Video #3 - New Entrepreneurs

Friday, January 06, 2006

sources | lesson plan

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

One of the most recent and exciting changes in the Japanese economy is the dawning of a business environment which fosters new entrepreneurs.

Yoshinori Watanabe is one of the original members of CEIN (Civic Entrepreneurs International Network) which was established in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan in 1997. His own explanation for this network: "In Japan, many traditional, salaried employees will be losing their jobs, and young people realize that they can not depend on a company to support them. These situations require a major CHANGE OF MIND-SET for Japanese people. One of the ways to face these new challenges will be to become an Entrepreneur." Mr. Watanabe feels that investment money from Venture Capitalists is growing in Japan. But as he puts it, it is still very rare for this money to reach entrepreneurs because: "The Japanese environment (i.e. society, culture, quality of life, law, the public infrastructure ) is still very unsuitable for the needs of Japanese entrepreneurs - especially young entrants."

The role of CEIN project is:

1. To announce young and potential Japanese entrepreneurs to the world.
2. To introduce promising entrepreneurs from the world to Japanese people.

Because the main theme of this organization is to CHANGE MIND-SETS, its focus is largely on the mental aspects of being a successful entrepreneur. According to Yoshi and his mission partner, Masato Hosokawa, when they visited Silicon Valley for the first time, they wanted to bring this entrepreneurial spirit to Japan. They felt that the "entrepreneurial spirit is very similar to the frontier spirit, which does not exist in modern people." Yoshi felt that with economic hard times in Japan, encouraging this spirit is necessary to develop the mind-set for success.

The result of this idea was the first "Civic Entrepreneur's International Network Forum '97" which was held in Osaka. Each consecutive year, the forum is said to have been more productive.

Another organization nurturing the new era of Japanese business practices is The Amagasaki Research Incubation Center (ARIC): "A business incubator in the heart of Osaka-Kobe megalopolis,"it advertises itself as designed "to help the local economy revive through innovative business and technological developments. This is owned and managed by ARIC Inc., a company established through a collaboration of public and private sectors. Shareholders of the company include the City of Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan Development Bank, and over one hundred private companies and industrial organizations.

Amagasaki City is located in the center of the Hanshin Industrial Zone. The city has been known for a heavy concentration of small companies mainly engaged in traditional manufacturing industries. ARIC offers facilities and services to help entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses develop advanced technologies and new business bases. This includes what are known in the U-S as "business incubators": buildings that include communal conference rooms and training facilities as well as sales offices and lab space. This is an interesting manifestation of the "new" way to do business in Japan. Additionally, John Boyd of "Computing Japan Magazine" states that..."broods of new Internet companies sprang up and proliferated in Japan throughout 1999, befitting their zodiac sign: The Year of the Rabbit. Established businesses, meanwhile -- with Softbank being the outstanding example --burrowed ever deeper into the world of cybernet worked warrens, creating new e-commerce services--even an electronic stock exchange. It was also the year the Internet rocked to the sound of digital music." He adds that the number of Internet users topped 15 million last February, a year-on year growth rate of almost 50%, according to a survey by Tokyo based market researcher Access Media International. this annual count projected the number of users would reach 18.5 million by the end of the year, and exceed 20 million in 2000.

Furthermore, 7-Eleven has become an active investor in online startups, including e-Shopping Books (a joint venture along with Softbank and Tohan) and CarPoint, an online auto broker established in March by Yahoo! Japan, Softbank, and Microsoft.

Finally, there is the Women Entrepreneurs International Exchange Program, which began in 1993 and has attracted working women around the globe. It was organized by the Committee for the Year 2001, whose objective is to contribute to improving society. Its activities are financially supported solely by donations. The program aims to help create gender equality in society and to support women finding their way into the political and business spheres and achieve their own financial independence. This annual conference features participants who are top executive women from around the world.

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SOURCES:

Civic Entrepreneur's International Network. info@cein.org

Amagasaki Research Incubation Center.

Boyd, John; "Net Year 1999: "A time of change, challenge, and choice." Computing Japan, December 1999 Volume 6 no. 12. cjmag.co.org

Women Entrepreneurs International Exchange Program '00. cf.mbn.or.jp

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LESSON PLAN

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 10-12/Economics, International Relations, World History, International Baccalaureate Programs(IB), Current Events.

PURPOSE: to present activities to be used at a variety of classroom situations in order to enhance student understanding of Japanese economy and its significance globally.

OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:
1. Define entrepreneur.
2. Research examples of entrepreneurship in Japan.
3. Research examples of entrepreneurship in the U.S.
4. Compare entrepreneurship in Japan with the U.S. examples.
5. Analyze the role of entrepreneurs in the economic history of the U.S.
6. Analyze the role of entrepreneurs in the economic history of Japan.
7. Speculate on the role of entrepreneurs in the new Japanese economy.

MATERIALS:

1. Background information provided.
2. Resources on entrepreneurship available at your school's Media Center and the Public Library System in your area.
3. Background information available through Internet "search engines".
4. Civic Entrepreneur's International Network. info@cein.org
5. Amagasaki Research Incubation Center.
6. Computing Japan, cjmag.co.org
7. Women Entrepreneurs International Exchange Program '00. cf.mbn.or.jp

ACTIVITIES: May be assigned as group activities or as individual tasks. They may also be designed as preparation for related presentations either by individuals or groups.

1. Allow cooperative groups to identify and research on entrepreneurs in Japan and or in the U.S.
2. Encourage two groups to choose examples of women in the field. Then have two groups create a Venn Diagram comparing one to another. Have the class draw conclusions on the comparisons drawn after all groups are done with their work.
3. Write an editorial about the importance of entrepreneurs in the history of the U.S.
4. Write an editorial about the importance of entrepreneurs in the economic future of Japan.
5. Write a diary entry portraying the experiences of a Japanese entrepreneur.
6. Create a scenario describing the role of entrepreneurs in the Japanese economy by the year 2,050.

EVALUATION: Individual assignments should be graded by the teacher using established criteria. Group activities, presentations and projects may be evaluated by teachers and students using the following criteria and scale:

Content 1= Superior (A) Creativity 2= Excellent (B) Clarity 3= Good (C) 4= Fair (D) 5= Poor (F)

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