Advocating CSR, Social Entrepreneurship & Japanese Philosophy
---Hiroshi Tasaka Pens First English Book---
Hiroshi Tasaka -- bestselling author of over 40 books in Japanese (including co-author of the Nikkei Corporate Social Responsibility book), as well as a two-time keynote speaker at the Nikkei CSR Symposium -- is bringing his concept of Japanese social entrepreneurship to American business people in his first English book, To the Summit: Why Should You Embrace an Ideal in Your Heart?. Written to inspire people of any age to find meaning and purpose in their work, Tasaka’s book recommends a return to old Japanese philosophy and redefines success as growth rather than wealth, title or reputation. Required reading for business people in the United States who want to understand the cultural differences between Japanese and American management styles, To the Summit also explains why companies, as well as individuals benefit when they embrace the ideals of Corporate Social Responsibility.
While To the Summit promotes universal themes, its backbone is strong with Japanese philosophy and the idea that a return to old Japanese ways is the path to success in the future. Tasaka recommends cherishing "enishi," an old Japanese word meaning "destined relationships," and making the most out of them. Whether good relationships or bad, Tasaka believes each encounter an individual has throughout his life offers room for personal growth.
In addition, Tasaka redefines the notion of "noblesse oblige" and their responsibilities. "If you are living a life that you are not going to lose in a war or because of oppression, if you are living a life where you don't have to suffer from starvation and poverty, if you are living a life where you can use water and electricity, if you are living a life where you can go to a hospital and receive medicine, if you are living a life where you can learn to read and write, you are a privileged person. Among the billions of people living on this earth now, without a doubt, you are a privileged person," writes Tasaka. "The people who were born into privileged circumstances have an obligation to those who weren't born into such circumstances. These privileged people are the new 'noblesse oblige' with the meaning modernized from 'an obligation that a noble person should realize' to 'the noble quality of a person who realizes their obligation."
Underscoring his explanation of the modern noblesse oblige, Tasaka tells the reader, "You were given your life to do something important for many people and for the world." More specifically, Tasaka would like readers to become social entrepreneurs. In his definition, a social entrepreneur is not just someone who starts a non-profit charitable organization or a company with very active CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities. Social entrepreneurs are "people who work hard while contributing to the world and helping people no matter how small their projects are." Tasaka has made it is his personal mission to help everyone—from the mailroom employee to the CEO of a Fortune 100 company—become social entrepreneurs. "No matter which organizations or corporations one works at, no matter which area one works in, it is important that everyone works and lives as if they are a social entrepreneur," states Tasaka.
Tasaka lives and promotes social entrepreneurship and "the invisible rewards for work" on many levels. As an author in Japan, Tasaka has written on thought and philosophy (Ecology of the Mind, Wisdom of Complexity), society and the market (What Should We Do Now to Change This Country?, What Will Happen in the Knowledge Society?) , corporate and management issues (Why Does Your Management Face the Wall?, Management of the Mind: A Piece of Email Can Change the Entire Workplace) and work and life (How Will Approaches to Work Change in the Future?, What is Success in Life?). By not only being prolific, but also by writing books in many different styles and for many different audiences (from the individual reader to corporate management), Tasaka explains social entrepreneurship and its benefits on the micro and macro scale.
On the practical application side of being a social entrepreneur, Tasaka is one of the founders and a current Fellow of The Japan Research Institute (JRI). At the JRI, he collaborated with 702 private companies to establish and manage 20 consortia within 10 years. In essence, he brought together companies with similar products (that may have even formerly competed) to develop new products or solutions and thereby grow their business individually and collectively. In 1992, Tasaka helped 26 companies with analysis technology for soil contamination form the "Assessment Technology Network Laboratory." This organization created a "packaged product" to analyze and assess easily, quickly and at low cost the contamination of factory grounds. In addition, the "Assessment Technology Laboratory" suggested a policy to install soil contamination regulation to the government. As a result, the "soil contamination environment purification forum" was started under the Environmental Agency. Both the 26 companies and their factory clients benefited greatly, as did the earth.
In 2000, Tasaka both founded and became President of Think tank SophiaBank with the mission to incubate new social systems by fostering social entrepreneurs. The organization fulfills its mission with the Social Vision and Strategy Forum (which helps social entrepreneurs to network and work together), the Japan Social Entrepreneur Forum (which encourages workers to become social entrepreneurs) and the Social Entrepreneur Education Forum (which educates social entrepreneurs through a community university). Tasaka put together a powerful and influential group of Japan Social Entrepreneur Forum partners to make his vision a reality. One partner is Allen Miner, former CEO of Oracle Japan, who helps social entrepreneurs find venture capital. Other partners include Mieko Nishimizu, former Vice President of World Bank Group, and Rosanne Haggerty, President of Common Ground Community, which provides housing for homeless people by reforming old hotels in New York.
"I became an engineer to improve the world at a young age. After that, I became a researcher, a sales and planning manager, a member of senior management and a strategic advisor to many CEOs," said Tasaka, "I have been studying and learning many things in my different roles in order to change the world."
In conjunction with the launch of his first American book, Tasaka will be conducting a bi-coastal American speaking tour. On November 27, Tasaka will speak on the "Happiness Gap" at Stacey's Bookstore (www.staceys.com) in San Francisco. On November 29, Tasaka will be discussing "Beyond Web 2.0: How the Next Tech Revolution will Change the World" at The New School in New York (www.imagineglobalasia.org). Both events are free and open to the public.
