The corona crisis that hit the world left behind many lessons. One of them was the delay in Japan's digital administration. There was confusion in the online application for the special fixed benefit of 100,000 yen for all citizens. People spent a lot of time trying to get 100,000 yen due to confusing online procedures. It was in contrast to Germany, which paid the new coronavirus infection benefits to all citizens in two days. The advantage of digitizing administrative procedures is that it can improve convenience for citizens and companies. The advantage of digitizing administrative procedures is that applications can be submitted without time or place restrictions. The energy required by residents and government officials to create documents is enormous. What is required of Japan is the establishment of a system that allows one-stop application.
Kitami City in Hokkaido is a model for advanced digitization. Kitami City has been improving the counter function through digitization. In 2014, Kitami City established the "One-Stop Service Promotion Plan". At ordinary municipal offices, it is common for residents to fill in the fields of the application documents on the entry table for resident registration procedures. In 2014, Kitami City made improvements so that multiple procedures could be completed at one window. They have incorporated a system in which the staff at the counter and the residents consult with each other to prepare the application documents. The application documents were created while consulting with the staff at the counter, and as a general rule, residents saved the trouble of filling them out themselves. They are improving convenience for residents through digitization and reducing the burden on local government officials.
Japan's My Number Card also has the potential to improve convenience if the format is devised. If you use your My Number Card well, you can use it effectively for social security, tax payment, and disaster countermeasures. Just like in Germany, all paperwork such as benefits will be completed in two days. The usual way of introducing IT in companies was to "change the way of working according to the system". Looking at the examples of successful rationalization of clerical work, it seems that the success factor is not only the introduction of digital technology but also the review of the way work is done. It may be a good choice for Japanese local governments to improve counter operations from the standpoint of citizens, like Kitami City. I would like to proceed in a better direction while communicating with residents, government officials, and private companies.