Abstract

"The Essence of Failure" is a long-standing classic that unravels the reasons for Japan's defeat in World War II (which the book refers to as the Greater East Asia War) and draws lessons from them. In a world far from "safe and secure," with the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread environmental destruction and natural disasters, and rising military tensions around the world, are the Japanese government and corporations responding adequately to this national crisis?

Unfortunately, the structural flaws of the Japanese military highlighted in the book can also be found in many organizations in modern Japan. The book draws various lessons from its analysis of the causes of the Japanese military's defeat and proposes ways to become a winning organization, but the reality is that many organizations are still unable to put them into practice. Perhaps now is the time to reread the book and absorb the wisdom it offers for surviving these turbulent times. We spoke with Ikujiro Nonaka, Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University, one of the authors and the man who led the process leading up to the book's completion, about the background to the book's creation and the path of his subsequent research into military history.

This book begins with the origins of his bestselling book, "The Essence of Failure" (1984), which marked the beginning of his research into war, and provides an overview of the expansion of his research into military history, which has expanded to include "The Essence of Strategy" (2005), "The Essence of State Management" (2014), and "The Essence of Wisdom" (2019). Rather than simply providing an overview of his previously published works, Nonaka explains in his own words what he was thinking, how he deepened his research into military history, and how it linked to his own management theory. It also attempts to elucidate Nonaka's own "knowledge creation process."

Author’s Information

Ikujiro Nonaka, Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University, born in 1935. After graduating from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University, he worked at Fuji Electric Manufacturing before earning a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Business. His books include "The Essence of Failure," "The Essence of Strategy," "The Essence of National Strategy," and "The Essence of Wisdom" (all co-authored), as well as "Markets and Organizations," "The Management of Knowledge Creation," "Knowledge-Creating Companies," and "Wise Companies."

Hiroyuki Maeda, Visiting Researcher at Gakushuin University, Part-time Lecturer at Kawamura Gakuen Women's University, and Writer. Joined the Nihon Keizai Shimbun in 1986. He has worked in the Osaka Economics Department, Tokyo Economics Department, and Osaka Economics Department as financial editor and editorial committee member for the Economic Commentary Department before assuming his current position.