From Crisis to Innovation:
​Sachio Semmoto on Business,Leadership, and Taiwan’s Global Role

By ｜ Kolas Yotaka

Sachio Semmoto weathered the collapse of Japan’s stock market during the 20th-century bubble economy and endured the currency upheaval triggered by the Plaza Accord. He led the privatization of Japan's telecommunications industry and was also the entrepreneurial partner of the late Kazuo Inamori, a renowned Japanese businessman and master of the “Amoeba Management” system.

Now, in the 21st century, as the U.S.-led tariff war impacts Asia and global semiconductor giant TSMC announces investment in the United States, Semmoto looks to Taiwan and says:

“Taiwanese people should have more confidence and become global leaders. But I feel they’re not ready yet — still nervous. You need to know which direction to take.”

We are sitting on the 32nd floor of a sleek, stylish high-rise in Tokyo’s Shibuya district.

I ask him: “Do you think business leaders should care about politics?”

Semmoto replies, “Of course!”

I follow up, “Why?”

“Because the true driving force of society is not politics, but the economy. Business and economic activity are the real foundations of how the world functions. That’s why we should give business the respect and attention it deserves. I don’t trust any national leader who has no real interaction with the business world.”

Sachio Semmoto, age 82, is a well-known Japanese entrepreneur. He raises his right hand to sip from a bright red can of Coca-Cola. The vivid red of the can competes with the deep blue of his felt gentleman’s hat for my attention. Compared to the Coca-Cola Company’s century-long legacy, the 82-year-old Semmoto seems like a young upstart — always seeing boundless opportunities in the world.

As you enter his well-known venture capital firm in Shibuya, Tokyo, you are greeted by a massive mural of a unicorn. Splashed with sapphire blue, pink, and red, the unicorn lifts its forelegs mid-stride, galloping forward through clouds — a symbol of never falling. Semmoto founded this VC firm to invest in promising IT and telecom companies. Insiders know that while Tokyo’s Minato ward is a venture capital hub, Shibuya has also become a nerve center for the industry. Here, Semmoto created a launchpad for bold entrepreneurs — the 10th company he has founded.

“You might fail. That’s okay. If you fail, you can try again. No one is going to kill you for failing — this isn’t the Middle Ages anymore, right? So we should take action.”

Semmoto himself is someone who refuses to stay in his comfort zone.

He was born in 1942 in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, into a poor family. His father ran a small business with just two employees. Semmoto recalls how his mother naturally took on the role of managing finances for the struggling household. Business was slow and unstable, and they were frequently pursued by tax collectors. Year after year, this was their life. Both he and his brother had to grow up fast and become self-reliant. As a result, Semmoto remains particularly sensitive to the struggles of the poor.



Kazuo Inamori’s Business Partner

Many in Taiwan know Kazuo Inamori, but few realize that Sachio Semmoto was the key figure who introduced Inamori to the telecom industry. After graduating from Kyoto University with a degree in electronic engineering, Semmoto went to the

University of Florida, where he earned his Master and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. He worked hard to learn English, and now speaks it fluently. In early May, he was invited to give a commencement address at the University of Florida as a distinguished alumnus. My conversation with him was entirely in English.

In 1966, Semmoto joined Japan's largest state-run telecom company, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT), serving as regional director of the Kinki Telecommunications Bureau. Despite holding a prestigious position, Semmoto became increasingly frustrated with the state-run monopoly. At the time, NTT held an exclusive business license, yet its call quality was poor and long-distance calls were unaffordable for most Japanese citizens. With no competitors, prices stayed high and service remained poor. Semmoto believed this was unfair to the less privileged.

He and Kazuo Inamori co-founded Japan’s second telecom company,DDI then, later known as KDDI, now second only to NTT. This opened a new chapter in Japan’s history — the beginning of competitive, privatized telecommunications.

After the industry was liberalized, Semmoto began a string of entrepreneurial ventures. He founded DDI Cellular (now known as "au") and, in 1994, was appointed vice president of DDI and president of its Tokyo Pocket Telephone subsidiary (later acquired by eAccess and merged into Y!Mobile, which is now part of SoftBank). With the rise of the internet, he went on to establish eAccess and eMobile. In 2012, eAccess was sold to SoftBank.

None of it was easy.

A symbolic unicorn mural—representing vibrant startup potential—marks the entrance
​to D-POPS Group’s headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo.
The U.S., Japan, and Taiwan

Semmoto is also known for his monk-like discipline. Over the past 30 years, he’s taken on university teaching roles, tirelessly sharing his expertise in telecom and entrepreneurship. He encourages students to travel, to be brave, to start businesses, and to embrace failure. He has served as a professor at Keio University, a visiting scholar at Stanford University, a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, a guest professor at Carnegie Mellon, and an associate professor atCanterbury University. This year, he was appointed Honorary Chair Professor at Taiwan’s National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.

Shortly after arriving in Taiwan to teach, the U.S. — under President Donald Trump — launched its tariff war on “Liberation Day” in April. Japan was hit hard. Taiwan, too, faced serious challenges.

Semmoto, who has lived through the bubble economy, remained unfazed:

“I suspect Mr. Trump is going to change this kind of policy.”

As for Taiwan, he says:

“Taiwan’s position has become extremely strong — much stronger than most people think, even stronger than what Taiwanese themselves can imagine.”

For this special report, I traveled to Japan and sat with Semmoto on the 32nd floor, overlooking Tokyo’s iconic landmarks — the Tokyo SkyTree and Tokyo Tower. Looking out from this vantage point, I wanted to understand Taiwan’s potential and risk amid U.S. tariff policy — through the eyes of a venture capitalist like Semmoto. What emerged was a vision of Taiwan–U.S.–Japan possibilities that even Taiwan hasn’t fully realized.

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