TOKYO REPORT: Tokyo Govt. Builds Infrastructure to Expand Use of Generative AI

Tokyo, March 9 (Jiji Press)–The Tokyo metropolitan government and municipal governments throughout the Japanese capital are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence in their administrative operations. To support this trend, the metropolitan government, in cooperation with GovTech Tokyo, an affiliated organization that promotes digitalization in local governments in Tokyo, is developing a “Generative AI Platform.” The system will allow government employees to create generative AI applications tailored to their specific duties. By encouraging active use of the platform, the Tokyo government aims to boost efficiency in public services and address growing concerns over labor shortages in local administration. No Need for Programming Skills The platform is being developed on the basis of open-source software, whose design information is publicly available. This approach makes it possible for anyone to create applications useful for their work, even without programming skills. Development began in response to feedback from municipalities that wanted to use AI but struggled to do this effectively. Many cited a lack of know-how in development and implementation, as well as high costs related to infrastructure and operations. To address these challenges, the metropolitan government and GovTech Tokyo started building the platform around summer 2024. GovTech Tokyo was established in July 2023 with full funding from the metropolitan government to drive digital transformation in both metropolitan and municipal administrations in the capital. The organization employs more than 100 specialists with advanced digital expertise, including engineers and designers. In addition to developing generative AI platforms, GovTech Tokyo provides technical support for official metropolitan services such as Tokyo Application. Once a shared platform for creating AI applications is developed and deployed in cities, wards, towns and villages, staff in each local government will be able to build the tools they need for their work at low cost. In-House Applications Using the platform, they could develop applications such as writing assistants for specification documents, search tools for manuals and regulations, and chatbots to handle internal inquiries. A key advantage is that employees who best understand the challenges of their own work can independently create the applications they need, without relying on external contractors. A metropolitan government official involved in the development project said, “The key advantage is the shorter development times, allowing us to address operational challenges more quickly.” The Tokyo metropolitan government and other stakeholders are discussing operational frameworks that would allow applications developed by metropolitan bureaus and municipalities to be shared among local governments throughout the capital in the future. For example, the Sumida ward office, with hands-on support from GovTech Tokyo, has developed an application that uses the platform to automatically identify relevant ordinance provisions, including so-called analog regulations–rules based on analog methods such as visual inspections and paper documents. To streamline staff operations, the application was designed to accurately extract provisions that hinder digitalization. According to ward officials, this approach has reduced both the time and cost required, compared with outsourcing the extraction work to external contractors. Basic Strategy In July 2025, the Tokyo metropolitan government adopted the Tokyo AI Strategy for its staff, outlining anticipated use cases and key points of caution, to promote the active use of AI across the organization. The strategy also defined a support framework for each bureau and established a single point of contact for all AI-related inquiries. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]