Social Entrepreneurship in the Japanese Context Through the Lens of a Social Entrepreneur’s Experience

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship (SE) demand has increased globally, highlighting the importance of understanding the activities and processes involved to enhance entrepreneurial awareness and social well-being. This study examines the experience of a social entrepreneur in Japan who manages twin parenting and transportation, aiming to clarify the development of social entrepreneurial competency. The entrepreneur’s eight-year state-up experience was shared through a book in 2022, a narrative lecture observed in November 2023, and interviews conducted in April and May 2024. These data were analyzed using Trajectory Equifinality Modeling (TEM). Throughout the creation of a bicycle for parents of twins, the entrepreneur faced conflicts with a partner during the prototype development and created a community for parents of twins through SNS and face-to-face events. The effectuation in these processes considers the essence of who you are, what you know, and whom you know. The entrepreneur focused on affordable loss, partnership creation, and maintaining flexibility despite unexpected challenges. She overcame these issues by studying social welfare at a university and business at community learning schools. Twin bicycles are a tool not only for transportation, but also for life. They are a symbol of an open-free mind given the constraints of society and are joyful in their own warm place for twin children, parents, and their communities.