The government will launch a five-year science and technology development plan with the start of fiscal 2006 in April. The plan is based on the "third basic plan for science and technology" that the General Council on Science and Technology submitted to the government late last year spelling out the nation's science and technology policy. The target amount of investment -- which has been a subject of controversy given the huge budget deficit -- is set at 25 trillion yen.
Thus Japan will continue to spend a large amount of money on research and development to build a "nation strong in science and technology." For many years Japan's chief slogan for science and technology policy was: "Catch up and overtake." The goal, of course, was to occupy a prominent place in the club of technologically advanced nations. Now Japan finds itself increasingly in a position where it must play the role of an innovator, not an imitator, in a variety of fields.
That will require promoting investment in fields where Japan is strong and reducing the number of areas where it is weak. The difficult question is how to set the right priorities. It is hoped that funding is invested wisely in ways that make the best use of scientific talent and improve the quality of research and development.