Egov good practices in local government in Japan

Local governments are making progress on eGovernment and some have a world-wide reputation such as Yokosuka City in Kanagawa and Mitaka city in Tokyo.

Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/html/TopSeven.html

It is essential for successful local egovernment to improve their service, change cultures and rethink of the citizen relationship. Because most of all local governments have a financial problem they do more careful investment in egovernment and it leads good egovernment practices with cost-effectiveness and priority based on citizen's needs.

Here is some egovt good practice in local government.

Sagamihara City http://www.city.sagamihara.kanagawa.jp/topold/CitySagamiharaHomepage.htm
Population: 626,656
Good Practice: 'Citizen's report system', the system receives the report from the citizen on the damage to the roads and traffic signs by using the cellular phone with the digital camera.

Yokosuka City
http://www.city.yokosuka.kanagawa.jp/e/index.html
Population: around 435,000
Good Practice: cost-effective e-procurement system, call center, reservation of certificates issue by mobile phone etc.

Fujisawa City
http://www.city.fujisawa.kanagawa.jp/introduce/english/
Population: 396,520
Good Practice: "Citizens Teleconference Room", various opinions and information have been exchanged such as citizen life, environment, education, government administration etc.

Atsugi City
http://www.city.atsugi.kanagawa.jp/helpsite/english/index.html
Population: 224,575
Good Practice: six foreign language information, 'My Town Club", online application and reservation service such as administrative procedures, open lectures, public facilities use, library book, ticket etc. The service can be accessed by mobile phone using two dimension bar code.

Kashihara City
http://www.city.kashihara.nara.jp/gaiyo/gaiyou_english.html
Population: 125,845
Good Practice: "Email information disclosure service', people can claim and receive the public information by email.

Higashimurayama City (only Japanese)
http://www.city.higashimurayama.tokyo.jp/
Population: 63,146
Good Practice: Advertisement for the local company on city's website, 'Electronic Locker Service', citizen can receive their stuff from the govenment by e-Locer after business hours. Residencial smart card (Jyuki-card) is used as a key of the locker.

Nishiharu Town (only Japanese)
http://www.town.nishiharu.aichi.jp/
Population: 34,159
Good Practice: Nursing insurance IC card business, users like elderly people can use the proper nursing services base on the real-time information in their IC cards.

One-Stop Service System for Procedures related to Car Ownership

‘One-Stop Service System for Procedures related to Car Ownership’ (OSS) started in December 2005.

OSS is online cross-agency service so that citizens looking to buy or sell their cars can complete all the necessary procedures using the OSS system, without having to interact separately with multiple parties. Government is expecting OSS will contribute to the promotion and development of electronic applications for other government procedures.

The OSS system is operated in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Aichi, and Osaka at first and introduced in the whole country by 2008.

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

New IT Strategy Ask Public Comments

Cabinet Secretariat announced the draft of new IT 'Reform' strategy of Japan.

The basic philosophy as follows;

1. Leap by structural reform
2. User and citizen valuing
3. International contributions and global competitiveness strengthening

Social image in the future as follows;

1. Making Declining birthrate and a growing proportion of elderly people society more energetic
2. Contribution to environment and energy problems
3. Achievement of safe and secured society
4. New style of government, company and individual
5. Society without digital divide
6. More information and initiatives from Japan to the world

Concrete measures and the targets as follows;

1. Structural reform of medical treatment by IT; Making online recept 100%
2. Sustainable environment society by use of IT; Energy and the resource are used with IT efficiently
3. Safe, secured society; Reducing the damages by natural disaster
4. The safest road traffic society in the world; Prevention of traffic accident by ITS
5. Make the use of electronic, administrative, online application 50%; the most convenient and efficient egovernment in the world
6. Make companies and enterprises more competitive
7. Rich and enhanced life; promoting teleworking and e-learning

Related Link: e-Japan Priority Policy Program
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/it_e.html