TOKYO—Waiting for his mother to finish grocery shopping one day in 1994, 12-year-old Daisuke Okanohara passed the time with a little reading—of a research paper describing a new method to speed up data compression. He says he felt his body shake with excitement. “It was a breathtaking method,” recalls Mr. Okanohara, now 33. He spent months testing it to see how it worked. Today,...
Although Japan is a leader in technology hardware , such as robots , smartphone parts and automobiles , the domestic market for these products is in danger of falling short of its competitors , particularly in the West . However , Japanese companies like Preferred Networks are trying to spur on a tech revival through artificial intelligence in Japan , since losing its technological leadership . Preferred Networks , is a start up company specialising in deep learning technology , edge - heavy computing and real time interaction , and it is working with a few major partners to develop its technology . Toyota is helping the company develop machines that can teach themselves how to best assemble devices and even repair other robots . Toyota is helping the company develop autonomous robot technology and Panasonic is hoping to use the technology for surveillance cameras and in consumer electronics .