The Japanese government’s promotion of automated driving driven by shared positive expectations

Abstract

In recent years, the Japanese government has shown great interest in automated driving and has invested in related projects. This paper first aims to investigate the government’s expectations of automated driving at three levels: project, function, and societal, and how the sociotechnical vision “Society 5.0″ is used to justify and drive automated driving-related policies. Second, it discusses how Japan’s sociotechnical imaginaries of state-led national development and the corresponding governance approach synergistically relate to the performativity of expectations in the policy process. I analyze “Society 5.0″, and expectations of automated driving, in eleven governmental documents released between 2013 and 2020. The results show a strong emphasis on the benefits to the older population and the economy. This reflects imaginaries of national security and success based on economic growth and scientific and technological superiority, which contribute to inflating expectations. Both the government’s historical intervention in technology development and Shinzo Abe’s exercise of political leadership contribute to the fact that “Society 5.0″ is considered a “common understanding”, and technological expectations are easily bound on policymakers in policy planning and implementation. While the government tries to be agile and responsive to global change, its approach stifles creativity in designing future sociotechnical systems.