No.36   November 1, 2001   Consumers and Consumer Industries in the Ubiquitous Network Era   Juro TODA          Japan has embraced the ubiquitous network era on a scale without parallel anywhere in the world. Evidence of this trend includes the spread of Internet use via mobile phones, and the growth of broadband networks. Consumers are now able to take advantage of the benefits of information technology brought to them via networks. The whole of Japanese society, including consumers who were formerly passive users of information technology, can now benefit from networks. Such networks have stimulated communication between consumers and businesses as well as among consumers. This has the potential of not only enhancing consumer lifestyles, but also of revitalizing consumer industries, and ultimately of strengthening the Japanese economy. Contents I Growth in IT Use by Japanese Consumers 1 PCs in Over 50 Percent of Households 2 Rapid Improvement in Information Literacy Among People in Their Forties and Fifties 3 Almost One-Half of All Consumers Use the Internet 4 Consumers Using E-Commerce Approaching 10 Percent II International Comparisons in IT Usage 1 Rapid Increase in Internet Usage in Each Country Over the Past Three Years 2 Japan Ahead in Mobile Internet Usage 3 Fears of Personal Data Leaks Hindering E-Commerce Use 4 Changes in Consumer Attitudes Towards IT III The Advent of the Ubiquitous Network Society IV Consumer Industries in the Ubiquitous Network Society GO to PDF