(Title) Revitalize Japanese economy with sharing economy

A new business field, so-called sharing economy, is spreading in various business areas. People and companies lend things and give skills to each other, from which they gain money. This movement will create new business chances, and may help solve some problems such as labor shortage.

The greatest advantage of the sharing economy is that it will provide consumers with wider options. For example, thanks to a bicycle business in Sapporo city started by a Chinese company "Mobike," consumers can use a bicycle with just a few clicks on the smartphone and can return it to any of Mobike’s many bicycle-parking areas.

It is remarkable that a Chinese company started the system. The era when new businesses arise from the U.S. is almost ending. We also expect Japanese companies to create new business models that can be imported to all around the world.

There is another advantage. Services to provide skills and time will lead to flexible workstyle and may contribute to solving labor shortages. Let me introduce three of such examples.

One is a website "Cloud Works." It connects between companies and workers, and is proud of as many as 1.3 million registered people. People who cannot work full time, such as mothers and people studying to get certificates want to obtain wages by giving their free time and skills.

Next example is Yamato Holdings, the leading transportation company that faces lack of drivers. Yamato formed a capital alliance with a logistic sharing company "Raksul" that deals with vacant trucks and small driver enterprises. The president of Yamato Holdings told it will divert its strategy from self-sufficiency to sharing, and will make efficient use of the Raksul's transportation capacity.

Final example is ride sharing. Ride-sharing service is not yet systematically managed, but it will be a very valuable service for elderly people who live in places with little or no public transportation. Taxi companies are opposing the future governmental approval of ride sharing because of safety concerns. However, the taxi industry needs to focus on their own safety, whose accident ratio per mileage is twice as high as ordinary drivers.

With governmental support, the sharing economy will become more rampant. Effective use of free time and idle facilities will increase the productivity of the entire Japan.