7. Transforming the Tokyo Metropolitan Government

A Tokyo where people shine and everyone can actively participate. A Tokyo as a safe and secure, and sustainable city chosen by the world. To boldly roll out policies to realize these visions for future Tokyo, the TMG must transform itself into an organization that meets the residents’ expectations. By leveraging digital transformation, which holds the key to that, we will thoroughly advance the structural reforms of the TMG and open the way to a new metropolitan administration. The New Tokyo Government Strategy outlines the course of action for achieving this; the Bureau of Digital Services formed in the TMG this April brings together IT personnel and leads the reform. The new bureau will vigorously advance the digitalization of the administration through such measures as providing technical support for digital transformation promoted by various bureaus and offices of the TMG and the municipalities, and enhancing the digital skills of the TMG’s workforce, to boost Tokyo’s quality of service.

We will adopt a short-term and intensive approach to accomplish various missions of reform. Initiatives are already being implemented toward this. For example, the free address system introduced to the TMG for the first time frees us from a work style that presupposes the use of fixed desks and paper, and enables us to flexibly form teams according to projects. To digitalize administrative procedures, we have just compiled a draft of the Tokyo Digital-First Promotion Plan based on the Tokyo Digital-First Ordinance, which will accelerate initiatives from a user’s perspective, such as prioritizing procedures that are frequently taken. Furthermore, new initiatives are underway to solve the island area’s various social challenges such as education and medical care through digital technology, including the introduction of the EdTech Service, which uses a study support app, to Hachijojima Island. Each TMG employee will share a reform mindset, and establish the new standard for the metropolitan administration. By putting the New Tokyo Strategy into practice and boldly rolling out the Future Tokyo: Tokyo’s Long-Term Strategy, we will realize Tokyo Grand Reform 2.0 and create a Tokyo where everyone feels happy.