Abstract

The Essence of Failure" is a long-read classic work that elucidates the causes of Japan's defeat in World War II (referred to uniformly in the book as the Greater East Asia War) and draws lessons from the war. In a world that is far from "safe and secure," with the explosion of new coronavirus infections, the spread of environmental destruction and natural disasters, and rising military tensions around the world, are the Japanese government and businesses adequately responding to the national crisis? The structural flaws in the Japanese military that the book highlights can unfortunately be found in various organizations in contemporary Japan. The book draws various lessons from its analysis of the causes of defeat in the Japanese military and suggests ways to become a winning organization, but the reality is that many organizations have yet to implement them. Now is the time to reread the book and absorb its wisdom for surviving in times of turmoil.
In this book, Ikujiro Nonaka, one of the authors and a Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University, who led the process leading up to the completion of the book, discusses the background of the book's creation and the subsequent trajectory of his research on military history.

Author’s Information

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