In the dawn of the new millennium, Japan found itself lagging in the global race to embrace information and communication technology (ICT). In 2000, its internet penetration was only at a modest rate of30 percent, dwarfed by other peers of the advanced economies. Japan faced the urgency of advancingits digital development as acutely acknowledged by the government that the country lagged not only ininternet usage but also in integrating ICT into businesses and public administration, and tha