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Osamu Katayama was
born in 1940 in Nagoya. He has worked as a journalist, an economic
analyst and a visiting professor at Gakushuin Women's University.
His publications include "Sony will beat Toyota with wisdom"
(Bungei Shunju Ltd.), "Four powers for saving companies"
(Fuyosha Inc.), "The wisdom of NHK" and "The
sense of smell of Suntory" (Shogakkan Bunko Co. Inc.),
"Isn't that interesting" (Shueisha Inc.), "Japanese
Business into 21st Century" (British Athlon Co., Inc.),
etc. Such books as "The Sony Rules," "The Toyota
Way," and "The Honda Tactics" (Shogakkan Bunko
Co., Inc.) have been translated and published in China. |
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Japan's vitality will arise from the private sector.
To reform the closed nature of the Japanese economy, we must move
away from the idea of public sector guidance, and instead allow the
private sector to lead the way to economic revitalization. What is
required in particular is the creation of start-up companies. Yoshio
Ichiryu, an entrepreneur raised in the public sector, has been active
in this field.
Born in 1946 in Osaka, Ichiryu graduated from the University of Tokyo's
Liberal Arts Department with a degree in International Relations.
He then joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in
1968. He served as secretary to MITI ministers Kiichi Miyazawa and
Kakuei Tanaka, after which he attended Harvard University (the Kennedy
School), where he obtained a Master's in Public Administration (MPA).
He subsequently served in the International Energy Agency (IEA, located
in Paris). In 1993, Ichiryu became director-general of MITI's Kinki
Regional Bureau of International Trade and Industry, in 1995 director-general
for Machinery and Information Industries Policy, and in 1996, director-general
for Policy Coordination. In 1998, he resigned from MITI, devoting
himself to work in the private sector, in what he calls a "new
start."
During the time spent at MITI, Ichiryu worked on an advisory basis
toward the creation of a system for the support of start-up companies.
It was then that he first realized, perhaps because he saw things
from the perspective of the private sector, that MITI's venture support
measures did not meet the true needs of those they were designed to
help. He experienced firsthand that complicated procedures related
to the support measures consumed a tremendous amount of time at the
stage of start-up company creation. Start-ups pressed for time and
strapped for money found it impossible to utilize such assistance.
After reflecting on this situation, in 1999, Ichiryu established
the private volunteer group "Venture Community" in Osaka.
He selected Osaka as a venture community because he wanted to restore
vitality to the city in which he was born and raised. Since November
1999, Venture Community has convened one regular meeting and five
subcommittee meetings. Business leaders and academicians volunteer
give their time as lecturers, pointing to the breadth of Ichiryu's
network of people that only he could create.
In July 2000, he founded Ichiryu Associates, Inc., and in November
of the same year, initiated a unique investment fund, First Class
("Ichiryu") Seed Money Fund, as an “angel” organization
for the support of venture companies. This was the first attempt in
Japan of a hands-on angel fund that provides comprehensive support
in addition to funding.
Ichiryu engages in diverse management consulting work, including
the role of creating business strategies for major corporations and
serving as a bridge between such corporations and start-up companies.
With the help of an intelligent network based on determination, passion
and trust, he continues to steadily expand the scope of his activities.
He believes that what will change Japanese society are the power of
the private sector and the courage of individuals. |
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