Japan

Business Asia, Sept 13, 1999

Masayoshi Son
Chairman, Softbank Corp
Age: 42
Education: University of California

Like many of the great minds of our time, Masayoshi Son has a one-line philosophy which drives all of his business dealings -- "The Internet will grow." And grow it has. Son, Japan-born of Korean parents, shrewdly pumped about US$1.5 billion into 70 small Internet companies back when the Internet was in the domain of the unknown. His bets have paid off, with Softbank's seven largest holdings, including Yahoo and E*Trade, now worth more than US$14 billion.

Nobuyuki Idei
President, co-CEO of Sony Corp
Age: 62
Education: Bachelor of Politics and
Engineering, Waseda University

Idei worked hard to make sure Sony stayed relevant in the fast-moving '90s, shifting its focus from televisions and basic consumer electronics to digital technology -- including sophisticated game consoles and high-definition televisions. The flamboyant marketing ace last year boosted the company's operating income to a record US$3.9 billion on revenue of US$51 billion. The real test will come next year, when Sony releases Playstation II, the follow-up to its hugely successful games machine. Staying ahead in dynamic hi-tech industries will be tough, but Sony -- with Idei at the helm -- is well served to maintain its dominance.

Hiroshi Okuda
Chairman, Japan Federation of Employers' Association
Age: 67
Education: Hitotsubashi University

Okuda may have stepped aside as the president of Toyota in June this year, but don't expect him to fade into obscurity. The 39-year Toyota veteran, who guided the company to its best results in decades (group income more than tripled in 1998), has moved to an equally high-profile post as head of Japan's most powerful employers' group. And analysts say Okuda still has enormous clout within Toyota, guiding Japan's largest car maker to further successes from behind the scenes.

Hideo Sawada
Chairman, Skymark Airlines and President, H.I.S. Ltd
Age: 48
Education: University of Mainz

Bucking the system and putting the customer as top priority has always been Hideo Sawada's style. The German-trained entrepreneur introduced the concept of budget travel to Japan in 1980, shaking up the industry and paving the way for a massive change in Japanese consumer culture. This year, Sawada has launched his own airline, Skymark, and has even thrown his hat into the securities sector with H.I.S Kyoritsu Securities.

ON THE RISE: YASUYUKI NAMBU

CEO, Pasona Group
Age: 47

When Yasuyuki Nambu started the Pasona Elder temporary placement agency back in 1980, analysts thought it was either a move of madness or a stroke of genius. The tatter has proved to be the case, with changing times and the Asian economic crisis forcing Japan to shed its "jobs for life" culture and turn more towards the high-growth industry specialists Pasona can provide. And with the Japanese government expected to liberalise the jobs market this year, Nambu can expect his company to improve on its current ranking as the 10th-largest placement agency in the world.

Don't forget

Masayoshi Ito, Chairman 7-Eleven Inc, and family, of Ito-Yokado convenience store proprietors; Ken Kutaragi, President of Sony Computer Entertainment; Miyazawa Kiichi, Finance Minister.

JAPAN: AT A GLANCE

Capital:                         Tokyo
Surface area:                    378,000 sq km
Population:                      125.9 million (1998)
GOP:                             US$3,797.2bn (1998)
GOP per capita:                  US$30,200 (1998)
Exports of goods and services:   US$456.8bn
Imports of goods and services:   US$432.2bn