Morinosuke Kawaguchi

Morinosuke Kawaguchi is a Japanese futurist, innovation strategist, and author specializing in future trends and technology. Kawaguchi is the founder and CEO of Morinoske Co. Ltd., a creative future laboratory based in Tokyo. He serves as a strategy advisor to the Japanese government and several multinational corporations, and is a guest professor at Waseda University in Tokyo.

Kawaguchi's career encompasses engineering, consulting, and academia. He worked as an engineer at Hitachi Ltd., where he wrote more than 35 patents and received one Gold and two Bronze Awards as the principal writer of the bacteria-free washing machine. Kawaguchi spent 11 years as Principal and Associate Director at Arthur D. Little (Japan) Inc., and previously worked at Kansai Research Institute, Inc., focusing on marketability evaluation, technology strategy, and intellectual property strategy. He developed the Morinoske Subculture-driven Innovation Model, which established subculture as a viable solution for industrial and national innovation strategies. Kawaguchi is recognized as a strategy expert in management of technology, intellectual property management, and technology and innovation management across industries such as telecommunications, electronics, and automotive.

Kawaguchi gained international attention with his book "Geeky-Girly Innovation: A Japanese Subculturalist's Guide to Technology and Design," which received the Nikkei BP BizTech Book Award. The book was reviewed by all five major Japanese newspapers, and fashion designer Hanae Mori praised it in Sankei Shimbun. On the cover, Taro Aso, the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan, described the book as one filled with insights on leveraging Japanese subculture's potential. In Taiwan, the book was ranked number one among the top 10 "Great Technology Management Books 2010," and it was studied by Taiwan's Small and Medium Enterprise Administration and South Korea's Institute of Industrial Technology for application in their technology and innovation strategies.

Kawaguchi's influence extends beyond publishing. His book "Megatrends 2014–2023" was published by Nikkei Business Publications, for which he researched and analyzed 50 major trends, including those in mature markets and emerging economies. His future forecasting models form the basis of Japan's official 2030 strategic plan. Kawaguchi has advised Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Strategy Headquarters, initially contributing ideas on job creation and foreign currency acquisition, and later guiding the government on broader issues. He has contributed to the Education Ministry of Japan's guidelines and policy for scientists and academics, and has participated in the government's science and technology policy planning with the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy.

Kawaguchi introduced the concept of Gross National Talent to the global discussion on national competitiveness. His book "Gross National Talent: Quantitative Analysis of Amazing Japanese Soft Power" introduced the Gross National Talent Index, which includes performers, athletes, musicians, scientists, and creators, and consists of 14 topics, 114 events, and 350 databases to quantify national brand value. Kawaguchi writes regularly for business publications and magazines, with his columns attracting up to 100,000 views a day. He has served as a visiting professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology and Doshisha Business School's Global MBA course in Kyoto, and is a bilingual lecturer in technology, innovation, and future trends.