ABSTRACT
Planning Japan’s twenty-first-century economy and society is fraught with many of the same challenges faced by the Meiji oligarchs. If Meiji epitomized nineteenth-century innovation, the commercialization of science and technology represents the greatest opportunity for Japanese competitiveness and economic growth in the twenty-first century. Carin Holroyd examines the innovation environment in Japan, arguing that the country’s pattern of continued commercial development in fields as diverse as robotics, telehealth, digital content, new energy, environmental technologies and smart cities stands in stark contrast to the prevailing image that Japan is in decline. Holroyd suggests that Japanese innovation has the potential to boost economic performance, address major social challenges and preserve the country’s global stature and presence.
