logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2022
18m 38s

Can Japan become Asia's Silicon Valley?

Bbc World Service
About this episode
<p>We look at Japan’s bid to compete with Silicon Valley. Japan is well known for innovations such as the walkman, bullet trains and Nintendo games, but the country hasn’t produced a killer product to really wow the world for decades. The government wants to change that by increasing the number of start-ups by ten-fold over the next five years. In this ep ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
The impact of 'thirsty' data centres
We're in the US state of Georgia, where huge data centres need water to keep cool. But how is this need for cloud storage and AI capability affecting local residents and the environment?Presenter: Michelle Fleury Producer: Nathalie Jimenez(Image: Georgia resident Beverly Morris l ... Show More
17m 50s
Jul 8
Does university still get you a well-paid job?
Graduates are facing one of the toughest jobs markets in decades. We hear from students in India, the US and UK about whether they feel a university or college degree is worth it as we discuss the cost of attending university around the world and what your job prospects might be ... Show More
17m 27s
Jul 7
Returning to Ukraine?
The UN estimates that nearly seven million Ukrainians have left their home country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Many have set up businesses in their new country - around 90,000 of those in Poland. We hear about the challenges they’ve faced, and the sectors ... Show More
17m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
Japan slips into recession
Japan's economy slips into a recession as domestic demand weakens and they lose their title as the world's third-largest economy. Devina Gupta takes a look at why this has happened.People in Indonesia wake up to the news that former military chief, Prabowo Subianto, is likely to ... Show More
50m 19s
Jul 2020
Tatcha: Vicky Tsai
In 2008, Vicky Tsai walked away from a startup job and set out to rediscover herself on a trip to Japan. In Kyoto, she had an unforgettable meeting with a geisha, and learned about the face creams and blotting papers that the traditional Japanese hostesses had used for centuries. ... Show More
1h 18m
Oct 2022
#264 – Growing a 2-Person Business to $80k/Month with Eric Turner of Japan Dev
Eric Turner (@_etdev) talks living in Japan as a foreigner and visiting Japan as a tourist, finding inspiration to start as an indie hacker, picking a lucrative market, and shares some tips growing a job board with Courtland (@csallen) and Channing (@ChanningAllen). 
56m 1s
Feb 2023
How Brands Can Court Luxury Shoppers in Japan
Christine Edman, executive officer of Japanese e-commerce site Zozo, talks about what makes the country’s consumers tick, and how the fashion landscape is set to shift in the years ahead. Background: Japan is home to some of the world’s most sophisticated and fervent fashion cons ... Show More
28m 51s
Apr 2024
Preserve start-up spirit at scale: Techstars’ Maëlle Gavet
Maëlle Gavet is the CEO of Techstars, an accelerator focused on early-stage entrepreneurs. It boasts a market cap of $111.6 billion, and supports founders in programs that span from Tokyo to Lagos to Alabama. Maëlle champions hard work, gratitude, and a questioning nature, qualit ... Show More
30m 30s
Dec 2021
Rapid Response: Re-founding Instacart, w/first-time CEO Fidji Simo
This past summer, Fidji Simo departed from Facebook – where she stood among the highest-ranking female executives, serving as the head of their app – for the opportunity to become a first-time CEO at Instacart. She replaced founder Apoorva Mehta, who appeared on this show last sp ... Show More
31m 41s
Apr 2020
How Entrepreneurs Succeed Outside Silicon Valley
Alex Lazarow, venture capitalist at Cathay Innovation, says that start-ups in cities around the U.S. and the world are creating their own rules for success. While Silicon Valley companies have sparked key innovations and generated huge wealth over the past few decades, not everyo ... Show More
26m 53s
Oct 2021
From start-up to success: Women rolling the dice in business
The stereotype in the entrepreneurial world is that women are too risk averse to lead companies. But is that true? Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who turned their start-ups into successful enterprises. Linh Thai is one of Vietnam’s top female entrepreneurs. She was brought up ... Show More
27m 4s