Japan

Tokyo

HBS opened the Japan Research Center (JRC) in January 2002. The School has an important history of strengthening ties with constituents in Japan (including companies, universities, government, and HBS alumni). These relationships are critical to ensuring that the School's efforts have a global impact. Located in Tokyo, the JRC's primary purpose is to support HBS faculty research and case-writing activities in Japan. The School strives to deepen faculty's understanding of and exposure to Japanese management issues, trends, and practices, as well as develop locally relevant case studies and course materials for use in business education programs around the world. Since opening, the JRC has supported most of the Japan-focused cases and HBS research projects on the region.

Location

Japan Research Center
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 49F (Academy Hills)
P.O. Box 83, 6-10-1 Roppongi,
Minato-Ku, Tokyo 106-6149, Japan
Tel: +81 3 6434 5791
Fax: +81 3 6434 5792
hbsjapan@hbs.edu

News & Highlights

JUNE 2024
FACULTY IMMERSION

Faculty Immersion in Japan

In June 2024, 33 HBS faculty traveled from Boston to Tokyo and Kyoto for a week-long faculty immersion. The group visited various companies, including startups, companies with long histories, and innovative enterprises, broadening their insights into Japan. They also held a Global Research Symposium and Reception in Tokyo, which was joined by Dean Srikant M. Datar. Five inspiring faculty presented their current research in areas ranging from the life sciences and time management to digital innovation and generative AI. More than 100 company executives and HBS alumni attended the event, and the faculty enjoyed engaging with them at the reception. The group also enjoyed several cultural experiences. The Japan Research Center extends heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported making this a memorable and enriching experience for the faculty.

January 2024
IFC

The Global Classroom: Student Immersion in Japan

As part of the elective curriculum within the MBA program, students have the opportunity in their second year to enroll in an Immersive Field Course – or “IFC.” The Japan IFC was started in 2012 as a response to the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. The program has evolved since then in accordance with the progress of the reconstruction. The group still has the opportunity to visit the Tohoku region that suffered from the disaster for a weekend. This year, Professor Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Assistant Professor Tomomichi Amano and led 47 students to Japan for 10 days for the 11th Japan IFC. The theme was “Japan; Rising Sun Ventures: Exploring Entrepreneurship in Japan.” During their stay in Japan, students were involved in three types of activities: 1) team-based consulting projects for startup companies in Tokyo; 2) group activities to meet local entrepreneurs in the Tohoku region to learn about and contribute to the disaster-affected areas; and 3) immersive experiences in traditional and modern Japanese culture.

NOVEMBER 2023
EVENT

In-Person Event: Reskilling in the Age of AI by HBS Professor Raffaella Sadun

The Japan Research Center, in collaboration with Academyhills, hosted an in-person event featuring Professor Raffaella Sadun. During the event, Professor Sadun delved into the emerging evidence from the Digital Reskilling Lab at HBS. She focused on pivotal questions such as “What is the actual demand for reskilling among managers and workers?” “How should reskilling initiatives be deployed in organizations?” or “How do we get employees to participate in reskilling?”. The participants, including HBS alums and friends, found great value in the vibrant discussion led by Professor Sadun.

AUGUST 2023
EVENT

In-Person Event: The Stock Buyback Controversy: Facts, Fictions, and Policies by HBS Professor Charles Wang

The Japan Research Center and Academyhills co-hosted an in-person event featuring Professor Charles Wang in August. Professor Wang led a discussion about the merits and problems associated with stock buybacks. He presented the latest research insights on these payouts and explored their implications for the U.S. and Japan. HBS alums and the Academyhills members thoroughly enjoyed the interactive session with Professor Charles.

New Research on the Region

July 2024
Case

Wizards of the Coast and Magic: The Rebounding

By: Boris Groysberg and Tom Quinn

This case traces the history and growth of the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. From its development in 1993 by tiny studio Wizards of the Coast, to Wizards’ acquisition by toy giant Hasbro in 1999, to its evolution into a billion-dollar brand in 2023, executives and game designers at Wizards had tweaked Magic’s winning formula. Its growth trajectory had been interrupted for long stretches by stagnant sales plateaus, and as the company entered 2024, executives gathered to plot how to grow the brand further.

July 2024 (Revised October 2024)
Case

Knowledge Transfer: Toyota, NUMMI, and GM

By: Willy Shih

New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) was a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. It was an opportunity for GM to learn about the Toyota Production System, which was quite different from the mass production processes American automakers used at the time. It was also an opportunity for Toyota to learn how to do business in the U.S. GM contributed its shuttered Fremont Assembly plant, and Toyota agreed to manage it. The plant had a tumultuous history, with numerous wildcat strikes and constant bickering between GM management and the United Autoworkers. The quality of vehicles produced there was the worst in GM. Costs were high, and many cars arrived at the end of the assembly line inoperable and had to be towed away for repairs. Toyota hired mostly former GM workers, including well-known plant militants and activists. It taught workers TPS, but more importantly it installed a culture that was the essential "software" that enabled TPS to work. Toyota transformed it to become the most productive auto assembly plant in the U.S., with quality comparable to its Japanese factories. The case is based on interviews with key Toyota leaders who were involved in the transformation. It goes to the heart of the importance of organizational culture. The case issue is how should GM take the knowledge that it gained from embedding its employees at NUMMI and transfer it to other parts of its operations.

2024
Working Paper

Health, Human Capital Development and the Longevity of Japanese Elites Since 710

By: Tom Nicholas and Hiroshi Shimizu

We examine the lifespan of over 40,000 elites in Japan born between 710 and 1912, including samurai warriors, feudal lords, business, political, cultural, and religious leaders at the apex of the social hierarchy. Japanese elites experienced increases in lifespan about 200 years after the European elite, coinciding with the transition to sustained economic growth. After more than a millennium of stagnation, lifespans increased by an unprecedented 2.4 years every decade during the Meiji modernization era, when mortality patterns also became disconnected from weather cycles. College-educated elites benefitted the most, consistent with theories suggesting health improvements are largest as the economy shifts towards a reliance on human capital development. We also find substantial heterogeneity in the longevity returns to a college education, with null effects among women and in occupational categories where access to health knowledge, ascetic lifestyles, or cognitive capacity were prevalent.

See more research

Tokyo Staff

Nobuo Sato

Executive Director

Akiko Kanno

Associate Director

Akiko Saito

Senior Researcher

Yukari Takizawa

Office Manager