Japan lays out strategy to tackle $33bn digital trade deficit

Policy stresses training talent as retirements put legacy systems at risk

20240621N Tech giants

Japanese companies rely on digital services from U.S. tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Meta and Google. © Reuters

SATOSHI TEZUKA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japan has sounded the alarm about waning digital competitiveness and an outflow of wealth, as the government's latest policy plan calls for replacing aging systems and training talent in a bid to catch up.

The fiscal 2024 edition of the Priority Policy Program for Realizing Digital Society, released Friday, is the first to mention Japan's "digital deficit," which has been swelling with mounting fees for software licensing, cloud storage and online advertising.

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