News & Highlights

  • DECEMBER 2025
  • Alumni Event

Faculty Talk by Professor Feng Zhu

On December 17, the HBS Japan Research Center, in collaboration with the HBS Club of Japan, hosted an in-person faculty talk featuring Professor Feng Zhu. In his talk, “Thriving in the Age of Uncertainty,” Professor Zhu examined how leaders and organizations can succeed amid rapid digital transformation and ongoing uncertainty. Emphasizing the importance of identifying enduring strategic “constants,” he shared insights through a range of business cases, including Domino’s, Sephora, Disney, and HBS Online. He also discussed how digital technologies and AI can be leveraged to strengthen differentiation and long-term competitiveness. The event concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where participants engaged Professor Zhu on strategic and leadership challenges in today’s evolving business environment.
  • November 2025
  • ALUMNI EVENT

Faculty Talk by Professor Tomomichi Amano

On November 21, the HBS Club of Japan and the Japan Research Center hosted Assistant Professor Tomomichi Amano for a faculty talk based on his recent book, “The Conditions for Innovation Diffusion,”. Professor Amano offered practical insights into why some innovations spread while others struggle to gain traction. Drawing on his research, he discussed the challenges faced by organizations and creators working to introduce new ideas and products. The session concluded with a lively Q&A, followed by a networking reception where participants had the opportunity to meet Professor Amano and fellow alumni.
  • NOVEMBER 2025
  • EVENT

Driving AI Transformation

In November 2025, the Digital Design Institute at Harvard (D³) hosted its inaugural CEO Forum in Tokyo in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, White & Case, and SoftBank, welcoming over 70 senior executives and business leaders. The forum featured insights from Harvard Business School Professors Karim Lakhani and Dennis Campbell, alongside Professor Yutaka Matsuo of the University of Tokyo, who discussed the rapid evolution of generative AI, its impact on productivity and innovation, and the leadership capabilities required to guide organizations through intelligent transformation. An executive panel with senior leaders from Rakuten and McKinsey shared practical perspectives on deploying AI at scale, and the event concluded with an interactive Q&A session, giving participants the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers and explore AI’s growing influence across industries.
  • JUNE 2025
  • MBA Admissions

HBS MBA Information Session in Tokyo

On June 28, the HBS Japan Research Center hosted an in-person MBA information session in Tokyo, featuring Dana Fernandez, Director of MBA Admissions, in collaboration with the HBS Club of Japan, an alumni association. The event drew over 50 prospective applicants who had the rare opportunity to hear directly from Ms. Fernandez and engage with a panel of local alumni. The session offered valuable insights into the HBS MBA experience and provided a meaningful platform for attendees to connect with alumni and fellow candidates.

New Research on the Region

  • January 2026
  • Case

Baskin-Robbins Japan (A)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Akiko Kanno

This case examines the strategic challenges facing Baskin-Robbins Japan (BRJ) in 2019 as John Kim, an incoming CEO appointed by parent company Dunkin’ Brands International, sought to reverse low profitability and stalled growth at one of Japan’s most iconic consumer brands. In recent years, BRJ had focused heavily on store count growth, often at the cost of profitability. Despite operating more than 1,000 franchise stores and enjoying strong brand recognition, BRJ was constrained by an aging franchisee base, outdated franchise stores, inconsistent pricing, franchisee reliance on subsidies, and a deeply ingrained “franchisee-first” mindset that limited management’s ability to enforce operational and strategic change. Intensifying competition from convenience stores, shifting consumer demographics, and evolving dessert preferences further threatened BRJ’s business. The case explores the tension between trust-based franchise governance and the need for strategic renewal, highlighting critical decisions around pricing, franchise store portfolio, customer experience, and organizational alignment as Kim considered how to reposition the brand for sustainable growth without alienating franchisees.

  • January 2026
  • Teaching Material

TELEXISTENCE Inc.

By: Paul A. Gompers

A case about a Japanese robotics startup aiming to enter the U.S. market with its robots that combine AI and human intervention to complete restocking tasks in retail stores. Teaching Plan for HBS Case No. 224-031.

  • January 2026
  • Teaching Material

Baskin-Robbins Japan (B)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Akiko Kanno

Supplement to the (A) Case, 726-392. This case follows Baskin-Robbins Japan (BRJ) in 2024, nearly five years after John Kim became CEO, documenting how the company executed a comprehensive transformation to restore growth and profitability in a mature, franchise-based business. Kim shifted BRJ from a franchisee-first mindset to a customer-first strategy, redesigning incentives, upgrading operations, and investing in digital platforms and data-driven marketing. The case details concrete initiatives—including franchisee segmentation and succession planning, store format innovation, price optimization and unification, operational staffing reforms, and manufacturing automation—that together delivered sustained comparable-store sales growth and an increase in profits.

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Tokyo Staff

Nobuo Sato
Executive Director
→ Biography
Akiko Kanno
Associate Director
Akiko Saito
Senior Researcher
Yukari Takizawa
Office Manager