Kyoto's business gentry nurture next generation of innovators

Japan's cultural capital also boasts thriving ecosystem of entrepreneurship

20210121 KYOTO

In Kyoto, innovators like Nidec's Shigenobu Nagamori, top, Horiba's late Masao Horiba, center, and Kyocera's Kazuo Inamori have actively nurtured new generations of innovators like MR Support's Shigeo Kusaki, shown flying a drone in Osaka.

SHUNTARO FUKUTOMI and KENYA AKAMA, Nikkei staff writers

KYOTO -- Kyoto is home to a number of high-tech companies that have created global markets with their unique technologies. One of the oldest is Shimadzu, founded in 1875 by Genzo Shimadzu. Some of Japan's leading entrepreneurs, including Horiba's late Masao Horiba and Kazuo Inamori of Kyocera, laid the foundations for their future growth here. But why did these companies spring up in Kyoto?

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.