The Harder Problem Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to societal readiness for artificial sentience. We provide educational resources, professional guidance, and global monitoring to ensure that policymakers, healthcare providers, journalists, and the public are equipped to navigate the ethical, social, and practical implications of machine consciousness—regardless of when or whether it emerges.
Executive Summary
Promotion Without Preparation
Japan has positioned itself to become the world’s most AI-friendly country through its 2025 AI Promotion Act and substantial research investments. The government has committed approximately ¥1 trillion over five years to AI development and established frameworks for adaptive governance. Japanese researchers at institutions like Araya Inc. and major universities actively explore consciousness-related AI questions, supported by programs like the Moonshot Research initiative.
The policy environment prioritizes innovation over restriction, creating flexibility for future developments. However, this same orientation has produced minimal attention to questions of AI moral status or sentience recognition. Professional communities lack specific preparation for navigating consciousness-related scenarios, and public discourse remains largely focused on economic competitiveness rather than ethical complexity.
Key Findings
- Research capacity (70/100) exceeds policy framework development (48/100) for addressing sentience questions
- AI Promotion Act establishes adaptive mechanisms but contains no provisions addressing AI consciousness or moral status
- Moonshot Research Program funds consciousness-related AI research at companies like Araya Inc. with ¥100 billion initiative
- No evidence of professional readiness programs for healthcare, legal, or media sectors on AI sentience topics
- Innovation-first regulatory philosophy creates openness but minimal substantive engagement with consciousness questions
- Japan AI Safety Institute expansion planned but scope focused on technical risks rather than moral status questions
Analysis
Category Breakdown
Detailed scores across the 6 dimensions of preparedness.
Policy Environment
Notable: AI Promotion Act aims to make Japan world's most AI-friendly country through innovation-first regulation.
Institutional Engagement
Notable: Moonshot Research Program funds Araya Inc.'s consciousness-informed AI with ¥100 billion national initiative.
Research Environment
Notable: Araya Inc. develops AI using Global Workspace, Higher-Order, and Information Generation consciousness theories.
Professional Readiness
Notable: Elderly care robots deployed widely with observed strong emotional attachments, but no professional protocols exist.
Public Discourse Quality
Notable: Government funds consciousness AI research through Moonshot, but mainstream discourse focuses on economic competition.
Adaptive Capacity
Notable: Agile governance framework uses plan-do-check-act cycles, with AI Guidelines updated three times in one year.
Comparison to Global Leaders
How does Japan compare to top-ranked countries in each category?
| Category | 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Global Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policy Environment | 48 | 62 | 55 | 38 |
| Institutional Engagement | 42 | 45 | 38 | 20 |
| Research Environment | 70 | 75 | 70 | 50 |
| Professional Readiness | 18 | 30 | 25 | 17 |
| Public Discourse Quality | 35 | 40 | 40 | 24 |
| Adaptive Capacity | 58 | 75 | 75 | 50 |
Organizations
Key Research Institutions
Organizations contributing to the Japan research environment.
Araya Inc.
Tokyo, Minato-ku
Private AI company explicitly focused on developing artificial consciousness based on computational theories of consciousness, led by neuroscientist Ryota Kanai and funded by Japan's Moonshot Research Program.
Visit WebsiteWatanabe Laboratory, University of Tokyo
Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku
Research lab led by Associate Professor Masataka Watanabe focused on artificial consciousness, machine consciousness, and mind-uploading through brain-machine interfaces that could test for consciousness in artificial systems.
Visit WebsiteKamitani Lab, Kyoto University
Kyoto, Sakyo-ku
Brain decoding laboratory led by Professor Yukiyasu Kamitani researching neural mechanisms of consciousness through AI-based brain activity decoding and reconstruction of mental imagery and dreams.
Visit WebsiteThe Whole Brain Architecture Initiative (WBAI)
Tokyo, Edogawa-ku
Non-profit organization promoting brain-inspired artificial general intelligence development with explicit research programs on conscious architecture and imagination as computational functions.
Visit WebsiteNishimoto Lab, Osaka University
Osaka, Suita
Perceptual and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory led by Professor Shinji Nishimoto conducting research on neural decoding and brain-AI interfaces with implications for understanding consciousness and mental representation.
Visit WebsiteAI Safety Tokyo
Tokyo, Shibuya
Community organization founded in 2023 promoting AI safety and alignment research in Japan, including discussions of AI moral patienthood and welfare considerations in technical safety work.
Visit WebsiteRIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project - AI Safety and Reliability Unit
Tokyo, Chuo-ku
Research unit led by Dr. Hiromi Arai developing fundamental technologies for AI safety, reliability, transparency, and alignment between humans and AI through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Visit WebsiteMinD in a Device Co., Ltd.
Tokyo, Setagaya-ku
University-originated startup aiming to upload human consciousness onto machines within 20 years, with technical advisor Masataka Watanabe, focusing on consciousness transfer and substrate independence.
Visit WebsiteConsciousness Club Tokyo
Tokyo, Minato-ku
Transdisciplinary research group led by Ryota Kanai engaging in discussions on consciousness across philosophy, neuroscience, AI, and robotics to find creative approaches to understanding consciousness.
Visit WebsiteBehind the Scores
Understanding the Data
How do you measure preparedness for something that hasn't happened yet? The Sentience Readiness Index evaluates nations across six carefully constructed dimensions: from policy frameworks and institutional engagement to research capacity and public discourse quality.
Six Dimensions
Each score synthesizes assessments across policy, institutions, research, professions, discourse, and adaptive capacity.
Evidence-Based
Assessments draw from legislation, academic literature, news archives, and expert consultations.
Human-Reviewed
Every assessment undergoes human verification against documented evidence before publication.
Explore More
Compare Japan to other countries or learn about our assessment methodology.