I am 54 years old, which makes me a GenX of the 1980s. Most executives and management-level professionals are in the same age group. They have grown up during the last 30 years, a period that has seen a decline compared to the dominance of the 1980s. The challenges we face today are more about structural, cultural, and organizational issues that have hindered innovation in a rapidly changing global economy.
📉 The “Lost 30 Years” and Innovation Decline: Key Reasons
1. Risk-Averse Corporate Culture
- Lifetime employment, seniority-based promotion, and fear of failure discouraged bold, disruptive innovation.
- Decisions are made through consensus (根回し), which slows experimentation.
2. Over-Reliance on Manufacturing & Hardware
- While Japan dominated in electronics and automotive, it missed software, internet, and platform revolutions.
- Global players like Apple, Google, and Facebook overtook Japanese firms by mastering user experience, ecosystems, and services — areas Japan underinvested in.
3. Failure to Globalize
- Many Japanese companies didn’t adapt their products or business models for global markets.
- Language, cultural conservatism, and inward focus limited international agility.
4. Neglecting Design & UX
- Traditional focus on specs and precision (モノづくり) over usability and experience.
- Design/UX was often seen as “decorative,” not strategic — unlike Apple, Amazon, or Airbnb.
🧠 Japan Still Has Strengths – But Needs Transformation
- Strong engineering, robotics, materials science, and B2B capabilities.
- But innovation needs to shift from “技術中心” to “顧客中心” — a user- and value-driven mindset.
💡 What Can Be Done?
- Invest in UX, Service Design, and Human-Centered Innovation
- Shift from “作る” to “使われる”価値。
- Promote Agile, Design Thinking, and Startups
- Encourage failure, iteration, and customer feedback loops.
- Reform Organizational Culture
- Empower younger teams, flatten hierarchy, reduce approval chains.
🧠 Psychological Impact of the Lost 30 Years on Japanese Workers
1. Heightened Job Insecurity
- From lifetime employment to uncertainty: Once guaranteed lifetime jobs became vulnerable due to restructuring and non-regular (非正規) employment.
- Result:
- Anxiety about the future
- Fear of layoffs or corporate restructuring
- Reluctance to speak up or take risks
✍️ “守りのキャリア思考” — playing it safe rather than seeking growth.
2. Loss of Motivation and Purpose
- The salaryman ideal faded, but no new model emerged.
- Many employees feel their work lacks meaning, innovation, or social contribution.
- Result:
- Burnout without challenge
- Declining morale
- Low engagement (従業員エンゲージメントの低下)
🤖「仕事はこなすけど、やりがいがない」
“I do my job, but I don’t feel passionate about it.”
3. Risk Aversion and Creativity Suppression
- After years of economic stagnation, companies discouraged experimentation.
- Employees trained to avoid failure rather than pursue innovation.
- Result:
- Lack of psychological safety
- Resistance to change or UX processes
- Over-reliance on precedents
🚫 “失敗してはいけない文化” → 創造性が生まれにくい
4. Identity Crisis in the Workplace
- Many mid-career professionals faced a disconnect between their skills and new digital demands.
- Younger generations became disillusioned with traditional work culture.
- Result:
- Alienation between generations
- Low trust in management
🔁「やりたい仕事」と「やっている仕事」が一致しない
5. Delayed Digital Transformation & Mindset Gap
- Workers were not trained in UX, agile, or digital collaboration.
- Many feel left behind or fearful of technology, AI, and new work styles.
- Result:
- Passive adoption of tools
- Resistance to UX thinking as “extra work” instead of strategic enabler
