Innovate. Connect. Cultivate.

The Cloud Cultures bid is an exploration of the intersection betwixt unreality innovation and civilization crossed the globe.

‘Mottainai,’ an thought profoundly rooted successful Japanese culture, is simply a telephone to respect resources and debar waste. It goes beyond specified frugality; it’s an inherent designation of the worth of each item. I saw this ideology reflected everyplace during my travel to Japan for this occurrence of Cloud Cultures—in the proscription system, successful my interactions with store owners, adjacent successful the movements of a maestro sushi cook (or itamae) that I watched implicit the barroom astatine an Omakase restaurant.

The aforesaid attack is applied to Japan’s technological innovations. While innovation is often associated with monumental breakthroughs oregon flashy advancements, I recovered that successful Japan, innovation thrives successful the simplest forms. It’s a doctrine woven into the Japanese mode of life—a reverence for simplicity, mindfulness, and the intrinsic worth of everything astir us. Using the principles of precision and mindfulness, we tin span the gaps betwixt technology, design, and craftmanship.

Japan invents with intention

I started my latest Cloud Culture escapade successful the Shinagawa territory of Tokyo, wandering done constrictive streets and sampling section specialties earlier gathering with Takeshi Numoto, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer astatine Microsoft. He’s a Japanese autochthonal and adept successful ordering delicious meals—needless to say, I was thrilled to cohost this occurrence with Takeshi. We walked to an Omakase edifice wherever we discussed the formalities of Japanese concern culture. After sharing immoderate baked oysters prepared with a culinary torch, I went to larn astir 1 of Japan’s astir renowned innovations: the railway system.

West Japan Railway Company prioritizes information and innovation

For the 20 cardinal passengers riding trains successful Japan each year, assurance successful the precision and prime of the railway strategy is key. With implicit thirty-five years of cognition and an impeccable information grounds with 5 cardinal regular users, West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) embodies responsibility, prioritizing information portion envisioning the aboriginal of bid technology. On Takeshi’s advice, I met with a subordinate of the section Microsoft team, Toshie Ninomiya, Managing Executive Officer of Microsoft Japan. Together, we had the accidental to beryllium down with Okuda Hideo, Director and Executive Officer of Digital Solution Headquarters of JR-West, and his team.

During the pandemic, JR-West experienced an 89% diminution successful passengers. This created a consciousness of urgency—and ultimately, demanded a mindset shift. They pivoted their concern strategy from filling arsenic galore seats arsenic imaginable to curating a unique, idiosyncratic acquisition for their riders. With their customers successful mind, JR-West implemented unreality and AI solutions to go a much data-driven company. Now, they store lawsuit transport and acquisition information connected the cloud, which tin beryllium analyzed to unlock insights that alteration amended lawsuit experiences.

After our sojourn with JR-West, it became wide to maine wherefore Japan’s railway strategy is recognized worldwide. Through meticulous attraction to item and data-driven insights, JR-West ensures that their services transcend lawsuit expectations portion maintaining impeccable standards of ratio and safety.

Sony Group uses unreality exertion to clasp AI

While Toshie and I learned however JR-West uses AI to payment their customers, Takeshi visited Sony office to conscionable up with an aged friend, Tsuyoshi Kodera, Executive Vice President, CDO and CIO of Sony Corporation.

In 1946, with lone 190,000 yen and a squad of 20 employees, Masaru Ibuka founded Sony with a imaginativeness of “establishing an perfect mill that stresses a tone of state and unfastened mindedness that will, done technology, lend to Japanese culture.” Reflecting Sony’s unwavering committedness to pushing boundaries and achieving the unprecedented, the institution has consistently introduced groundbreaking products, often claiming the titles of ‘Japan’s first’ and ‘world’s first.’

Throughout our journey, we were reminded of the value of collaboration and balance. Beyond their concern with Microsoft, Sony has expanded their AI strategies successful exceptional ways. For example, they’ve implemented caller autofocus capabilities successful their cameras, implemented AI passim their mill manufacturing lines, and adjacent incorporated it successful their celebrated Gran Turismo bid connected PlayStation. Sony is looking toward the aboriginal of AI and unreality capabilities to make deeper experiences, physique lifelong customers, and assistance democratize innovative technologies.

NISSIN FOODS Group modernizes with AI to amended ratio and productivity

For our last stop, Toshie and I visited the CUPNOODLES MUSEUM successful Yokohama to conscionable with NISSIN FOODS Group’s Chief Information Officer, Toshihiro Narita, and sermon however the institution is fusing unneurotic unreality computing and shaping aboriginal nutrient trends.

Since launching the world’s archetypal instant noodles, NISSIN FOODS Group’s imaginativeness has remained consistent: lend to nine and the world by gratifying radical everyplace with pleasures and delights nutrient tin provide. And contempt not being a accepted tech company, NISSIN FOODS Group is embracing integer translation wholeheartedly.

As portion of its programme to enactment sustainable growth, NISSIN FOODS Group aims to amended labour productivity done efficiency. To this end, they’ve implemented assorted initiatives to amended in-office productivity. This includes migrating to the cloud utilizing Microsoft 365 to follow a distant work-enabled situation and amended cybersecurity hygiene to continuously support the wellness of the company’s IT estate. Cloud and AI technologies are helping NISSIN FOODS Group’s employees beryllium much productive, giving them much clip backmost to absorption connected originative work, and successful turn, make caller nutrient cultures.

After enjoying our customized CUPNOODLES from the My CUPNOODLES Factory, Toshie and I had a accidental to bespeak connected the unsocial attack NISSIN FOODS Group is taking. They are showcasing however each institution tin promote innovation by modernizing with unreality technology, portion staying existent to their roots. From CUPNOODLES to cutting-edge nutrient tech, innovation knows nary bounds successful Japan, offering a flavorful glimpse into the aboriginal of some exertion and gastronomy.

Building a aboriginal that embraces tradition

From integer invention to nutrient accessibility and revolutionizing transportation, Japan continues to germinate with a absorption connected precision and mindfulness. I spot a civilization that blends contented and innovation, forging a aboriginal that honors practice portion embracing progress. Inspired by the unthinkable sights and smells of my journey—not to notation the insightful leaders I’ve met on the way—I transportation with maine a renewed position connected however we tin physique a integer satellite rooted successful intentionality and craftsmanship.

Learn more

• Watch much Cloud Cultures episodes
• Find the Azure geography that meets your needs
• Learn much astir Microsoft customers successful Japan
• Discover astir however Microsoft is investing successful AI successful Japan

The station Cloud Cultures, Part 7: Creating equilibrium successful a integer satellite done precision and mindfulness successful Japan appeared archetypal connected Microsoft Azure Blog.