The other day, I had the opportunity to listen to Mr. Nakanishi, Chairman of Nippon Keidanren. When you write this, you may think of a place where great people from business organizations are present, but it is actually a press conference for the media at the Foreign Correspondents’ Association 20 About a minute Society 5.0.It was a place to talk about and hold a question and answer session.
The first thing that impressed me was Mr. Nakanishi’s ability to respond in English rather than the content. This time, the explanations and the subsequent question-and-answer session with the reporters were all in English. Since there is no interpreter, I can use my time effectively, and I had the impression that ambiguity was omitted in terms of content.
Reporters from the Foreign Correspondents’ Association don’t shy away from reporters in Japanese clubs, so they ask questions that are difficult to answer straight. The Asahi Shimbun newspaper on that day reported that more than 10 Group companies, including Hitachi, Ltd., had violated the Technical Intern Training Law. Former Nissan chairman Ghosn has been detained for a long time, which could tarnish his impression of doing business in Japan as a human rights issue. Current Thoughts on Japan’s Energy Policy and Nuclear Power Plants. Comments on behalf of the Japanese business community on the issue of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from Europe, I honestly told them that I didn’t understand or couldn’t answer these things, and I answered them immediately when I could answer.
Actually, when working in English, it is quite a high hurdle to respond appropriately during questions and answers, or to respond immediately. You can prepare your presentation in advance, or you can write down what you’re going to say and memorize it in advance. Adequate preparation will determine the outcome. On the other hand, it is difficult to conduct questions and answers in English. Of course, you may have prepared a Q&A for your assumptions, but reporters may not always ask you within the scope of your hypothetical questions. I am not in this meeting, but at the press conference of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association, a consecutive interpreter often comes in and gives a press conference. In that case, you can organize your thoughts while the interpreter speaks, but this is not the case when answering questions and answers in English.
Therefore, at the time of the presentation, Mr. Nakanishi was only quite good at English, but when we entered the Q&A session, I was impressed that this was a big deal. Mr. Nakanishi holds a master’s degree from Stanford University, and I have heard that he spent a long time working overseas during his time at Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. However, they are not so-called returnees. I graduated from Japanese public schools from elementary school to university. Therefore, they do not speak fluently or in the same way as native English speakers. As an engineer and businessman who studied English in this way, it was English that I could understand, as if this was a good destination. When I write something so great, people might say what about you, but I will answer that at least I fully understood Mr. Nakanishi’s presentation and the contents of the question-and-answer session with the reporter.
Now, I would like to tell you a little about Society 5.0. This is the concept of a future society advocated by Japan. Through a system that highly integrates cyberspace (virtual space) and physical space (real space), we are advocating a new future society that balances economic development and the resolution of social issues as Society 5.0.
Hunting Society (Society 1.0), Agrarian Society (Society 2.0), Industrial Society (Society 3.0), Information Society ( Society 4.0) seems to have named the fifth new society after the society that mankind has walked so far “Society 5.0”. It contains the meaning of digital innovation and realizing innovation by making the most of it. This concept will serve as the basis for discussions on a wide range of policy issues at the B-20 Summit to be hosted by Keidanren on March 14 and 15. The B20 is expected to submit its joint recommendations to the G20 Osaka Summit, which Japan will chair for the first time in June. Since Keidanren will host this B20, it seems that this press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Association this time has been held.
Now, based on what I heard from Mr. Nakanishi and what I understood in a simple leaflet, I will tell you. Society 5.0 is based on the premise that society will change through digital transformation. Aiming for an imaginative society in which diverse lifestyles and unique happiness are recognized, shift from problem-solving to value creation. It describes how regionally it is moving in the direction of diffusion rather than centralization, being able to take on challenges with peace of mind without fear of failure, and being a society that can maintain the environment in harmony with nature.
And here’s the important thing: specific actions are described. In the business sector, large companies form an organization called “DEJIMA” to accelerate innovation. Change personnel practices to realize a diverse work environment and remuneration system rather than lifetime employment. This includes breaking down HR egalitarianism and treating top talent with hospitality, and promoting lifelong education. He also refers to the shift of fiscal and policy-making power from the central government to local governments.
I myself listened to the story and was convinced by many parts. I thought that Mr. Nakanishi’s unique perspective with his experience in global business was well reflected in his efforts to address the issues facing Japanese society. On top of that, he also made use of his background in the information and communications business.
Japan Stratus Technologies also strengthened its desire to contribute to the digital transformation of Japanese society as a player of Edge Computing.
