Photo/Illutration The Tokyo metropolitan government building (Kenji Tamura)

To promote the digitalization of public services, Tokyo officials have announced plans to subsidize the purchase of smartphones for elderly residents who do not currently own one.

Officials are still discussing who will be eligible, how much aid they will receive and when.

“It’s important to provide support to ensure everyone has access to planned services,” said Tadateru Yamada, who heads the Tokyo metropolitan government’s digital service team.

He was speaking to the metropolitan assembly on Feb. 26 to address concerns that elderly individuals facing the digital divide will be excluded from future services.

He also announced plans to expand support for community tech assistance workshops that mainly target elderly residents.

The subsidy initiative is part of a broader effort to promote a smartphone app recently launched by the metropolitan government.

In its initial form, the app has only limited features that allow users to earn reward points by participating in recreational events and volunteer programs organized by the local government.

However, officials plan to expand it into a larger online platform that offers a variety of public services and administrative registration options.

Since these upcoming features will require initial registration using the My Number personal identification card, officials plan to launch a promotional campaign offering points equivalent to 7,000 yen ($46) to residents 15 and older who complete the personal authentication process.

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