Currently, many Japanese have a vague uneasiness regarding the future.
I agree with that intuition.

Sometimes, I hear that people say that they have no need luxury and are satisfied with the status quo. That’s natural. The current total of personal assets in Japan has reached 1,700 trillion yen. Continuing deflation leads to lower and lower prices. Based on this stock, it’s no wonder why so many people are comfortable with their present living conditions. However, it would foolish to imagine that this will last forever.

Are you comfortable with where you are? Or, are you prepared to reimagine the future and transform yourself?

At this very moment, the way we work—and live—is on the verge of a major transition.

The period of rapid economic growth instilled a belief that hard work will always be rewarded. Personally, I worked at a Japanese company for 20 years and am very grateful for the experience gained and lessons learned.

However, the next generation will not be able to survive in today’s globalized world with only traditional Japanese values at their disposal. Given decreases in the Japanese population, future growth is uncertain without collaborating across borders. Further, advances in technology have effectively shrunk the world, meaning that Japanese businesspeople—to say nothing of those working overseas—must adapt and transform themselves. The demands of “globalization” permeate all layers of Japan and the Japanese corporate world.

So what is it that will determine success in the next generation?

I have worked overseas on three separate occasions and made business trips all over the world throughout my career. I was also a member of the Asia Pacific Management Committee of a multinational corporation. From these experiences, I realized that successful people at the forefront of global business are considerably different from conventional Japanese.

Based on these experiences, I define a global businessperson as someone who can produce better results through collaboration and synergy with people holding differing sets of values.

This is not limited to foreigners. After all, we ought to be able to observe diversity and individuality within the Japanese population as well. In the future, the ability to positively utilize difference in the process of value creation will be a necessary skill. There is tremendous insight to be gained from humbly recognizing and seeking to understand different values and worldviews. My successes and failures in global business taught me that this is the true meaning of diversity!

To those troubled by the status quo and concerned about the future: resist stagnation and unleash your potential! Feel free to contact us as Education for Asian Talents and open the door to your future.