There are a few currents working against startups in Japan: - Smart, ambitious people tend to join large, prestigious corporations, or government agencies - U

There are a few currents working against startups in Japan: - Smart, ambitious people tend to join large, prestigious corporations, or government agencies - Up until a few years ago, forming a company was very expensive (3 million yen minimum) - Seniority is a powerful force in the Japanese workplace, which I suspect prevents young college grads from introducing the latest technologies in their companies. - Japan has struggled to transition to a post-industrial economy, and IT is still dominated by hardware companies.