In the US, the backlash to artificial intelligence is scaling almost as fast as the technology itself. Japan offers a contrasting case, where slow AI adoption is met with calm, potentially allowing the nation to bypass the messy, early phases of hype and expensive experimentation.
Japan can learn from first movers and jump directly to turning AI into real economic infrastructure. The technology here feels more practical than performative, especially given a shrinking labor force and pressing challenges like an aging population.
AI adoption in Japan is finally picking up. In Q1 of this year, it rose 3.4 percentage points, more than three times the global average, according to Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute. Developers in Japan uploaded 129% more code changes to GitHub than a year earlier, versus a global average of 78%.
Major tech players are taking notice. Perplexity AI, OpenAI, and Anthropic are opening offices in Tokyo. However, the country remains cautious about foreign institutions. Companies seeking to succeed must act as long-term stakeholders, hiring locally and forging genuine partnerships.
Business leaders are urged to focus AI on urgent problems, like tourism. AI can build smarter itineraries, ease congestion, and spread travel demand beyond crowded hotspots. Policymakers favor a light-touch regulatory approach, aiming to make Japan the most AI-friendly nation.
Softbank founder Masayoshi Son is betting $60 billion on OpenAI. While the outcome is uncertain, Softbank’s 30-year time horizon underscores the marathon nature of this revolution. Japan’s long view may be its greatest asset: the winners will be those who embed AI deepest across the economy, not those who sprint first.