Back in the race: Japan and the internet

Abstract

Japan was slow in responding to the opportunities posed by the Internet, a somewhat unexpected development given the country’s substantial investments in computers and high technology. Resistance to the Internet in Japan arose from several different directions: intense government regulation of telecommunications, the dominance of English as the language of the Internet, national concerns about westernization through the world wide web, the high personal costs of Internet connections, and the slow response of Japanese companies to opportunities in the field of electronic commerce. Over the last five years, the people, businesses and government of Japan have responded decisively to the continued development of the Internet. Japanese language information on the Internet continues to expand — due in no small measure to the establishment of Japanese web-sites by foreign companies — and concerted national efforts have been made to capitalize on the potential of the digital revolution. Given the willingness and, at times, the ability of the central government to dictate the pace and direction of change to the nation, there is a strong possibility that Japan will play an increasingly important role in the expansion of the Internet.