Japan’s AI Agent Boom: Osaka Prefecture Leads Public-Private Consortium

Osaka Prefecture has launched a pioneering public-private consortium to test AI agents for clerical support and multilingual services. The initiative brings together Google Cloud Japan, NTT West, Microsoft Japan, and Osaka Metropolitan University. Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura envisions a 'more convenient and prosperous society' through AI-driven administrative streamlining.

Japanese corporate giants like Itochu Corporation and Mazda are already deploying AI agents for autonomous payments, audits, and customer service. Meanwhile, tech firms SHIFT and TDSE are building payment ecosystems powered by autonomous AI agents—TDSE's proof of concept aims to execute settlements without human intervention.

Unlike Silicon Valley's scale-first approach, Japan prioritizes standardization to minimize disruption. A recent survey reveals 35% of Japanese companies have already adopted AI agents in some capacity, signaling accelerating institutional adoption.