Looking out from inside the bullet train, it is clear that the Tohoku region is indeed an agricultural land.

Right now, I believe the rice planting season has just about finished. However, agriculture follows a similar cycle year after year, and the success or failure of crops largely depends on nature’s blessings. As a result, there is a tendency for “the environment to be dominant, while human effort is weaker.”

When agriculture continues for a long time, people’s way of thinking gradually tends to become more communistic, with a strong belief emerging that “there are no longer any differences between people.” In fact, this kind of “Japanese-style communism” has existed for a long time.

The mindset that “no matter who does it, the results will be the same” is deeply ingrained. In such an environment, it is difficult for an entrepreneurial spirit to develop. There is a tendency for a regional or local character that makes it hard for people to think boldly or take risks.

On the other hand, people in this region are cautious. While that cautious side is extremely solid, there is still a tendency to be very afraid of or hesitant toward new things.

Expand Your Perspective Overseas and Embrace a New Entrepreneurial Spirit

Especially when it comes to foreign countries, there is a significant distance.

I myself worked in the U.S. in the past, and I remember that among the Japanese employees at the American headquarters, there was only one person from the Tohoku region. Most of them were from Tokyo or the Kansai area.

The reason is that their “verbal fluency” is different. If you hire someone from Osaka and someone from Tohoku and have them speak English, the person from Osaka will speak three times as much. People from Tohoku don’t have the same verbal agility.

That’s why people who speak more slowly are not perceived as “good at English.” They sound somewhat hesitant. In Japanese, that can actually work—it gives off a certain sense of depth and seriousness. But in English, if words don’t come out smoothly and quickly, it gives the impression of poor language skills, and people might even say, “I have no idea what they’re thinking.” That’s why I got the impression that there are very few people from Tohoku (at where I worked in the U.S.)

Even when speaking English, people from the Tohoku region end up speaking “English with Tohoku accents ,” and people from Kansai speak “English with Kansai accents.” Their native accents carry over into their English, including intonation. It naturally influences the way they speak.

In that sense, I feel that the level of internationalization is still somewhat lagging in this region. Rather than a matter of global perspective, I think there is still a distance even from Tokyo. Just going to Tokyo still has the effect of studying abroad, which shows how far the gap remains.

To take things to the next level, people in this region really need to broaden their horizons to overseas. Without doing so, a new spirit of entrepreneurship is unlikely to emerge.

Benjamin Lebrun / Shutterstock.comBenjamin Lebrun / Shutterstock.com

By Incorporating What Is Already Ahead, You Can Gain Clarity on What Needs to Be Done

Even when we talk about “entrepreneurial spirit,” it doesn’t mean that one must personally invent or discover everything from scratch. In various fields, there are already advancements that have been made. Even without coming up with everything on your own, there are things in each field that are ten, twenty, or even just five or three years ahead.

When I went to America, it was often said that “America is about ten years ahead” and that “whatever becomes popular in America will become popular in Japan ten years later.” So, if you brought something that was trending in America to Japan, it would likely become popular in Japan after ten years.

The same thing happened in the electronics industry and with computers. Similarly, convenience stores like 7-Eleven had already grown significantly in America, but when they entered Japan, they also took about ten years to expand. However, now it is said that the time lag has shortened to about three years.

In contrast, some say that countries like Italy lag behind Japan by twenty to thirty years. Even though we are all living in the same era, there are still slight differences in the progression of time.

That’s why I believe that finding and adopting ideas from places that are even slightly ahead can help clarify what needs to be done. It is important to further integrate international perspectives. By doing so, I think we can gain a clearer understanding of what actions to take.

Thoroughly Develop Your Strengths
and Adopt a “Strength-Based Approach” in Competition

This includes incorporating international perspectives, and, as I have repeatedly emphasized, having a “challenging spirit.” A form of conservatism that simply retreats—like a cow stepping backward—is not ideal. If you stay confined in the cowshed and refuse to come out, that becomes a problem. Sometimes, you need a push to move forward.

It’s important to take on challenges and not feel too ashamed of failure. After all, without numerous failures, success won’t emerge.

A home run hitter also strikes out a lot. They only manage a batting average of around .300, meaning they miss 60–70% of the time. With that in mind, I believe it’s essential to have a bold, forward-thinking spirit.

I understand that it may be disappointing that no major figures have emerged, but if you really wanted to bring them out, it would not be impossible. Ultimately, the fundamental principle remains: “Thoroughly develop strengths.”

While some may take the approach of simply avoiding weaknesses to prevent criticism from others, that alone is not enough. Instead, if someone has outstanding strengths or talent, it is crucial to cultivate those qualities thoroughly and praise them. This approach helps foster a mindset of “competing through strengths.”

With that in mind, I encourage you to do your best. Indeed, there have been cases where talented individuals emerged from places that had not previously produced such people. If you set high expectations, there is a good chance that capable individuals will rise to meet them.

In today’s world, it is important to always stay alert and observe whether there are advancements beyond what you are currently doing. Additionally, identifying people with the right aptitude and strengths, nurturing them to their fullest potential, and recognizing and praising their abilities collectively is key. The important thing is to ensure that their talent does not go to waste. Simply compensating for weaknesses is not enough.