BCG Japan Co-Chair Reiko Akiike Appointed Keidanren Vice Chair, One of Two Women in Role

Reiko Akiike, co-chair of Boston Consulting Group Japan, will become vice chair of the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, on Wednesday. She will be one of two women among the organization’s 20 vice chairs. Akiike spoke during an interview in Tokyo on May 26.

She said the Japanese government needs to clarify the purpose of strategic investments promoted by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Akiike said she has strong expectations for investment in 17 areas, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum technology.

” “The government should think about where to aim,” Akiike said, asking whether Japan will accept what domestic AI can do or nurture it to take an appropriate position in the world.

She added that the government should set appropriate evaluation standards for the investment. “How to spend money on the investment depends on whether evaluation standards have been met,” she said. Akiike urged the government to clarify the purpose of the investment because it is partly financed by taxpayers’ money.

Japan remains among the lowest in terms of gender equality among developed countries. Akiike said the landscape will change if more people, regardless of gender, choose to continue working even if there are periods when they can’t work. “It is natural for people to have periods when they work energetically and those when they are unable to work due to child rearing or caring for relatives,” she said, stressing the importance of making diverse options available.