Japan is already working on the future of tomorrow

What this means for Germany and for Europe

In the 20th century, Japan's demographic development was driven by urbanization. During the 1980s, government policy promoted the development of new urban structures outside the major cities and supported regional centers in attracting young people to live and work there. These towns offered those coming from the surrounding areas a familiar environment, lower living costs, shorter commutes, and generally a more relaxed lifestyle than in the major cities.

By international standards, the Japanese have a high standard of living, and almost 90% of the population consider themselves to be middle class.

Japan is now an urban society where only 5% of the workforce is employed in agriculture. Many farmers supplement their income with part-time jobs in nearby cities.

Due to high land prices in metropolitan areas, many families cannot afford to live in larger cities. As a result, many Japanese people have to commute long distances daily. In the Tokyo area, daily commutes of up to two hours each way are not uncommon. However, other Japanese people, on average, have the shortest commutes, similar to Germans. According to the market research company Dalia, commuting in Japan is incredibly efficient and punctual. But it's not necessarily comfortable, judging by the images of overcrowded trains, which is certainly reflected in the comparatively high levels of job dissatisfaction .

While 78.7% of Japan's population lived in cities in 2000, this figure had risen to approximately 91.7% by 2019. However, Japan's population is aging and shrinking at a record pace. This is due to increasing life expectancy and a low birth rate. The economy is feeling the effects most acutely. Nevertheless, Japan has no intention of implementing a so-called immigration policy and is attempting to address this societal challenge through other means.

Germany and Japan are completely different in terms of population distribution. While over 90% of the Japanese population lives in urban areas, this figure is less than 50% in Germany. Germany is working on the challenges of ensuring comprehensive services in rural areas, while Japan is acutely struggling with a labor shortage and an aging population. This is essentially a similar situation to that in rural regions of Germany. For Germans, this presents an opportunity to learn from and adopt the urban experiences and developments of the Japanese.

automation

Japan is fully committed to automation. By 2050, for example, all emissions and waste products are to be recycled. By 2040, the plan is to fully automate fishing, agriculture, and forestry, eliminating the need for human intervention.

Another step by the government is to automate all 50,000 convenience stores (FamilyMart, Lawson, 7-Eleven, New Days, Ministop) in the country by 2025. RFID technology will be used for this purpose. This is essential for full automation. At self-checkout, goods can be automatically scanned and paid for without the need for staff. The convenience store chain Lawson was one of the first to successfully put the checkout robot (Rejirobo) into operation in a test phase. So it doesn't always have to be Amazon. According to media reports, Amazon plans to open 3,000 "cashless" stores in the US by 2021.

Automated delivery robots are already being tested in Japan by Yamato Transport and Rakuten. The project is similar to Amazon Scout's delivery robot. Drone delivery, also being tested in Japan by Rakuten, sounds very familiar. Initial approaches to alternative last- mile.

Heise Online, one of the most visited German-language IT news sites, reported in its February 2019 online edition that the fashion group Fast Retailing is working on fully automating its warehouses. The central warehouses in Tokyo are now all equipped with robots and intelligent systems (AI).

Fast Retailing is collaborating with DAIFUKU , the global market leader in intralogistics , with the goal of fully automating all 78 warehouses in Japan and overseas. Investments of US$917 million are planned for this project.

Fast Retailing is a publicly listed company with a group turnover of 7.7 billion euros and over 34,000 employees.

Solving supply gaps in Germany with Japanese know-how

As a global market leader with over 80 years of experience in multi-material handling, DAIFUKU has experts worldwide to meet a wide range of challenges. Food, service, and logistics companies have relied on DAIFUKU's expertise for many years. In addition to automated applications for the manufacturing industry, its core competencies include logistics solutions of all kinds. Systems for the secure storage and handling of sensitive goods under cleanroom conditions are just one example. Furthermore, state-of-the-art solutions for retail and e-commerce are among DAIFUKU's core competencies.