Articles & News

Articles & News

Research, Insights & Activities from Nexgen Japan

National Logistics Convention 2026: logistics has reached the boardroom, and cost-cutting alone will no longer do

National Logistics Convention 2026: logistics has reached the boardroom, and cost-cutting alone will no longer do

Ariki Ono, chief executive of Nexgen Japan, told the National Logistics Convention 2026, hosted by the Japan Institute of Logistics Systems (JILS) on 6 October, that logistics is a rare function that can both raise ROIC and lower WACC. In Nexgen View we argue that the amended Logistics Efficiency Act has put logistics on the management agenda, that the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 2023 request has given it a yardstick, and that companies which only cut costs risk falling behind.

Ariki Ono to lecture on the JILS Certified Logistics Senior Master course (22 October)

Ariki Ono to lecture on the JILS Certified Logistics Senior Master course (22 October)

On Thursday 22 October 2026, Ariki Ono, CEO of Nexgen Japan, will give the lecture 'Management × Transformation: Pursuing Innovation through Logistics' in Unit 1, 'Logistics and Management Strategy', of the Certified Logistics Senior Master course run by the Japan Institute of Logistics Systems (JILS). The session will be held online.

LectureLogistics

How Physical AI Learns: What Humanoid Robots in Logistics Learn From, and How They Are Trained

How Physical AI Learns: What Humanoid Robots in Logistics Learn From, and How They Are Trained

How does a humanoid robot in a warehouse learn its job? This piece explains the five ways of gathering training data, the difference between pre-training and post-training, and the roles of the real world and the digital twin. It argues that industrial engineering is the right discipline for designing data collection, and sets out when practical deployment is likely.

Physical AILogistics

Speaking at Logistics DX SUMMIT 2026, the "Davos of Logistics" (Tokyo Convention Hall)

Speaking at Logistics DX SUMMIT 2026, the "Davos of Logistics" (Tokyo Convention Hall)

On Monday 9 November 2026, Ariki Ono, CEO of Nexgen Japan, will speak at Logistics DX SUMMIT 2026, organised by Shippio at Tokyo Convention Hall. He will share the stage with Masatomo Kumabe, CEO of T2, in Session 1, "Putting Logistics Technology into Practice: Turning Cross-Company Collaboration into Live Operations". Attendance is free, with advance registration.

Logistics DXTalk

Logistics DX Future Conference 2026: AI agents put a price on conflict, says Nexgen Japan's Ariki Ono

Logistics DX Future Conference 2026: AI agents put a price on conflict, says Nexgen Japan's Ariki Ono

Ariki Ono, chief executive of Nexgen Japan, told the Logistics DX Future Conference 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight on 2 October that AI agents can narrow disputes between sales and logistics to a few priced options, but people must make the final choice. The session was moderated by Yusuke Akazawa of LOGISTICS TODAY.

AI AgentsLogistics DX

Speaking at the Logistics DX Future Conference on Friday 2 October (Tokyo Big Sight)

Speaking at the Logistics DX Future Conference on Friday 2 October (Tokyo Big Sight)

On Friday 2 October 2026, 15:00–15:50, Ariki Ono, CEO of Nexgen Japan, will speak at the Logistics DX Future Conference AFTER ACTION IN TOKYO, held at Tokyo Big Sight within the Industrial DX Expo 2026 Summer Tokyo. Co-presenting with Yusuke Akazawa, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of LOGISTICS TODAY, he will run a live demonstration of a sales AI agent and a transport AI agent negotiating their way to concessions.

Keynote at ITmedia Security Week 2026 Summer: There Is No Ctrl+Z in Reality — AI Stewards in the Age of Physical AI

Keynote at ITmedia Security Week 2026 Summer: There Is No Ctrl+Z in Reality — AI Stewards in the Age of Physical AI

On 31 August 2026, Ariki Ono, CEO and Logistics AI Architect of Nexgen Japan, delivered a keynote at ITmedia Security Week 2026 Summer, one of Japan's largest security events, with more than 1,500 attendees, setting out the job description of a new role that pushes final decision-making authority to the front line: the AI Steward.

AI StewardPhysical AI

Japan–Vietnam Supply Chain Connect 2026 — A Leapfrogging Market of 100 Million and the Blueprint for North–South Cold Chain Connectivity

Japan–Vietnam Supply Chain Connect 2026 — A Leapfrogging Market of 100 Million and the Blueprint for North–South Cold Chain Connectivity

A flash report on the field study conducted from 29 July to 2 August 2026 under the joint sponsorship of Nexgen Japan, NTT e-Moi and LOGISTICS TODAY. Cai Mep–Thi Vai's weak connectivity with Japan, double-digit growth as a national quota, a cold chain split 87% south versus 11% north, the leapfrog over modern trade, and the latecomer's advantage created by 'effectively zero' TMS adoption — read against public statistics, with three recommendations for Japanese logistics providers and cargo owners.

Supply ChainGlobal Research

Featured in Ascend's Webinar "CLO-Led Management Reform" — The CLO's First Step to Turning Logistics into "Non-Financial Value"

Featured in Ascend's Webinar "CLO-Led Management Reform" — The CLO's First Step to Turning Logistics into "Non-Financial Value"

On 8 July 2026, our CEO and Logistics AI Architect Ariki Ono was featured in Part 1 of Ascend Inc.'s webinar "CLO-Led Management Reform: An Intensive 2-Day Course." He set out how to turn logistics from a cost centre into non-financial value, why the supply chain is the only function that improves both ROIC and WACC, and a realistic first step via Pareto analysis. As a Nexgen View, we add three perspectives: translating for the boardroom, the untapped white space of management AI, and cross-functional governance.

CLOManagement × Transformation

Featured on LOGISTICS TODAY's Logistics × AI Special — Charting the Right Path to AI Implementation on the Front Line

Featured on LOGISTICS TODAY's Logistics × AI Special — Charting the Right Path to AI Implementation on the Front Line

On 29 June 2026, Nexgen Japan CEO and Logistics AI Architect Ariki Ono spoke at LOGISTICS TODAY's online event 'LOGISTICS AI AWAKENING 2026 — AI-Driven Practice Summit [Act I] Fundamentals & Implementation.' Alongside Kensuke Kijiya of Hacobu and Kazuhiro Okazawa of KURANDO, he set out implementation steps, levels of AI use, and a governance design that separates 'AI usage rules' from 'AI management rules.' Through Nexgen View, we add our perspective from logistics and physical AI.

Logistics AIAI Implementation

Published by WEF: What Is the Future of Work? Defining Roles for Humans and AI

Published by WEF: What Is the Future of Work? Defining Roles for Humans and AI

An article authored by Ariki Ono, CEO of Nexgen Japan, has been published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), proposing the roles that remain human in the age of AI — the 'AI Architect' and the 'AI Steward' — and a real-to-AI-to-real cycle of work.

Future of WorkHumans and AI

The AI Divide — The Structure of a New Inequality and Staying in the Race

The AI Divide — The Structure of a New Inequality and Staying in the Race

The AI divide is not a simple extension of the digital divide but a gap in the skill to use AI. This piece unpacks the paradox by which learning becomes obsolete, distinguishes the surface skills that decay within months from the core skills that compound, and sets out how individuals and organisations alike can stay in the race, illustrated with a real inventory-optimisation example.

AI AdoptionTalent Development

GenAI Is Neither Good Nor Evil — But Executives Who Fail to Decide How It Is Used Bear the Responsibility

GenAI Is Neither Good Nor Evil — But Executives Who Fail to Decide How It Is Used Bear the Responsibility

Triggered by a single U.S. Department of War memorandum in January 2026, the 'AI Manhattan Project' has moved from concept to implementation. Technology has no inherent good or evil, but executives who fail to decide how it is used bear the responsibility. Drawing on the lessons of the Manhattan Project, this article examines the responsibility structure of AI governance in the dual-use era.

AI GovernanceCorporate Strategy

Speaking at LOGISTICS TODAY's Emergency Event 'Where Will Japanese Companies Get Stuck in the Hormuz Crisis?' — X-Day Forecasts and the Four-Function Coordination Requirement

Speaking at LOGISTICS TODAY's Emergency Event 'Where Will Japanese Companies Get Stuck in the Hormuz Crisis?' — X-Day Forecasts and the Four-Function Coordination Requirement

On 8 May 2026, Nexgen Japan CEO and Logistics AI Architect Ariki Ono delivered the keynote at LOGISTICS TODAY's emergency event on the Hormuz crisis. Seventy days after the crisis broke, the talk set out an impact-emergence simulation, multi-tier visibility for critical items, and the four-function coordination across management, legal, logistics, and procurement. Through Nexgen Lens, we examine the common structure that emerged across the late-March Nexgen Expert View, the JILS 'Management × Transformation' white paper of April, and this special event.

Authoring Chapter 1 of JILS 'Management × Transformation' White Paper — The CLO in an Era Where 'Crisis Is the New Normal'

Authoring Chapter 1 of JILS 'Management × Transformation' White Paper — The CLO in an Era Where 'Crisis Is the New Normal'

Nexgen Japan authored Chapter 1 of the white paper 'Management × Transformation', published by the JILS Special Committee for Logistics Innovation Promotion. The chapter redefines logistics and sets out three responsibilities for the CLO in an era where crisis has become the new normal.

Keynote at Logistics & SCM Transformation Tech EXPO (LGX 2026): "Physical AI — Japan's Winning Path Lies in Operational Data"

Keynote at Logistics & SCM Transformation Tech EXPO (LGX 2026): "Physical AI — Japan's Winning Path Lies in Operational Data"

CEO and Logistics AI Architect Ariki Ono delivered a keynote at LGX 2026 at Makuhari Messe, joining Hiroshi Ishiguro and Noriya Usami to discuss Japan's competitive edge in the Physical AI era.

Physical AILGX 2026

The Iran Conflict and Hormuz Crisis: Supply Chain Resilience Strategies for Japanese Businesses

The Iran Conflict and Hormuz Crisis: Supply Chain Resilience Strategies for Japanese Businesses

Following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February 2026, the Strait of Hormuz situation changed dramatically. This article examines the crisis structure — transmitting through four channels: energy, maritime transport, non-energy materials, and policy intervention — and the cross-functional responses companies must adopt.

Geopolitical RiskSupply Chain

Published by WEF: After ChatGPT, 'Physical AI' Is Next. Can We Afford Failures in the Real World?

Published by WEF: After ChatGPT, 'Physical AI' Is Next. Can We Afford Failures in the Real World?

An article authored by Nexgen Japan has been published as a World Economic Forum (WEF) Agenda piece, proposing governance frameworks for the era of Physical AI.

Physical AIGovernance

Guest Lecture at Aoyama Business School on 'The Entrepreneur's Responsibility in the Age of AI'

Guest Lecture at Aoyama Business School on 'The Entrepreneur's Responsibility in the Age of AI'

A guest lecture on 'The Entrepreneur's Responsibility in the Age of AI' delivered at the Aoyama Gakuin University Graduate School MBA program.

EntrepreneurshipMBA

CEO Ariki Ono Speaks at LOGISTICS DX SUMMIT 2025 — Envisioning the Future of Generative AI and Logistics

CEO Ariki Ono Speaks at LOGISTICS DX SUMMIT 2025 — Envisioning the Future of Generative AI and Logistics

Ariki Ono spoke at LOGISTICS DX SUMMIT 2025 on the theme 'The CLO's Next Move Toward 2030,' presenting a vision for the future of generative AI and logistics.

CLOLogistics DXGenerative AI

Planning and Contributing to Sigmaxyz's 'Logistics Transformation' White Paper

Planning and Contributing to Sigmaxyz's 'Logistics Transformation' White Paper

Nexgen Japan contributed to Sigmaxyz's white paper on logistics transformation, offering insights on the CLO framework and the Physical Internet.

Physical InternetCLO

Contributing to JILS 'People × Transformation' White Paper — Advocating for Advanced Logistics Talent Development and CLO Appointment

Contributing to JILS 'People × Transformation' White Paper — Advocating for Advanced Logistics Talent Development and CLO Appointment

Nexgen Japan contributed to the JILS white paper, advocating for the development of advanced logistics talent and the importance of appointing a CLO.

CLO2024 Problem

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