1 Contributions of ICTs to a Sustainable Information Society: Managerial, Macroeconomic and Environmental Impacts in Japan*

Telework and Telecommuting (T/T) is a new style of work that utilizes information and communication technologies (ICTs) and substitutes virtual commuting for physical commuting. As such, it has been expected to enhance workers ' quality of life, to increase productivity, and to improve social welfare. All of which raises a question: Why has T/T not become as popular in Japan as in the United States? Although many explanations to this question have been offered thus far, perhaps the most important factor has yet to be taken into consideration: namely, the differing macroeconomic situations of the U.S. and Japan. In an effort to address this research gap, the authors, all of whom had conducted individual research in the T/T field, agreed to extend their research interests to address the overall relationship among ICTs, economies and environmental issues. In April 1999, we began a joint research project on information and communication technologies in Japan (PICTJ) with financing from the Institute for Posts and Telecommunications Policy (IPTP). PICTJ is based on an inter-institutional collaboration among a governmental institute (IPTP), a private research firm (Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd. [MKI]), and university professors. The project will be conducted under the following three-year schedule