Though, Abe, the current Prime Minister of Japan a very conservative fellow, he surprised (at least) me the other day by announcing that he's interested in creating a culture of entrepreneurs and startups.
The most shocking quote in a recent piece in the WSJ[1] might be Abe, referring to Rakuten.com's Mikitani, saying "I ask Mr. Mikitani to not be afraid of being labeled a trouble maker and to speak his mind to his heart's content." You really can stir up some trouble in Japan by suggesting changes to the status quo (something foreigners do with regularity), so it's very interesting to see a guy like Abe say this. Maybe I misjudged the guy.
I think Japan needs to move away from the big electronics companies and focus on creating an environment more conducive to creating young interesting companies.
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Though, Abe, the current Prime Minister of Japan a very conservative fellow, he surprised (at least) me the other day by announcing that he's interested in creating a culture of entrepreneurs and startups.
The most shocking quote in a recent piece in the WSJ[1] might be Abe, referring to Rakuten.com's Mikitani, saying "I ask Mr. Mikitani to not be afraid of being labeled a trouble maker and to speak his mind to his heart's content." You really can stir up some trouble in Japan by suggesting changes to the status quo (something foreigners do with regularity), so it's very interesting to see a guy like Abe say this. Maybe I misjudged the guy.
I think Japan needs to move away from the big electronics companies and focus on creating an environment more conducive to creating young interesting companies.
1: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142412788732434580457842...