On December 4, 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan hosted the World Statistics Day Forum 2025. The forum was organized as the culmination of this year’s promotional activities aligned with the United Nations’ designation of October 20 as World Statistics Day, held every five years to underscore the significance of official statistics. The forum was attended by approximately 150 participants, including domestic and international statistical experts, and around 50 online viewers. It took place at the Asakusa View Hotel in Taito City, Tokyo. (The event’s proceedings can be viewed on the Statistics Bureau’s YouTube channel: [here]*). Considering this year’s theme for World Statistics Day, “Driving change with quality statistics and data for everyone,” the forum featured a keynote speech and discussion session with the United Nations Statistics Division, alongside presentations showcasing efforts to utilize statistical data in Japan at the national and local levels.
*This video does not include interpreted audio. Japanese and English remarks are presented as delivered. All presentation slides used in the video are in Japanese, and slides by overseas speakers are unofficial Japanese translations. English-language slides are available at the following URL.
https://www.soumu.go.jp/english/dgpp_ss/world_statics_day/index.htm
In the opening remarks, Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, elaborated on the series of activities related to this year’s World Statistics Day in Japan. He also expressed his anticipation for further exchanges among the domestic participants and statistical experts from the United Nations and the Asia-Pacific region who were in attendance.
During the guest remarks, Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, expressed gratitude to the government of Japan for hosting the forum. Furthermore, she emphasized the importance of innovation and global partnership on international statistics in connection with the theme of this year’s World Statistics Day.
First, Mr. Shantanu Mukherjee, Acting Director of the United Nations Statistics Division, highlighted the importance of international cooperation on statistics, the role of statistics in monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the necessity of modernizing statistics and enhancing data governance, and the significance of utilizing new data sources and technologies in his video message.
Following this, Mr. Gabriel Gamez from the United Nations Statistics Division delivered the keynote speech, stating that official statistics should serve as a public good contributing to various users (governments, the private sector, media, academia, citizens, etc.). He also emphasized the importance of five user-centric elements—ethics, inclusiveness, innovation, quality, and governance—to enhance trust in official statistics, primarily from a global perspective.
In the subsequent discussion, Mr. Hisashi Kitahara, Director-General for International Statistical Affairs at the MIC, served as the coordinator. He introduced case studies from Japan focusing on three key areas in line with the theme of this year’s World Statistics Day: “statistical quality control,” “utilization of statistical data,” and “statistical human resource development and public awareness.” Building on the insights from the preceding keynote speech, a discussion was held with Mr. Gamez on these three topics. Finally, several questions were raised from participants, which led to further discussion.
In this second session, diverse initiatives on the theme of utilizing statistical data by national and local governments in Japan were presented.
First, from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Mr. Takayuki Kobayashi, Senior Director for Data Utilization, Bureau of Digital Services, and Mr. Satoshi Chida, Senior Director for Planning and Coordination, Office of the Governor for Policy Planning, presented “Efforts for Data Utilization Under the Tokyo 2050 Strategy, Including the Tokyo Data Platform,” highlighting efforts in utilizing open data, the Tokyo Data Platform, and the Tokyo Digital Twin Project.
From left: Mr. Kobayashi and Mr. Chida
Next, Mr. Yusuke Masaki, Chief Financial and Human Resources Officer in the Kobe City Government, presented “Evidence-Based Policymaking in Kobe City: Leveraging Big Data for Local Governance in Japan.” He introduced the practice of evidence-based policymaking (EBPM) in Kobe City, particularly focusing on EBPM regarding the current situation and concerning policy effects. He also presented on the preparation of usable data and the development of personnel skilled in data utilization.
Mr. Kaori Hamanaka, Special Mission Section Chief at Ama Town Hall, presented “Visualization as a Foundation for Shared Understanding: Leveraging Local Data to Enhance Effective Decision-Making” introducing the features and specific utilization examples of “AMASAS,” a system that visualizes local issues and enables businesses, residents, and the government to share the same data.
Finally, Mr. Koichi Mihashi, Deputy Director of the Statistics Planning Division, Statistics Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), presented “Support for Statistical Data Analysis in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Propelling the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries with the Power of Data” introducing overviews of the mission of the statistics department of the MAFF and its support for statistical data analysis, an analysis report using the example of effect analysis of agricultural heritage designation, and the MAFF Statistical Dashboard.
Mr. Katsuhiko Sakamoto, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination at the MIC, expressed gratitude to the forum participants and speakers. He stated that the MIC would continue to deepen its collaboration with domestic and international stakeholders while advancing domestic planning and formulation of official statistical systems and enhancing cooperation with the United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific.
The forum featured presentations and discussions covering trends in domestic and international official statistics as extensively as possible, with a diverse group of attendees representing various regions, affiliations, and roles in official statistics. The program focused on the utilization of statistical data and its contribution to policymaking, aiming to be timely and relevant, in line with the theme of World Statistics Day (“Driving change with quality statistics and data for everyone”). A participant noted that the advanced initiatives of municipalities in Japan were particularly informative for the Asia-Pacific region.
Official statistics are not only essential for policy realization but also closely related to daily life. The MIC hopes that events like this one will serve as opportunities for various people to learn about World Statistics Day and deepen their understanding of the importance of official statistics. We sincerely appreciate the public’s continued support and cooperation with statistical surveys, which have significantly benefited from the public’s contributions.
For more details on World Statistics Day initiatives in various countries, please visit the United Nations website at [https://unstats.un.org/unsd/wsd/2025
].
