Fully equipped and prepared for the prestigious international competition and visitors from all over the world, Tokyo was hit hard and faced challenges one after another. Postponed from last summer due to COVID-19, there was a flicker of hope that travel bans would lift and the Olympic Games would resume this year. In the midst of the glooming future, there are still some exciting trends expected in the coming years.

New style of World Expo

The Japan government plans to utilize the latest digital technology to showcase a new style of World Expo which will be held in Kansai region in 2025. The country determines to reduce consumption of coal and oil to preserve resources for future generations and Tokyo, as a capital, will in no doubt taking the lead in achieving the goal.

New dining scene

During the pandemic, the dining scene in Tokyo has evolved as in most cities around the world. Takeout has become a boom for businesses and this trend is expected to gain popularity continually. Barbecue restaurants with tabletop grills will become another big hit thanks to the advanced filtration systems.

New type of travel

Celebrated for its bustling shopping street and splendid nightlife, Tokyo’s city center was once the must-go place for travelers. Yet, as it will take time for people to become comfortable in crowds again after the pandemic, the lesser-known parts of the city will speak to travelers. Holiday makers will enjoy exploring outdoor activities in verdant neighborhood and spending nature-filled day trip in countryside.

Re-defining workplace

As companies in Japan believe that telework will continue to be the mainstream work style in the post-pandemic era, they are turning their local offices into satellite offices. Rather than just a dull place to work, new offices operate with a hot-desking system will be re-designed and renovated, putting workers’ health in mind and accelerating in-house collaboration.

Capsule car

A Japanese transport company, Zip Infrastructure Inc, has its sight set on introducing an electric-powered capsule car running on zip-lines by 2025. Fully automated, the capsule car could transport up to 12 people and operate at high speed, alleviating the traffic jam problem during rush hour.

Sustainable fashion

Fashion brands in Tokyo are focusing on upcycling in order to combat the fashion waste problem. Unwanted items such as used clothing, plastic umbrellas and smashed pottery are upcycled and repurposed to make inventive new products like necklaces and waterproof bags.

Robot nurse

To cope with a swelling elderly population, the Japan government has been funding development of elder care robots to fill an expected shortfall of specialized workers by 2025. These care robots can be used in nursing homes for games, exercise routines and basic conversations.

Plant-based meat

The global plant-based meat market is estimated to reach $27.8 Billion by 2025 and the market in Japan is also growing rapidly as COVID highlighted the vulnerability of the meat supply chain. Japanese retail giant Muji has taken the first step to launch four plant-based meats and other companies are also developing plant-based meat alternative products to stand out from the fast-growing market.

Electric vehicles

It is reported that the Japan government may ban sales of new gasoline-engine cars in favor of hybrid or electric vehicles in the mid-2030s. The move is to follow the pledge for Japan to slash carbon emission to zero by 2050 and set a deadline for phasing out gasoline vehicles.

Sustainable skin care

Using tones of plastic containers in the business throughout the years, cosmetic brands such as Kao are focusing on sustainability in their future business plans. Firms are hoping to utilize catalyst technology to convert carbon dioxide emission into oil while recycling wasted plastic containers as an ingredient to make durable roads and pavements.

Foreign workers

The Japan government opens the door and seeks to attract more than 500,000 foreign workers by 2025 with a new type of work permit. Foreigner faces will be more likely to be seen on the streets as the program is launched by the government as one of the solutions to alleviate the severe labour crunch problem.