Beyond 5G: Envisioning the Future of Mobility in Japan Through Design Fiction

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By the mid-2030s, we expect communication technologies beyond 5G (6G) to be ubiquitous in Japan. But how will 6G transform mobility and communication within a country facing the challenges of a rapidly aging population and the growing threat of natural disasters? We investigate how 6G-enabled technologies could shape social and economic values in Japan in the next decade. To accomplish this, our team has created frameworks informed by secondary research, workshops, and storytelling to develop scenarios for Japan in 2030 and beyond. This paper describes our design process, as well as how our methodologies generated four distinctive future scenarios where 6G technologies are actively used in the context of Japan. The speculative futures presented in this paper are intended to spark discussion about the implications of novel technologies and present ways in which design-led research can drive technological innovation forward.