The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan is set to actively promote Japanese technologies in the growing field of smart city development abroad. To deepen collaboration with India, the government will soon launch a new public-private platform. Additionally, Japan will showcase its cutting-edge technologies at the first-ever "Smart City Expo" to be held among ASEAN member states.

On April 11, MLIT held an expert panel on the overseas expansion of smart cities in Tokyo to outline future policy directions. In India, the government launched the "Smart Cities Mission" in 2015, aiming to develop smart infrastructure in 100 cities. Japan and India have since built a collaborative relationship in this field. To further advance their partnership, the "Japan-India Smart City Cooperation Platform" (JISCOP) will be established in the near future. The platform will include participation from relevant government ministries and agencies of both countries, as well as local governments and private sector companies.

Meanwhile, the "Japan Association for Smart Cities in ASEAN(JASCA)”, a domestic council comprising both public and private sector representatives, has initiated new developments in fiscal 2024, including signing a partnership agreement with a Singaporean government-affiliated company. In fiscal 2025, Japan will participate in the inaugural "Smart City Expo KL," to be held in Malaysia in September, to highlight the technological prowess of Japanese firms. (2025/04/14)