2019 Volume 16 Pages 157-169
This paper discusses the transition of open data policy in Japan and examines the problem awareness of the Japanese government in a changing international context. From the analysis of open data trends in Japan and globally and the government decisions to address them, this paper presents three stages of transition in Japan’s policy on open data: the first stage concerned with the provision of administrative information with the central focus as the transparency of the government; the second stage where emphasis is placed on creation of new services and the promotion of industries through the utilization of public data, and a third stage where the creation of new services is to the fore through data held by the private sector being made increasingly available to the public to complement public data. Moreover, the social significance of open data utilization and the future of open private sector data are also discussed.
