Thoughts on Weakness, Author: Inoue Shinpei ① | The Gap between Japanese Sensibility and the Business Frontline
The Theory of Highlighting Weaknesses: Reevaluating the Value of "Weaknesses" in Brands and the Workplace
I. From Publishing to Branding: Inoue Shinpei's Cross - sector Practice
In a live - streaming room filled with the aroma of wood in Shinjuku, Tokyo, brand consultant Nakamura Ayako and publisher Inoue Shinpei had an in - depth conversation about "highlighting weaknesses" (弱さ高調). As the author of Highlighting Weaknesses, Inoue Shinpei's career path is quite representative. After graduating from Kyoto University, he joined Discover20 Publishing House and later transferred to Negishi Publishing, always deeply involved in the publishing field. When he participated in the publishing business of the economic media NewsPicks in 2019, he showed a sharp insight into "the collision between culture and business".
"At that time, when doing the publishing business at NewsPicks, I joined in April and launched the first book in October. Even the editorial department exclaimed, 'What a monster!'" Nakamura Ayako recalled. This integration experiment between the publishing industry and Internet entrepreneurship was precisely the starting point for Inoue Shinpei to materialize the concept of "weaknesses". After experiencing several cycles of taking leave due to psychological pressure and then returning to work, he began to re - examine the dialectical relationship between "strength" and "weakness" in the workplace.
II. In Praise of Shadows: The Aesthetics of Weaknesses in Cultural Genes
When talking about the motivation for writing Highlighting Weaknesses, Inoue Shinpei naturally referred to Tanizaki Junichiro's In Praise of Shadows. This cultural treatise from the early Showa era shows amazing resonance in the contemporary business context: "Western - style toilets pursue complete cleanliness, while traditional Japanese architecture retains a dim and mysterious beauty. This tolerance for 'imperfection' may be the most precious heritage in our culture."
By comparing the architectural philosophies of the East and the West, he revealed the deep - seated cognitive differences. In the design of traditional Japanese spaces, the "ambiguous boundaries" formed by paper sliding doors and tatami mats are a gentle resistance to absolute rationalism. This cultural gene also applies in the business field. When the workplace culture falls into the frenzy of "problem - solving first", perhaps we need a way of thinking like "the beauty through shadows" described in In Praise of Shadows.
"In Chapter 6, I almost hated this book because of the author's theoretical arguments," Nakamura Ayako said frankly. "But the final chapter made me fall in love with this way of thinking again." This contradictory experience just confirms Inoue Shinpei's view: real brand building should not be a one - dimensional pursuit of perfection but needs to accept the complexity of human nature.
III. The Commercial Transformation of Weaknesses: From "Concealment" to "Revelation"
The most subversive claim in Highlighting Weaknesses is to transform the "weaknesses" in the workplace into materials for brand narratives. Inoue Shinpei took his own experience as an example: "Every time I returned to work after taking leave, I could gain a clearer self - awareness. This 'break' itself is an opportunity to rebuild brand value."
This perception breaks the binary opposition of traditional workplace philosophy. Just as In Praise of Shadows emphasizes "the beauty revealed through shadows", modern brand building also needs to find a balance in the dialectics between "strengths" and "weaknesses". Inoue pointed out that the deeply ingrained "problem - solving ideology" in Japanese workplace culture often leads individuals into a cycle of self - denial: "We are required to be problem - solving machines, but we ignore the unique value brought by 'imperfection'."
Nakamura Ayako keenly captured the implicit business wisdom in the book: "This is not about showing your vulnerability, but about making the brand story more human - centered through the revelation of 'weaknesses'. Just like the case of NewsPicks' publishing, when editors no longer deliberately avoid 'imperfection', they create a more real connection."
IV. The Workplace Dilemma and Breakthrough of Middle - class Families
When talking about the inspiration for his writing, Inoue Shinpei admitted the special dilemma of those from middle - class families: "Even during the rest period, I still had the anxiety of 'what about the meeting' and 'picking up the child from kindergarten' lingering in my mind. This state of being unable to truly relax is exactly the collective symptom of modern workplace people."
This real resonance has triggered a chain reaction in the publishing industry. It is reported that Highlighting Weaknesses has had an "unexpected healing effect" on middle - class readers in Tokyo. Some readers feedback: "I used to think that books like this were just for self - comfort, but Mr. Inoue's experience made me realize that weaknesses can also be a survival strategy."
It is worth noting that the book's analysis of "middle - class citizen culture" is quite in - depth: "The 'long - term thinking' in the traditional publishing industry and the 'short - cycle explosion' in the Internet industry are essentially the concealment of 'weaknesses'. Real brand building needs to find a third way between the two."
V. The "Third Possibility" of Brand Building
As a brand consultant, Nakamura Ayako extracted the business inspiration from Highlighting Weaknesses from a professional perspective: "Brand narratives should not be a pile of perfect masks. Instead, like Mr. Inoue, we need to transform 'weaknesses' into unique value propositions."
This view is becoming increasingly forward - looking in contemporary brand strategies. When consumers are aesthetically fatigued by over - packaged brand narratives, brands that dare to show "imperfection" can build deeper trust. As Inoue Shinpei wrote in the book: "True strength is not always being right, but maintaining the coherence of the narrative after a breakdown."
At the end of the program, Nakamura Ayako summarized: "From In Praise of Shadows to Highlighting Weaknesses, we can see how cultural genes provide new perspectives for business practice. Perhaps in Japan in 2025, what brand building needs is not a more perfect solution, but a more real 'technique of revealing weaknesses'."
This in - depth conversation that lasted for more than two hours finally ended in a relaxed atmosphere of "maybe we can try imperfection". When the AI wave sweeps across the business field, the "philosophy of weaknesses" proposed in Highlighting Weaknesses provides a human - centered thinking framework for brand building. In an era when efficiency is paramount, perhaps it is precisely these "imperfect cracks" that allow the light of humanity to shine through.