The impact of the information age

The Internet era of the twenty‐first century will be one of unprecedented information exchange on a global scale, but there is potential for the cultures and values of certain nations to overwhelm and erase those of other nations. Toru Nishigaki, professor at Tokyo University's Information Center for Social Science Research on Japan, argues that a multilingual information processing environment is essential for ensuring a stable order in the twenty‐first century. This paper was originally presented at the IIPS 10th Anniversary Symposium, “Transforming the Global Order for the 21st Century,” held in Tokyo on 18–19 May 1998.