Japan’s Refusal to Imitate Silicon Valley

Japan deliberately declined to copy Silicon Valley’s startup‑first, scale‑at‑all‑costs model, favoring slower, human‑scale institutions and different priorities for technology. The essay argues that this refusal may leave Japan better placed to decide what technology is for, rather than merely how big its tech industry can get. — If other countries question the Silicon Valley template, Japan’s example offers a live policy alternative that bears on industrial strategy, regulation, and civic values around technology.