Tokyo in Tel Aviv

by Mel Rosenberg - מל רוזנברג

After fruitful careers as a scientist and inventor I've gone back to what I love most - writing children's books Read More

Joined Oct 2013
Published Books 1550

Please meet Ken.

I did. A few weeks ago.

He gave me his card. It said his name was “Kentaro Sakakibara”.

He smiled and said “Please call me Ken”.

All things considered, that was very kind of him.

Ken came to visit Israel three years ago for a conference.

Everyone here liked him (I didn’t tell him that we like everybody that comes to our country). He wasn’t used to being liked outside Japan. So he decided to set up an accelerator in Tel Aviv. He called it “Samurai Incubate Inc.” He just got his foreign company licence from the Israeli Government this morning. It took him a long time. I hope he still likes us after the bureaucracy.

Ken, "Samurai Incubate Inc.", an accelerator in Tel Aviv

Ken has a long track record of investing in start-ups. He has an accelerator in Tokyo, and has invested in seventy companies. Some did very well.

Ken wants to invest in ten start-ups in Israel during the coming year. I hope that some of them will succeed. That would be nice. He has also brought over a cadre of young Japanese entrepreneurs. This is Ani. He has a very cool start-up. I will tell you all about it in a separate book. Save your money. You may want to take a gamble with him.

Ken invited us to an evening of Japanese culture and entrepreneurship at his new accelerator.

So I brought my whole team. We are a lean start-up and love free events.

Ken’s accelerator is in the old garment district of Tel Aviv (now becoming a hub of start-up activity). It looks like old Tel Aviv from the street view.

My lean start-up team comming to a free event at Ken

But on the inside it is 100% Japan.

Ken has a whole wall full of framed mottoes of his company, straight from the teachings of the Samurai. He believes in ancient concepts such as honor, honesty, and integrity, principles that are not so easy to find in these trying modern times. But I salute Ken. He is trying.

We had a wonderful time at the event. We learned about the Japanese education system.

We learned some Japanese.

In summary:

1. Ken is a very brave person.

2. If you want to experience Japan, a visit to the accelerator can save you a very long trip to Tokyo (unless you live in Tokyo, in which case you will want to come visit Tel Aviv anyway).

3. I hope that Ken makes good investments here. I would like to be one of them.