Original Forum topic has been postponed until further notice. 

Please see updated forum topic at: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1436712245/

Re-examining the State of Japanese Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship as Economic Engine: Silicon Valley Perspective

Forum Flyer - English (pdf)

Forum Flyer - Japanese (pdf)

EVENT OVERVIEW

In the US, entrepreneurship is the engine that drives economic growth. Especially in Silicon Valley, people understand how this engine works: how entrepreneurs behave, how they view risk, where they get their funding, how their successes are rewarded, and what happens when their ventures fail. What about their Japanese counterparts? The conventional wisdom in the US is that Japanese entrepreneurship is not only different from the American variety but is also less vibrant, less well-funded, more risk-averse, and generally a less important "engine" for overall economic growth.  Is this conventional wisdom generally correct? Or are the perceived shortcomings of the Japanese entrepreneurial system (for example, the vastly lower venture capital investment figures routinely quoted) just that -- "perceived" rather than real? What business and cultural factors could explain such misperceptions, and what are the implications for cross-border entrepreneurial opportunities?  Join our panelists, Robert Eberhart, Kenji Kushida, and Lisa Katayama, as they discuss the myths, reality and promise of Japanese entrepreneurship and its impact on the overall Japanese economy.

Keizai Society’s theme for 2011 is “US-Japan Business: The Next Generation—Your Key to Success Throughout Asia.”  We will highlight emerging new areas in which we see exciting things happening in Japanese businesses or among US firms doing business in Japan.  The areas of focus will include entrepreneurship, new technologies, and US-Japan partnerships to develop business in other countries in Asia.