"The Startup Nation." For those involved in digital industries, including AI, Israel is already the birthplace of the world's most advanced digital technologies. On the other hand, what surprised us Japanese was the astonishing fact that during the COVID-19 pandemic, they achieved vaccination for over 70% of the population at the world's fastest pace.

Yet, it is not widely known that Israel ranks 12th in the World Happiness Report, surpassing the United States, France, and other European countries (Japan ranks 58th, by the way).

In this third installment of interviews exploring Israel, a nation of such vibrancy and high happiness, we feature Shiban Nakamura, who founded the advertising agency SivanS Inc. in Japan and operates ISRAERU, the first and only web magazine in Japan specializing in Israel.

Shiban Nakamura is from Israel. Due to her parents' educational philosophy, she was already capable of solving her own problems outside of school by the age of 15, working part-time at a restaurant while attending school. After traveling the world with boundless vitality, she moved to Japan 20 years ago. Balancing her career and family, she now has an office in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, and leads a busy life. For Shiban, we first asked about the image of women in Israel.

"Israeli women work incredibly hard. For example, in Japan, women often take maternity leave earlier than in Israel, but Israeli women tend to stay involved in their work right up until childbirth. I myself experienced childbirth 15 years ago, and although it was before I started my company, I was still active with my large belly. People around me might have been worried. Compared to that time, there are now more active movements to support women, and I feel that more people are balancing their careers and families. I believe that by incorporating women's support into education from an early age and through continuous learning, more women will be active in the future."

While one survey indicates that the majority of management positions in Israeli startups are held by men, the "2020 Women Entrepreneurs Index" by Mastercard ranks Israel first among 58 countries. This is largely due to generous government support, including preferential grant systems for women entrepreneurs and government-led initiatives for networking and business training. Considering that Japan ranks 47th in the same index, Israel appears to be a country where it is easier for women to start businesses.

"Although I didn't start my business in Israel, I worked part-time at a restaurant from the age of 15. It was around this time that I began to think about what I needed to do to be economically independent and how to earn money. Mandatory military service may also have a significant impact. After finishing compulsory education at 18, men serve for three years and women for two years. It's significant for 18-year-olds to become strongly aware of the 'world.' They start thinking about Israel's place in the world and their own place in it."

Furthermore, this is attributed to the unique Israeli "spirit of chutzpah," regardless of gender.

"As Inbal Arieli, an entrepreneur herself and the author of 'Chutzpah: The Israeli Guide to "Get It Done"' states, Chutzpah is a very optimistic and strong spirit that involves trying things without fear of failure and without succumbing to adversity. This is a common mindset among Israelis, which is why society as a whole is tolerant of a 'let's just try it' attitude. Of course, they are also tolerant of failure, so everyone naturally develops a spirit of challenge. This is why I came to start my business in Japan, and I continue to hold strongly to the spirit of chutzpah."

After completing her military service, she set out to see the world at the age of 21. After traveling through several countries, she reached Australia, her long-held dream. It was on this trip to Australia that she met her current husband and decided to live in Japan. However, with only experience in waitressing from her student days and military service, finding work in Japan was not easy for Shiban. Nevertheless, she passed the interview at a publishing company with an unyielding attitude and worked diligently.

"Within six months, I was achieving better results than anyone else. This was because I developed my own approach based on my Israeli education, bringing a unique spirit, approach, and way of thinking. I continue to uphold this philosophy to this day."

She gained experience in various roles, and her desire to start her own business grew. Her current, unchanging philosophy for SivanS is to give shape to a "bold spirit" and create a company that provides new value as an innovative player in the Japanese market.

"The words 'Different Passion, Different Energy' written on the wall are my own handwriting! This is me, and this is SivanS. Traveling the world, I realized that what is normal for me is not normal for others. The 18-year-olds in Japan are different from the 18-year-olds in Israel. Israel is fundamentally a nation of immigrants. Amidst a mix of various values, children naturally establish their own values from a young age. I want to create a company where women and men can thrive by affirming these diverse values and opinions, without fearing being 'different.' And I want our clients to be pleased."

Through her experiences traveling the world, Shiban has become more aware of her own identity. Her desire to introduce and share more of Israel's culture, nature, products, services, and people in Japan has grown stronger.

"I have been involved in the advertising and marketing world for many years and am passionate about it. I wanted to direct this passion towards my roots in Israel as well. With the desire to introduce and deliver more of Israel's business, technology, culture, lifestyle, food, and fashion to Japan, I launched the web magazine 'ISRAERU' to serve as a hub for conveying this information."

ISRAERU launched in July 2020. Sara Hamada, who was entrusted with its operation as editorial manager by Shiban, is in charge.

"I have also visited Israel, and when you actually go there, you experience firsthand how different it is from your preconceived notions. For example, tourist destinations. While the Dead Sea is well-known, it's not widely known in Japan that there are beautiful beaches that have been selected among Europe's top 10. Due to its Mediterranean climate, it's pleasant to visit year-round, and its wines are gaining attention. Gastronomy is also a focus (as was discussed at the Israeli Embassy). Following globally renowned brands like Sabon and Laline, new brands in olive products and natural cosmetics are emerging."

Fashion and art are also vibrant, with Tel Aviv hosting a fashion week. Citing figures like the late Alber Elbaz of Lanvin and historian Yuval Noah Harari as Israelis, it's clear that Israel also has a significant cultural influence on the world.

"Israel has over 200 museums and galleries, and institutions like Shenkar, a world-renowned school for engineers, designers, and artists, are actively engaged. At ISRAERU, we introduce lesser-known aspects of Israel while also providing media solutions to companies and individuals looking to enter the Japanese market. Through sponsored articles, interviews, interactive videos, influencer collaborations, banner ads, social media management, email newsletters, e-commerce, and the planning and production of webinars and live streaming events, we connect unique Israeli companies' products or services with suitable partners. With an office in Tel Aviv, we can gather timely local information and support smoother business partnerships between Israeli and Japanese companies. We also collaborate with Japanese writers living in Israel to explore topics that would interest Japanese people and disseminate the charms of Israel that Japanese people may not yet know."

ISRAERU aims to build networks encompassing individuals, companies, and government agencies.

"There are already many B2B relationships between Israel and Japan, but through this website, we aim to create new B2B opportunities and foster active B2C relationships. To achieve this, we are constantly collaborating with startups in Israel and Israeli companies that have already achieved global success."

We asked Shiban about her future aspirations.

"Today, entrepreneurs, engineers, and researchers from all over the world visit Israel seeking new technological seeds in the business field. The image of Israel that the general public in Japan holds, based on newspapers and television, is likely very different from this reality. The same applies to women's working styles and lifestyles. In the future, while disseminating the 'now' of Israel through 'ISRAERU,' I also want to create communities in Japan as a board director of the 'Japan Israel Business Forum,' leveraging connections with the business community."

Shiban's vision for the future continues to expand. Whether this is a result of her spirit that fears no difference, her sensibility gained from traveling the world, or the energy inherent in Israelis, it may indeed be something that can only be understood by visiting Israel.