Japan's female bosses mapping a course for other women

Image source, Getty Images

The Gion Matsuri is believed to have begun in 869AD. It adopted the digital world.

An interactive map was made available to show where and when to see the 34 huge, ornate floats that paraded across the city of Kyoto over two separate days.

The location of the floats was shown using gps. The map can be used to find friends and chat with them. You could read about a building's history in Japanese or English if you click on it.

The president and co-chief executive of a Kyoto-based firm is behind the technology. In a country where the start-up scene is still very much dominated by men, she is a rare female entrepreneurial.

Image source, Stroly

She says she was surprised that the festival organizers would allow them to digitise their map.

The website-based map can be scanned with a mobile device. Hideo Yoshii, who is in charge of looking after one of the biggest floats, said that if it had just wanted to put signs on the walls, it might have gotten some resistance.

The pattern of a traditional Japanese map was used in the design of the postcard. The design for the digital map was used to complement the atmosphere of the event.

The city's tourism department gave out pamphlets before the Pandemic, but tourists found it hard to navigate the city.

Police officers who are on the ground found it easier to explain to visitors where to go. She says that they have reduced their paper waste by a third.

Image source, Machi Takahashi

The idea to set up a business making digital maps came to Ms Takahashi and her husband and co- founder, Toru, while they were still working at a technology research institute in Kyoto. He is also the co-chief executive of the company.

The movie industry theme park was one of their first customers.

The boss of Toei Kyoto studio park asked Mr and Ms Takahashi to create a game using Nintendo DS.

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The park's visitors had to locate seven actors playing screen villains in order to win a game.

The theme park remained one of the main clients after the Takahashis set up their own business.

A spokesman for the park says that visitors can find out more about the shows and facilities thanks to the use of smartphones.

The vibrant nightlife of the busy Shinjuku area of central Tokyo is highlighted in a map produced by Stroly. It was commissioned by the government.

Image source, Stroly

There is a map that shows where to find the best cheese in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island, as well as work for clients outside of Japan.

The maps can be used by members of the public. Most of its money is made by charging its customers in tourism and transport.

There was no woman in this information technology field when I started thinking about starting my own business.

I had to get in touch with Ari Horie from the Women's Startup Lab in Silicon Valley to help me out.

One of the first start-ups to be given mentoring was Stroly.

Ms Takahashi was able to get financing from Daiwa Securities. The firm received money from the start-up fund.

Female entrepreneurs in Japan face a lot of difficulties. Only 2% of venture capital in the US went to women last year.

Serena Williams said in an article for Vogue magazine that she launched her own investment fund because she was "evolving away from tennis".

Image source, Getty Images

Williams said that sometimes like attracts like. In order to change that, more people who look like me need to give money back to themselves.

Ms Takahashi is in agreement. Men hold the decision-making roles. She thinks they can't relate to the issues addressed by women entrepreneurs.

The five years from 2015 to 2020 were supposed to triple the proportion of female managers in Japan. The current level is just 15% higher than the global average.

Kathy Matsui leads a firm called MPower Partners, which she started in Tokyo with two other women. The Japanese government has been encouraged to improve its gender ratio by Ms Matsui's "womenomics" drive since the 1990s.

Image source, MPower Partners

She says that the majority of entrepreneurs in Japan are male.

Start-ups are trying to use innovation to create life changing technologies. You're already trying to win a marathon on one leg rather than two if you exclude half the population from your potential talent pool.

The male-dominated rule might be an exception to Ms. Takahashi's success in finding a gap in the digital tourism market. It is not easy to create an equal footing in Japan's workforce.

She doesn't have any advice for young entrepreneurs.

She tells them to jump into the system. It's easy to get to know someone in the field and it's a great way to expand your business.