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Professor Mintzberg’s statement that “population decline is an opportunity”
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On February 12, we held a symposium with Professor Henry Mintzberg, known as one of the world's leading experts on "organization theory." Although the event started early at 9:30 a.m., we were very pleased to have many people attending the event.
◎Prof. Mintzberg's Organization Theory Symposium Held (Index Group)
This symposium was held in the form of a dialogue, with Professor Mintzberg participating online and panelists Ms. Mai Teshigawara (organizational development specialist), Professor Takahiro Nakajima (professor at the University of Tokyo and director of the Institute of Oriental Culture) and Mr. Shu Yamaguchi (author) participating on-site. Although this setup was somewhat unusual, the perspectives each of them offered on what an ‘organization’ should be were extremely insightful.
This was a dialogue with many insights, and among them, I was encouraged by Professor Mintzberg's words, "Population decline is an opportunity."
Certainly, a dwindling workforce is a major challenge, but constraints are an essential factor in creating innovation. The overwhelming constraint of a labor shortage is the soil for new innovation. In addition, labor shortages will more strongly encourage the participation of people who have not participated much in the labor market in the past, such as women, the elderly, and foreigners. This diversity is also conducive to innovation.
He remarked that "Japan excels in everything, and no one overseas talks about a so‑called 'lost 30 years.'" Although his comments felt somewhat overly complimentary toward Japan, Professor Mintzberg has long embraced a deeply field‑based approach, visiting and studying the on‑the‑ground realities of many Japanese companies over the years. Seen through the lens of such firsthand observations, he likely perceives that Japan still has many strengths. I felt that Professor Mintzberg can see aspects of Japan that are difficult for those of us living here to notice. (Last year as well, he reportedly visited the field operations of Co‑op Sapporo.)”
With a declining and aging population, a weak yen and high prices, and a political system that cannot make decisions, people in Japan tend to focus only on what is wrong with Japan. Of course, these social issues must be overcome, and we need to work toward solutions. However, the situation in Europe and the United States is even worse. I felt that we Japanese should have more confidence that Japan is a wonderful country, as Professor Mintzberg said.
Maybe we should have more confidence in Japan. Photo: Kasumigaseki 1-chome intersection (Photo by Miyuki Meinaka, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
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Maybe we should have more confidence in Japan. Photo: Kasumigaseki 1-chome intersection (Photo by Miyuki Meinaka, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)<br
[Published on February 25, 2026
*This report was originally published on LinkedIn on February 22, 2026.
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