives proposed by Japan at different international forums by policy leaders - Prime Ministers Kishida, Takeshita, Miyazawa, Hashimoto, Abe, and Fukuda. Many of these proposals have been focused on technology, aimed at developing innovative solutions to solve global environmental and climate problem. We link this approach with monozukuri - a profound commitment to manufacturing excellence - that we discuss with respect to energy transition in Japan. In this context, we highlight public-driven programmes that stimulated Japanese research and development capacity in the energy sector (the Sunshine Project, the Moonlight Project, and the New Sunshine Project), as well as present other policy incentives focused on technological innovations developed to address climate change, such as Green IT. Moreover, we offer a closer look at energy efficiency as key component of the Japanese technology-oriented approach. We combine these two elements (energy efficiency and the focus on technology) and analyse them in the context of Japan’s energy transition with smart cities at its heart.

Japan needs a smart energy transition and smart solutions. Historically significant in post-war global development, highly urbanised Japan has faced numerous challenges, from financial crises to severe natural disasters, including the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. These events resonate with existing issues like an ageing population. In this context, the introductory chapter reviews the latest developments in smart cities discourse and argues for the importance of energy transition as a pivotal component. The chapter examines how Japan has approached energy transition and how cities have contributed, and will continue to contribute, to green transformation. This chapter also outlines the book’s structure and provides a summary for each chapter.

This book offers a distinctive and comprehensive view of the energy transition of Japan, with a particular focus on the rise of smart cities. Drawing on real examples from Japan’s journey towards carbon neutrality, this volume examines a variety of topics ranging from laws and policies to technological and managerial solutions, discussing them in the context of Japan’s energy transition. Among the issues covered by the book are climate action planning, sustainable waste management, energy poverty, decarbonisation, e-methane, transport policies, and smart grids. The book also explores the regulatory tools that either support or hinder the development of smart cities in Japan, and how Japan can leverage its national solutions globally. In this way, this book serves as a guide for global climate action and energy transitions around the world. Focusing on both stories of success and lessons learned, this book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of energy transitions, climate action, smart cities, as well as Asian and Japanese studies more broadly.

This chapter has five main aims. It (i) proposes new regulations for research and development, use, sale and supply of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and services in Japan; (ii) recommends rules, i.e., harmonised standards, technical standards and requirements to act as 'de facto mandatory standards' in the sale and supply of related services in this country; (iii) suggests management system standards for planning, implementing, checking, and acting on them; (iv) proposes a legal basis for disciplining these mechanisms, and (v) advocates for the ‘AI Supervisory Authority', which will determine the regulation of AI in accordance with the 'Japanese AI System Conformity Assessment Scheme'. In order to achieve this fivefold goal, this chapter stresses the shortcomings of every self-regulatory approach, which leaves compliance to voluntary initiatives and does not regulate through hard law. The overall aim of this chapter is to 'optimise' AI regulation in alignment with current and future trends of technology. The chapter proposes five ways in which the future of AI regulatory and governance policy in the research, development, and use of AI in Japan can be improved.

This book offers a distinctive and comprehensive view of the energy transition of Japan, with a particular focus on the rise of smart cities. Drawing on real examples from Japan’s journey towards carbon neutrality, this volume examines a variety of topics ranging from laws and policies to technological and managerial solutions, discussing them in the context of Japan’s energy transition. Among the issues covered by the book are climate action planning, sustainable waste management, energy poverty, decarbonisation, e-methane, transport policies, and smart grids. The book also explores the regulatory tools that either support or hinder the development of smart cities in Japan, and how Japan can leverage its national solutions globally. In this way, this book serves as a guide for global climate action and energy transitions around the world. Focusing on both stories of success and lessons learned, this book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of energy transitions, climate action, smart cities, as well as Asian and Japanese studies more broadly.

This chapter outlines the data-protection issues involved in the handling of data, in particular data collected and processed within smart meters processes. Consequently, the proper handling and protection of personal data is an essential prerequisite for the realisation of smart cities. The process of decentralising energy systems can be an important factor facilitating the establishment of new forms of local cooperation based on the fulfilment of energy demand adapted to the needs of a specific community. Big data is created in smart cities because of the technology and applications used to collect and analyse personal information from inhabitants and residents, which is then shared across functional areas and used in the urban planning process. Data such as electricity consumption and reverse power flow values do not contain significant information on their own, as they are simply numerical values. Personal information, such as a name, is not limited to information that can be used to identify an individual.

This book offers a complex and problem-based analysis of the past, present, and future of smart cities in Japan's energy transition. With 92% of Japanese living in urban areas and a goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Japan's energy future will depend largely on how its cities can become smarter, greener, and more resilient. To reach these ambitions, a collective effort is required, with actions coming from Tokyo to Kumamoto, from Yokohama to Sapporo, and throughout dozens of smaller and bigger Japanese urban structures. This book addresses the key issues that have emerged or may emerge in various Japanese cities that are pursuing smart energy initiatives. The authors examine several issues, including international cooperation, heating decarbonisation, foreign direct investments, city planning, housing policies, and technology-related risks in the context of Japan's energy transition. Drawing on case studies from different regions of Japan and sectors of Japanese economy significant for reaching carbon neutrality, this book will be a valuable resource for all interested in energy transition, climate action, and smart cities, where Japan and Japanese smart cities serve as excellent benchmarks.

Tokyo has served as a benchmark not only for other Japanese cities but also for cities across Asia and the globe. However, the question remains: is Tokyo truly a smart city? Furthermore, how sustainable is it? In this chapter, we examine Tokyo within the context of its smart city policies, with a particular emphasis on sustainability. We begin our analysis by exploring Tokyo's historical environmental challenges. This includes addressing pollution and contamination during the 1960s and 1970s, with a specific focus on air quality. Subsequently, by reviewing Tokyo's strategies, programmes, and projects, we identify those with the potential to enhance sustainability and innovation of Japan's capital. Finally, we explore the interconnectedness between being a smart city and a sustainable city, using Tokyo as a case study.

Toward a future symbiotic society with Cybernetic Avatars (CAs), it is crucial to develop socially well-accepted CAs and to discuss legal, ethical, and socioeconomic issues to update social rules and norms. This chapter provides interdisciplinary discussions for these issues from the perspectives of technological and social sciences. First, we propose avatar social implementation guidelines and present studies that contribute to the development of socially well-accepted CAs. The second part of this chapter addresses the ethical and legal issues in installing CAs in society and discusses solutions for them.

While Japan is often portrayed as either a stagnant economic power or a futuristic technological hub, the reality is far more nuanced. In this context, this chapter addresses the multifaceted narrative surrounding the book. This introduction highlights the complexities of Japan's position in the global landscape, setting the stage for the following chapters that explore Japanese smart cities and energy transition. Through a comprehensive analysis of economic, social, policy, and environmental challenges, the book seeks to provide a balanced perspective on Japan's past, present, and future.

This open access book presents a vision of a future, where avatars play an integral role in shaping the fabric of our interconnected society. The book introduces the authors’ ongoing efforts to advance avatar technologies and is structured into nine chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the potentially revolutionary impact of cybernetic avatars (CAs) as a new medium of communication, liberating individuals from physical barriers and creating more flexible work environments. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 present developments in CAs with advanced autonomous functionality. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss the creation of a CA platform that connects multiple operators and CAs. Chapter 7 explores the physiological and neuroscientific effects of avatars and other media on operators and users. Finally, Chapters 8 and 9 discuss the societal implementation of CAs. This book is stemmed from one of the Moonshot R&D projects funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).

The Japanese personal information protection legal system and the protection of the right to privacy have been mainly developed based on tort law privacy. In particular, Japanese judicial precedents protecting the right to privacy have been influenced by the four common law privacy torts categorised by Dean William Prosser . Prosser restructured all invasions of privacy into four categories of torts and implanted his own taxonomy directly into the American Law Institute's Restatement 2nd of Torts. Regarding data protection law in general, the OECD established privacy guidelines in 1980, and the first Japanese personal information protection act for administrative organs was enacted eight years after the adoption of the OECD guidelines. However, it was not until 2003 that legislation was also developed to cover businesses which handle personal information in the private sector. Until then, voluntary efforts to protect personal information were made as a part of compliance. Throughout this period, efforts to protect personal information based on guidelines had been implemented before the enactment of the Personal Information Protection Act. In understanding the Japanese legal system, it should be noted that various guidelines have been established together with the law. These guidelines, which can be divided into those enacted by administrative organs and those enacted by private organisations, function as a set of rules for interpreting the law and also as an indicator for administrative organs to make decisions when enforcing the law. It is therefore necessary to understand that the guidelines are not merely standards to encourage purely voluntary efforts on the part of businesses and individuals, but also set out specific criteria for compliance with the law. Hence, in this manuscript, the guidelines are quoted in detail and specific standards are provided in order to clarify the specific criteria for interpretation of the commentary on the Protection of Personal Information Protection Act in Japan.