Startups are changing how business is done in Japan, but medicine remains stubbornly resistant to innovation.

In some ways, that's good. We are literally experimenting with peoples lives, so caution is definitely warranted. We don't want to rush things. However, Japan's national health insurance acts as a single buyer, and sometimes the only way to innovate is to go around them.

That's exactly what Kenichi Ishii, the founder of Next Innovation has done. Their long-term strategy involves creating widespread and comprehensive telemedicine in Japan, but right now they have developed a basic approach that has reduced the cost of some medical treatments by more than 70%

And business is booming.

Ken and Next Innovation are both proudly from Osaka, and we also talk a lot about the state of the Osaka startup ecosystem.

It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

Show Notes
Why medical startups need to innovate around Japan's national health insurance
How to cross-sell in the medical market
Why Osaka offers a competitive advantage to some kinds of startups
What is holding back telemedicine in Japan
The culture of secrecy in Japanese medicine
The most likely source for innovation in Japanese medicine