New start-up wave challenges Japan's aversion to risk

"... Japan’s long-stagnant economy"

media and government always describe anything but growth in negative terms. The forward thinking and rational among us will see "stagnant" economy as "steady-state" which indeed should be the goal of any responsible government.

Infinite growth is an impossible promise and the quicker we get used to the idea of zero growth the better.

The question also then becomes: if you have a string of successfuly startups, where are you going to get the employees? With a rapidly declining population and so few new adults, new successful startups are only going to add more job demand to an already saturated supply of workers.

We Japanese still have feudalistic mentality and is said we keep spirit of confucianism best in asia plus influences of buddhism which is passive and teaches nothingness. We changed a lot after the war but we still cannot become the same with America. How often do American people change jobs and addresses in their life? Isn't it become difficult as people get older? For Americans, changes are good while for Japanese, security comes first. Well Japan is changing slowly. Softbank became a good instance of the case.

if you have a string of successfuly startups, where are you going to get the employees?

Businesses will always find employees. The shortage of labor theme is a myth. There is only of shortage of talented people willing to work for next to nothing. Offer reasonable pay and opportunity, and they will come.

The caption is wrong (incomplete). It's not:

... IDEA OSG 1, the world's first in-situ micro satellite, at the company in Tokyo.

There's lots of older satellites that size or smaller.

It's:

http://www.ideaosg1.com/en/mission/

... the world’s first micro-size satellite for the tracking and mapping of space debris.

@ Aly Rustom, AI & robotics witl pick up the slack!

@ Schopenhauer, Yes, it does get tiring changing jobs/addresses as we get older. Which is why most people don't move much after 30yrs-old, until maybe retirement. Changing jobs generally slows down a decade later; unless you have highly a desirable skill set.

I beleive many Japanese are taking their fate in there own hands as they see how workers are taken advantage of and don't want ti suffer the same 'meaningless existence as their forebears.

This article was going well until I read

"Classes on entrepreneurship at top universities are packed"

Is that how you learn to make robots? Or satellites? Or exoskeletons? Or self-driving cars?

The original version of the Ipod, the key to Apple's success, only worked with MacOS, which then had a share of about 3%. I wonder how MBA teachers spin that into some wonderful success-guaranteeing business strategy we can all learn from.

it is hard to find mid-career experienced workers willing to jump ship

If Japanese startups start offering stock options, I'm sure a lot more are willing to jump ship.

Businesses will always find employees. The shortage of labor theme is a myth.

Sorry bud. Have to disagree with you on this one.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/12/06/business/economy-business/labor-shortage-worst-least-productive-industries/#.WFda7Tjav5o

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_market_of_Japan

There is only of shortage of talented people willing to work for next to nothing. Offer reasonable pay and opportunity, and they will come.

Agree with you 100%. There are a number of talented people here. But I do not think the labor shortage is a myth.

This article was going well until I read "Classes on entrepreneurship at top universities are packed"

I know it sounds farcical to think that entrepreneurship is something that a university (the antithesis of the entrepreneurial mindset) could teach. But then again, this is Japan, and they have to do all they can to change the mindset away from "aspiring lifelong salaryman" to businessman/entrepreneur. So I think a few classes taught by actual entrepreneurs can be useful.

As something like 90% of new businesses fail within 3 years, a little guidance to entrepreneurs does not hurt, basic accounting and cash flow, business development, environmental scanning, etc., but a course to make someone an entrepreneur is something else; either you have it or you don't.

It has always been relatively easy to set up a business in Japan, the challenge is sustaining, running and developing it.

Schopenhauer Isn't it become difficult as people get older? For Americans, changes are good while for Japanese, security comes first. Well Japan is changing slowly.

Try quiting your job and try to set up a business, if you apply for unemployment benefits with the hope of using the little you get as unemployment benefit and the time to prepare for the launch of your company you will be in for a big surprise, you will be slapped with a 3 month penalty for resigning, before you are elligible for the first payment of the benefit. While receiving unemployment benefit you cannot register a company as it is treated as a crime of fraud which if caught the penalty you pay is too high to take the risk meanwhile during the three months you are bombarded with medical insurance, pension, city tax etc eventhough you are unemployed. The J-gov't only takes and gives little or nothing back in return. If you are thinking of launching your own business here make sure you have the necessary funds available that will get you through the first six months at least. It isn't as easy as some will make you think.