Changes are drastic all over the world.
In Japan, the government has enacted a law that enables the establishment of a company with a capital of only one yen as of this spring. Since the effective date of this law, there have already been 4,000 new companies established under this new law as of today. Small, independent businesses are swiftly emerging entities. Their incorporations and growths are supported and activated by local governments. We think it very important to extend the network of "individuals" throughout the world, not merely throughout Asia.
Masahiro Mizuno
Photograph by Keita Sasaki
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Leading firms of trading had once mediated and promoted such businesses. Today, however, thanks to the development of the Internet, "small businesses "should be brought up to be "smart businesses" directly throughout the world crossing borders without the intermediation by trading firms.
The functional, economic developments of "Incubation Cities" assisting "the globalization of SOHO" will achieve a new model of the knowledge industry. The urban environmental concept formed around a core of new working style will be deployed globally to regenerate cities and create small business communities. Occurring on November 1, The SOHO/Independent Workers Day has been born out of such grand vision.
The functional, economic developments of "Incubation Cities" assisting "the globalization of SOHO" will realize a new model of the knowledge industry. The urban environmental concept formed around a core of new working style will be deployed globally to regenerate cities and create small business communities . "The SOHO/Independent Workers Day" was born out of such grand vision.
We hope that "The SOHO/Independent Workers Day" will be a day that will stimulate the cooperation and self-support of independent workers not only in Asia, but also in the world.
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In order to make this day significant, Japan SOHO Association, Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development, Japan Teleworkers Association, etc. have jointly launched a committee to unify the three concepts of "Identity (living by own value)," "Independence (independent, self-supported way of life)" and "Individuality (individual, personal way of life)," into one. These three "I's" were likened to three "1's" of "November 1 (11/1)."
It is hoped that this "SOHO/Independent Workers Day" will provide company workers belonging to their companies as well as SOHO and independent workers with an opportunity of thinking over their "self-support, i.e., a way of life that allows them to look on their life by their own values and reflect it in the improvement of themselves and their families."
It is needless to say there is keen awareness of the imperatives of the world situation.
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Situations behind this maneuver, it is necessary to understand the following. In the midst of the chronic deflationary recession and financial model innovation, it is not only the rising rate of unemployment that is affecting the Japanese depressed society seriously. The working styles of employed youth estimated to be 2 to 3 millions are also being affected to a great extent while the corporate values are transforming. Not only with the "can't find a job" background, but also with "the diversification of values among people working," there is an increase in working styles aiming at independent ways of life.
It is hoped that "SOHO/Independent Workers Day" will provide company workers belonging to their companies as well as SOHO and independent workers with an opportunity of thinking over their "self-support, i.e., a way of life that allows them to look on their life by their own values and reflect it in the improvement of themselves and their families."
Leading companies of Japan, having once built a high-growth economy, now need to promote "restructuring" to cope with swelled management. Recently, however, some of them have provided a personnel system to assist those employees they are spinning off. On the other hand, due to the advent of society with a declining birthrate and the growing proportion of elderly people, and in view of the securement of business manpower, Japan is estimated to have no choice but to resort to the solution of a labor shortage by outsourcing based on variable costs. Then, it may be a theme of vital importance to promote a new non-employed working style, i.e., self-employed working style.
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Masahiro Mizuno
Photograph by Keita Sasaki. |
Under the circumstances, a national policy named "e-Japan Strategy II" treating "working and laboring" has set up a goal with numerical figures, aiming at "increasing the number of teleworkers in the proper working environment to 20% of all working population by 2010." On the other hand, over 10 million Japanese households have introduced broadband lines, and the population of advanced mobile Internet users has marked the largest in the world.
Here, it should be noted that the number of Japan's small businesses with less than 10 employees each has exceeded 5 million with over 15 millions totally employed. Owing to the evolution in data communication, the three largest cities of Japan have 3.13 million SOHO and teleworkers (0.73 million SOHO workers and 2.4 million teleworkers) in total, and this number is still growing.
In the future, the IT infrastructures will be strengthened on one side, and the aging society with fewer children will become more conspicuous on the other hand. Along this trend, self-employed, independent workers and SOHO workers will outrun in working style the employed teleworkers. Since the working environment is refurbished to accommodate such movement, the needs for working environment that allows independence is growing.
Reflecting on the above in preparation for the future, November 1 has been set, as of this year, as SOHO/Independent Workers Day in Japan.
© Copyright 2003 Japan SOHO Association / Masahiro Mizuno, All Rights Reserved
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