Japan Research Center

The Harvard Business School Japan Research Center (JRC) opened in January 2002. Located in Tokyo, its primary purpose is to support HBS faculty research and case-writing activities in Japan. JRC plays an important role in helping HBS advance its activities. Through its work in Japan, facilitated by the JRC, HBS strives to deepen faculty's understanding of and exposure to Japanese management issues, trends, and practices, as well as developing locally relevant case studies and course materials for use in MBA and Executive Education programs around the world. The School is heavily involved in strengthening ties with important constituencies in Japan (including companies, universities, government, and HBS alumni) - these relationships are critical to ensuring that the School's efforts have an impact. The work of the JRC has enabled the School's faculty to identify and study important management advancements in Japan, or develop and test their ideas within a Japanese framework.

Harvard Business School Japan Research Symposium was held in Tokyo on March 23, 2007, and Dean Jay O Light made an opening speech.


Issue # 11 - Summary of activities during the second half of 2007

Cases

Roppongi Hills: A City Within A City

Anita Elberse (Marketing) and Andrei Hagiu (Strategy) developed a case on Roppongi Hills, a 12-hectar complex in Tokyo consisting of offices, residences, retail shops and restaurants, movie theatres, a hotel,  and a museum, developed by Mori Building, a leading real estate developer in Japan.  It’s CEO, Minoru Mori, is pondering the future of the art museum, which has been consistently losing money. 

Kinyuseisaku: Monetary Policy in Japan

Laura Alfaro (BGIE) developed a case on monetary policy in Japan.  The case begins with an overview of Japanese monetary policy since 1945, and discusses the Bank of Japan’s efforts to fight deflation during the 1990s, including measures such as the zero-interest and quantitative easing policies.  The case describes the challenges faced by Governor Toshihiko Fukui in trying to raise the interest rate to the normal level while maintaining economic growth, in the midst of extreme uncertainty in Japanese politics and global financial markets.

The Dojima Rice Futures Market

David Moss (BGIE) developed a case on the Dojima Rice Futures Market, the world’s first futures exchange which was established in 1730, more than 100 years before Chicago Board of Trade was founded in 1848.  The case describes how the futures market evolved from a hedging mechanism to speculative transactions and how the government dealt with those developments.  This case allows students to discuss and understand the essence of futures transactions.

Visitors from Boston

During the second half of 2007, Jordan Siegel (Strategy), Laura Alfaro (BGIE), Anita Elberse (Marketing), Linda Hill (Organizational Behavior), and Lynn Paine (General Management) visited Tokyo to engage in research and case development.

Adam Chase (a member of the Admissions Board) visited Tokyo to give a presentation to applicants on the MBA program and admissions process.  Ed Kelly (Director of Academic Sales, HBS Publishing) and Carol Sweet (Operations Manager of Higher Education, HBS Publishing) visited Japan to meet with their partners and to explore opportunities in Japan.

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