Chikako Masuda, Head of Intelligence Research, Digital Agency, Japan

1. How do you use technology/policy to improve citizens’ lives? Tell us about your role or organisation.

I'm the head of intelligence research at the Digital Agency, and my team is part of the strategic planning unit, which is responsible for leading national digital strategies. 
 

Our organization uses two main approaches to improve public services and policymaking through digital means, with the aim of improving the lives of citizens. 
 

The first approach is to establish and manage a design system. By incorporating a design system rooted in user-centered digital service development, we can ensure a certain level of "usability". In addition, by standardizing aspects such as usability, we hope to make interactions between citizens and public services more enjoyable. In Japan, where an ageing population and low birth rate are challenges, achieving universally accessible services is urgent. Through our design system, we aim to improve accessibility for all. 

The second approach is policy design. My team in Intelligence Research has initiated activities to include young voices in future policy design. Specifically, we conduct an annual collaboration research project with Japanese students studying abroad, who make policy recommendations based on international comparisons.  

Traditionally, policy formulation within the Japanese government has been closed and often lacking in diversity, mostly limited to feedback from experts. However, rapidly evolving areas such as digital policy can benefit greatly from diversity and co-creative approaches, revealing insights that might otherwise be missed. We believe that empowering young people with an external perspective to make proposals for future-oriented digital policy in Japan is symbolic. By creating a success case from this process, we aim to further promote co-creative policymaking in digital strategy. 

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2. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year? 

We have presented the Japanese government's digital initiatives at OECD and international conferences. Before our organization started in 2021, Japan government also had excellence within our past initiatives, but we have so far refrained from publishing them as case studies - perhaps a feature of Japanese culture. 

However, we are confident that our experiences, with our challenges and progress, offer valuable insights for foreign governments as well. One notable project this year has been to co-author an academic report on Japan's digital policy development with Dr. Keegan McBride from the Oxford Internet Institute. This report allowed us to share Japan's digital policy journey with a wider audience and was a successful effort in knowledge sharing. 

3. What was one unexpected learning from 2024?  

Recently, I had the opportunity to run a workshop on the use of digital devices for primary school students. In Japan, the government provides every primary school student with a tablet. In schools with digitally savvy teachers, these devices are used in everyday learning, but in schools without such teachers, students are forced to learn on their own. 

In the workshop, the students’ preferred way of expressing their ideas was through hands-on creative activities using LEGO blocks and clay, rather than multi-functional digital devices! 

The children were confident in their own creativity and seemed to view digital tools merely as a supportive aid for it. This was a refreshing surprise for me. 

Seeing children expressing their creativity through playful, free activities without the support of digital tools or AI made me think about the real value that digital can provide. 

4. What’s a tool or technique you’re excited to explore in 2025?  

I'm interested in exploring corpus-based tools.  

While AI now makes it easy to generate sentences, I think the value of spoken 'words' and communicated 'language' will become increasingly important in the real world. 

5. Everybody’s talking about AI today – give us your hot take on AI and what it means for the public sector.  

I heard a saying recently: "AI connects ideas with ideas." This concept resonates with me, and I believe it may hold a clue to the potential synergy between AI and the public sector. In the AI era, approaches based on collective intelligence will become increasingly important. 

At a time when individuals can freely express their opinions via social media and access multiple sources of information, closed organizations will find it difficult to thrive alongside AI and other emerging technologies. What does open government look like? The degree of openness will probably vary depending on the country and its cultural background, but I think it's time to explore, experiment and find answers. 

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6. What are your priorities for 2025?  

As an individual researcher, I'd like to explore the intersections between the gaming world and the public sector.  

I hope to conduct analyses, both technical and emotional, of the possibilities for collaboration with the public sector from the perspective of the people who come together in this space. 

And from an organizational point of view, now we are mainly doing joint research with university students, but we hope to broaden the scope of our partnerships in 2025. For example, we are considering joint research with government research teams in countries facing similar issues to Japan, as well as research partnerships with innovation labs in various countries to conduct future insight studies. To this end, we plan to build a more diverse team and focus on securing the necessary human resources. 

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators?  

"Understand what you don't know and accept what you don't understand." This mindset is crucial when tackling innovation challenges in the public sector. When you're drinking tea in a café or commuting on the tube, take five minutes to become an invisible observer, watching and listening to the voices, movements, and expressions of those around you. You'll find that public sector issues abound. 

Public services inevitably intervene, whether citizens want them to or not. To ensure that this intervention doesn't have a negative impact, it is essential to conduct research, design policy and use technology effectively. It's important to remember that you are a citizen too, and to keep learning about society with the same curiosity as Curious George. 

8. Who inspires you today? 

I get inspiration from many people, not just one. For example, I would like to mention these people. 
 

• Christian Bason (Former CEO of Danish Design Center) 

• Imran Hussein (UK/GDS Community manager) 

• Jude Webb (UK/i.AI Head of Delivery)  

• Peter Baeck (Nesta/Head of Collective Intelligence) 

• Audrey Tang (Former Digital Minister of Taiwan) 

• Yasuo Shimada (CEO of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, inc) 

• Derek Alton and Katherine Weber (Apolitical) 

Once a month I have a one-hour discussion session with Mr. Imran Hussein, the Community Manager for GDS in the UK. This session has been going on for two and a half years now and is a valuable learning opportunity for practitioners from organizations with similar roles. This monthly session always gives me a lot of inspiration and confidence. 

I also draw practical inspiration from the members of Apolitical in the UK, NESTA and its community. As a member of this community, I hope to inspire others as well. 

To read our past coverage of Japan's Digital Agency, click here.