Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Every day you drive your Toyota Prius to work; when you return home you watch a Sony television, and your DVD player has a laser semiconductor produced by Mitsubishi. Everyone knows that the market is filled with Japanese high-tech products. You might, however, not realize that with the exception of the one running on your game console, you probably have never seen a Japanese software product.

Participate in our brown bag lunch discussion as Dr. Shinya Fushimi—Visiting Fellow of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University, and Head of Data Centric Solution Business, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, in Tokyo, Japan—presents his analysis on why the Japanese have been so weak in the global software market. He will discuss the intrinsic differences between software and hardware, and use these differences as a framework to identify the critical mistakes Japanese software companies have made.

Dr. Shinya Fushimi has spent twenty years in the Japanese IT industry, serving various R&D and management positions. He received his BS, MS, and PhD in computer science from The University of Tokyo. Dr. Fushimi has been honored with a number of academic awards including the Moto-oka Memorial Prize and Best Paper Award for a Young Researcher. Prior to joining Shorenstein APARC, he was with the Sloan Master’s Program of Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and received an MS degree in Management.

Location:
Mechanics’ Institute
57 Post Street, San Francisco [map]

Time:
Wednesday, March 12
Registration: Noon
Program: 12:30-1:30 pm
The Mechanics’ Institute café opens at noon.

Cost:
Free for Japan Society and Mechanics’ Institute members
$10 General Admission (pay at the door)

Please R.S.V.P. by email to Erika I or by calling the Society at 415.986.4383; please include your first and last name.

Co-sponsored by the Mechanics’ Institute