“A real signal to the rest of the world”
In a country long admired for its hardware but less so for its software, engineers are using AI to close the gap. According to a Microsoft report, Japanese developers uploaded 129 percent more code changes to GitHub compared to a year ago, compared to a global average of 78 percent. This shows that this technology is already changing the way coders do their jobs.
Technology companies around the world are taking notice. There is a new wave of entrepreneurship in Japan, and “we want to be part of that story,” Dmitry Shevelenko, chief business officer of San Francisco-based Perplexity AI, said at a recent event in Tokyo. Like the likes of OpenAI, he is far from alone. human Companies such as have opened offices.
However, the country remains relatively isolated and remains reluctant to cooperate fully with foreign institutions. Companies that want to participate in Japan’s AI transformation will need to act like long-term stakeholders, hire local staff, and offer serious partnerships.
This could also mean fostering deeper collaborations with universities and research communities. According to Edelman’s research, scientists are one of the few organizations in Japan that still enjoys a high degree of public trust. AI companies seeking credibility should borrow less from the Silicon Valley hype machine and more from Japan’s institutional ecosystem.
Still, Shebelenko said: “If you succeed here, it’s a real signal to the world that you’ve built something of incredible quality.” He’s right that this insight is a strength.
