Sendai City is on a bold mission to become the world’s leading smart city. A place where cutting-edge technology seamlessly enhances everyday life and boosts resilience. Our vision not only sets a high bar for Sendai but, I hope, will inspire cities worldwide.
Implementation of smart cities using public funds from national projects
To reach and extend the frontier, in Sendai we established the Sendai City × Tohoku University Smart Frontier Council to lead groundbreaking research alongside 70 companies and organisations. The national government has backed the initiative, enabling innovative new pilots in both day-to-day life and emergency response functions, including:
- Mobile medical services.
- Visualisations of urban mobility.
- A new citizens’ portal.
- The development of a digital map that provides citizens with real-time information, including on public transport services and events.
- New demand-responsive transportation services.
- Real-time user information on the availability of shared electric bicycles.
- Using e-sports to tackle the digital divide.
Mobile medical services
Many regions in Japan face ageing populations and doctor shortages. To help tackle this, Sendai is deploying a new mobile medical diagnostic service in rural areas to reach patients who find it difficult to visit hospitals in urban areas to access healthcare online. A nurse rides in a vehicle equipped with medical and communication devices to visit patients. This system connects the medical vehicle with a doctor on-line for consultations.
This project also develops high-quality medical devices to support remote diagnoses, in collaboration with Tohoku University and local startups. The Japanese Government has shared this widely as an example of best practice, and other cities and towns in Japan are now looking to follow suit.
Keeping the city moving
In another example, Sendai has collated data on urban mobility, including pedestrian flows at local events as part of a drive to ease congestion. Pedestrian flow data is collected through AI-based sensors installed in shopping districts, roads, and parks in central Sendai, continuously measuring foot traffic.
During a large event held in the city centre in 2023, a digital map displayed congestion levels in real-time, enabling officials to manage the event. The city is now scaling up this initiative to enhance safety during large-scale events and improve urban mobility.
Towards a “Fully-Digital City Service”
The City of Sendai is also advancing a project aimed at creating a “Fully Digital City Service” to improve interactions with citizens. A portal app, designed for residents and visitors alike, provides personalised information through push notifications. It also plays a critical role during emergencies, such as natural disasters, by delivering timely weather updates and evacuation information to ensure everyone can reach safety promptly.
Alongside this, the city has developed a website that consolidates open data and other information owned by the city. The website presents the data in an accessible and user-friendly format, enabling citizens and businesses to leverage the data to generate new applications and services.
Spearheading smart cities
Sendai is charting a bold course to redefine what it means to be a smart city — one that is inclusive, innovative, and resilient. Our success owes a lot to the strong, shared commitment to collaboration among industry, academia, and government. We’re excited to share these experiences and inspire similar transformations worldwide.
Related OECD publications :
- Innovation and Data Use in Cities: A Road to Increased Well‑being — explores how cities’ use of data and innovation strengthen public-sector performance and resident well‑being
- Smart City Data Governance — provides guidance on managing, securing and utilising urban data to improve services efficiently
- Enhancing Innovation Capacity in City Government — highlights how local administrations can build structures, strategies, and resources to support innovation
- Common Ground Between the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework: Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction — offers a coherent approach to resilience by aligning climate adaptation with disaster risk reduction strategies
