Japanese Business Operations in an Uncertain World

This book looks at Japanese companies in manufacturing and services sectors and how they are trying to emerge from the prolonged uncertainty of the pandemic. The chapters are written by those dealing with Japanese business under the shadow of the pandemic and being influenced by the continuous and rapid adoption of digital technologies in business and our daily lives.

This book brings together the experiences of big and small corporations while looking at how digital transformation and the pandemic combined have led to a transformation in the product, production processes and services. It highlights the role played by robots, 3-D printing and renewable energy in manufacturing while the impact can be seen in the changes coming to future offices, how we work and interact and how we relax through tourism and travel on the service side. The services sector is as much impacted by digital transformation and the pandemic as any other field in business.

Aimed at academics, researchers and practitioners, Japanese Business Operations in an Uncertain World will provide valuable insights into how Japanese organizations are adapting to the dual impact of the pandemic and advancements in digital technologies.

Anshuman Khare is Professor for Operations Management at Athabasca University, Canada. He joined Athabasca University in January 2000. He is an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and has completed two post-doctoral terms at Johannes Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany. He is also a former Monbusho Scholar, having completed a postdoctoral assignment at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan. He has published a number of books and research papers on a wide range of topics. His research focuses on environmental regulation impacts on industry, just-in-time manufacturing, supply chain management, sustainability, cities and climate change, online business education, etc. He is passionate about online business education. Anshuman serves as the Editor of IAFOR Journal of Business and Management, Associate Editor of International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education published by Emerald and is on the Editorial Board of International Journal of Applied Management and Technology.

Nobutaka Odake is Executive Director of the Humanware Network Initiative. He is former Professor, Department of Techno-business Administration (2003-2017). He has a Ph.D. (Eng) from Nagoya Institute of Technology (2002) and a MD (Eng.) from University of Tokyo (1976). His research fields include (1) Innovation system and technology management such as manufacturing technology, agent system for knowledge creation and transfer, business development in manufacturing firms, academy-industry cooperation, regional development, (2) corporate behavior such as manufacturing management, SME networks, knowledge community, (3) regional economic development such as development of clusters, regional planning. He has experience with several companies before joining the university and visited more than one thousand SMEs and organizations. He is associated with various academies: the Academic Association for Organizational Science; the Japan Society for Science Policy and Research Management; the Japan Society for Production Management; the Japan Academy of Small Business Studies; the Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan; Japan Society for Intellectual Production; Japan MOT Society; Japan Association for Management Systems; International Society for Standardization Studies; Richard-Wagner Gesellschaft Japan.

Hiroki Ishikura is a Professor at the Department of Commerce in Osaka Gakuin University, Japan. He used to be an Assistant Professor at Kyoto University. He received a Doctor of Engineering degree from Kyoto Institute of Technology and graduated from Fukui University textile engineering department. His research interests lie in Manufacturing Systems. He is closely involved with academic societies such as the International Journal of the Japan Society for Production Management (Editor in Chief), International Journal of Standardization (Editor in Chief), the Society for Standardization Research (Vice Chairman), the Society of Japan Production Management (Director), the Textile Machinery Society of Japan (Fellow), International and Domestic Technologies, Japan (Secretariat) and Textile Research Journal, USA as a reviewer.