Post-war Japan reinvented itself as an economic powerhouse thanks to tech icons such as Sony, Panasonic and Kodak but its innovative streak dried up after the asset bubble burst in the early nineties. But after decades of economic stagnation, Japan’s efforts to revive its reputation as a technological leader are starting to make progress at a time when investors fear Silicon Valley has run its course and risks are mounting in China. The Japanese government is also encouraging start-ups with new policies designed to boost investment in the sector by ten times to 10 trillion yen ($116 billion) annually and...