It's time for Japanese companies to review their profit-driven culture and think about the meaning of being truly accepted by consumers and society, according to a public policy expert and former vice governor of Tokyo.
"Japan's corporate culture is at a crossroads," said Yasushi Aoyama, a professor of public policy at Meiji University's Graduate School of Governance Studies, referring to scandals ranging from tainted and expired foods to faked quake-safety data by architect Hidetsugu Aneha. "It is time for Japanese businessmen to learn how the private sector should be involved in the public good."
This summer, Aoyama is spearheading Meiji University's first attempt to bring Boston College's renowned program on corporate social responsibility, known as CSR, to Japan, and the university is now accepting applications.