Since the 1990s are considered a 'lost decade,' Japan will over the next decade have to place top priority on ensuring that it will not be left behind by the IT revolution." The E-Japan Project is aimed at making the country a world leader in the use of IT within five years by such means as building broadband networks and creating an online government.
The Strategic Headquarters for the Promotion of an Advanced Information and Telecommunications Network Society assembled its Basic Policies for Promoting the Advanced Information and Telecommunications Network Society and amended it in November 1998. According to the Basic Policies, the active utilisation of information and telecommunications technologies and the improvement of services will be encouraged in the areas of health, medical care, and welfare. Various concrete measures can be implemented to improve accessibility of basic (and advanced) telecommunications services or of ICT products for older and disabled people.
Although there is little specific mention of ICT services in the Gold Plan 21, it is clear that business opportunities exist at the municipal and other levels for firms with expertise in support services, healthcare management systems, skills in catalogue sales, telemarketing and non-store based sales activity such as door-to-door sales and franchise systems, e-learning for continuing education of medical care professionals and care providers etc. that incorporate advanced communications technology in their solutions. Concrete measures are the development of the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to provide extensive information; Development of the Health and Welfare Information Network System, initially focusing on the smooth implementation of the long-term care insurance system, but also to support and promote utilisation of health and medical care information; Information Network for People with Disabilities (Normanet) for information exchange among people with disabilities (has been in operation since 1996); In addition, an information system that provides information on domestic and international research on disabilities over the Internet In operation since 1997).
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