More Than Half of Japanese Workers Say Workplace Digitalization is Lagging

More than half of surveyed workers in Japan said that digitalization in their workplaces is not progressing ^[1].

This stagnation highlights a significant gap between government-led digital transformation goals and the daily reality of the Japanese workforce. While some administrative tasks have moved online, the persistence of analog processes suggests deep-rooted cultural and financial barriers to efficiency.

Results released in May 2026 by NEXER and TSS Software, a consortium of web-branding firms and a digital-whiteboard developer, indicate that 54.3% of respondents feel digitalization is lacking ^[2]. Other reports from the same survey period place this figure at approximately 50% ^[3], while a Livedoor survey reported the number at just over 40% ^[7].

Despite the perceived lack of progress, some specific areas have seen adoption. Over 60% of workplaces have digitized labor-management and attendance tasks ^[1]. However, these gains are offset by a widespread reliance on legacy tools. According to the data, 76.8% of workplaces still rely on paper or Excel for their primary work processes ^[2].

Respondents who believe digitalization is progressing are more than 10 percentage points lower than those who said it is not ^[1]. The survey identifies two primary drivers for this slow adoption: cost concerns, and psychological resistance among employees [4, 5].

These findings suggest that the transition to a digital economy in Japan is uneven. While the infrastructure for basic tracking and attendance is largely in place, the core operational workflows remain tied to analog methods that hinder scalability and speed.