Kyushu and Hokkaido are well positioned to lead Japan’s next high-tech revolution.
Having already attracted data centers and billion-dollar investments in advanced semiconductor facilities, their local economies will benefit enormously from a coming AI revolution. But Japan’s labor shortages, especially in high-tech industries, and uneven international social infrastructure could pose challenges in fully realizing the revitalization ambitions of these regional economies.
The world’s high regard for Japan’s soft power – cuisine, culture and creativity – attracted 25 million tourists last year, according to The Japan Times. These same attraction factors should also help attract foreign workers to Japan; But creating the conditions necessary to encourage long-term moves rather than short stays will require greater investment in international social infrastructure.
