Highlights from Japan

We had a great visit to Japan. Kyoto was more beautiful than I remember, as cherry blossoms were everywhere. Tarkan (my 11-year-old son) and I had the opportunity to visit Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Himeji, Hiroshima, Miyajima and Tokyo. I have published our trip photos on Flickr. I plan to get back to Japan as soon as I can.

Thanks to Ichiro Suzuki (Japanese-born baseball player who plays for Seattle Mariners), everyone in Japan seems to know about Seattle, Washington. This came in handy when trying to bridge the language gap.

Japanese culture is complex and deep, and full of contradictions: new vs old, traditional vs trendy, nature vs gadgets. There is a large emphasis on acceptance and integration in all parts of their lives, potentially influenced by Shinto religion. Elegance, beauty and design dominates their castles and shrines. Design, and more importantly attention to details, is everywhere, from subways to the tea ceremony.

We had the opportunity to visit two science museums in Tokyo: National Museum of Nature and Science as well as The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Both had free entrance for kids, with a nominal fee for parents/adults. They are both fascinating museums and I recommend them highly, and the entry fees strongly indicate the cultural bias towards technology and education. 

Given the overall interest on science, technology and innovation, I struggle with the apparent lack of entrepreneurship in the country. However, on the day I was leaving I stumbled upon an interview with Founder and CEO of Rakuten, Hiroshi Mikitani, in The Japan Times which was insightful (Rakuten is an Amazon Japan competitor). 

The biggest difference between Japan and the United States is that Americans believe from the bottom of their hearts that in order to develop their country’s economy they have to start new industries. Now, the truth is that Japan is the same. All the companies that emerged after World War II in Japan were venture companies, and they were smart — Sony, Matsushita (Panasonic) and so on.

However, they were so smart that they created an atmosphere that has led people to believe that new companies are no longer necessary. But that’s wrong. Unless you have new companies emerging, you won’t get new industries or new services. I think that’s a fact.

The government should say that Japan is going to lead in scientific technology, and develop strategic policies to make that a reality. The national government needs to encourage entrepreneurial spirit. There is a real lack of vision among the leaders of this country. I mean, I wonder what percentage of lawmakers even use the Internet? Compare that with the BlackBerry-wielding Barack Obama.

– Founder, President and CEO of Rakuten Inc., Hiroshi Mikitani – The Japan Times Online (April 5, 2009)

I agree with Mr. Mikitani, and I believe that his observations are universal. We would all be wise to regard the “success” of big companies with some skepticism, as with this success comes a natural tendency toward reduced risk-taking, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.

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