Three cutting-edge themes were explored, with real-time audience comments displayed on monitors to foster an interactive and inclusive dialogue about Japan’s future.

■Roundtable 1: “Extraordinary Startup Policy”

The first session focused on policies needed to accelerate startup growth as Japan enters the midpoint of its Five-Year Startup Development Plan. While the number of startups—including those originating from regional areas and universities—has grown significantly, and their economic impact on GDP has reached 22 trillion JPY, the investment target of 10 trillion JPY remains distant. Proposed measures to improve the funding environment for startups included clarifying government leadership, expanding and strengthening venture capital, promoting open innovation that benefits both startups and established corporations, facilitating overseas market entry for startups, revising tax rules for foreign investors in Japanese funds (PE exemptions), and supporting startups through large-scale government procurement.

Speakers:
– Jingo KIKUKAWA (Director-General, Innovation and Environment Policy Bureau, METI)
– Yuichiro SHIMIZU (JANE Executive Officer / President & CEO, for Startup, Inc.)
– Kunihiro TANAKA (Founder & CEO, SAKURA internet Inc.)
– Yuka HATA (Senior Managing Director & Head of Fund Investments, Japan Investment Corporation)

Moderator:
– Ayumi FUJIMOTO (President, Startup Ecosystem Association)

The second session examined how Japan can adapt its industrial structure and work styles to the digital and AI era. Discussions highlighted:

① Industrial Transformation for Digitalization and AI
– Driving DX through M&A of manufacturing companies by IT firms; Revising accounting standards, particularly regarding goodwill amortization, is essential to facilitate M&A
– Enhancing supply capacity via tax incentives for capital investment and R&D
– Strengthening technical high schools and creating a recruitment market for new high school graduates

②Career Autonomy and Reskilling
– Promoting skill-based hiring and promotions
– Visualizing job-specific compensation and the skills required for each role—making it transparent that acquiring certain skills and securing specific jobs can lead to predictable rewards, thereby enhancing individual motivation

③Work styles in the AI Era
– Developing uniquely human skills that remain essential even with AI adoption—such as communication, creativity, emotional intelligence (EQ), and decision-making.
– Valuing and cultivating “positive geeks” who enthusiastically pursue activities involving physicality that are less likely to be replaced by AI

Speakers:
– Yuko ISHIDA (Senior Managing Executive Officer, CyberAgent, Inc.)
– Fumiaki KOBAYASHI (Member of the House of Representatives)
– Wakana TANAKA (Country Manager, LinkedIn Japan)
– Takashi MITACHI (Adjunct Professor, Kyoto University Graduate School of Management)

Moderator: 
Koichiro YOSHIDA (JANE Director / President & CEO, CrowdWorks, Inc.)

■Roundtable 3: “Scenario for Reversing the ‘Lost 35 Years’”

In the third session, under the theme “Scenario for Reversing the Lost 35 Years,” discussions focused on what the public and private sectors must do for Japan to break free from decades of stagnation and regain international competitiveness. Japan is currently perceived as a “country of no change,” where a prolonged deflationary mindset has hindered disruptive innovation and prevented the inflow of talent and capital, resulting in insufficient investment in people and startups—the very sources of growth. Against this backdrop, participants emphasized the need to position Japan as a “country that creates change” and attract “people, knowledge and capital” to monetize Japan’s inherent creativity and turn it into business opportunities. To achieve this, proposals included introducing measures such as a hyper-depreciation tax scheme to significantly expand private investment and declaring Japan a bilingual nation (Japanese and English) to enhance global competitiveness, thereby enabling bold investments in human resources and technological capabilities that leverage Japan’s strengths.

Speakers:
– Kuniko INOGUCHI (Member of the House of Councillors)
– Tetsuya EBATA (JANE Executive Officer / President & Group CEO, All About, Inc.)
– Yuichiro TAMAKI (Member of the House of Representatives) ※participated remotely 
– Yoshiaki FUJIMORI (JANE Executive Officer / Outside Director, Chairperson, Oracle Corporation Japan)
– Emin YURUMAZU (Economist & Global Strategist, CEO, Ladybird Capital)

Moderator: 
Miwa SEKI (General Partner, MPower Partners Fund L.P.)

Following these discussions, JANE announced the “JX Declaration 2025 – Policies to Reverse the Lost 35 Years”, focusing on startup growth and industrial transformation and work style reform aligned with digital and AI progress.

Click here for the details of the “JX Declaration 2025”  (*Japanese only)

【JX Awards Ceremony】

Challengers：
-Kazukiyo FUJITA (Head of New Business Development Department, Techno Fujita)
-Masato SAKAGUCHI (Head of Sales Division, Kadoya)
-Yusuke OGISO (CEO, OGIX)
-Shu URASAKA (CEO, Customedia Corp.)
-Masahiro TAKASE (President & CEO, FRACTAL WORKOUT Inc. / Medical Fitness Trainer / Health Management Advisor) 
-Asako KAJI (President, ASA ENGINEERING Co., Ltd.)　
-Cong Chinh NGUYEN (President & CEO, CMC Japan) 
-Kosuke ONO (Executive Officer CSO ＆ Director of Sales Division, RePlayce, Inc.) 
-Shuichi TSURUTA (Ph.D., President of Co−crea Co., Ltd.)
-Ryunosuke NAKAJIMA (Founder & CEO, Somali Co., Ltd.)