A former Sony chairman‭ ‬has pledged his confidence is a number of‭ ‬Kyoto-based technology companies,‭ ‬including Nintendo.‭

Nobuyuki Idei (pictured third from left) was Sony's chairman from‭ ‬1999-2005,‭ ‬and now serves as a business and investment consultant.‭ He ‬told The‭ ‬Financial Times that a company such as Nintendo makes him confident in the future of‭ ‬Japan's‭ ‬struggling‭ ‬electronics industry.

Idei, still a renowned figure in the sector,‭ ‬also urged that‭ ‬Japan's electronics industry‭ ‬needed to consolidate in order to‭ ‬remain competitive.‭ ‬His comments come after a tumultuous number of months for the country,‭ ‬which had recently fallen into a recession,‭ ‬and is being hurt by export complications due to the strong Yen.

But Idei implied that the Japanese electronics industry should not be completely absolved from blame.‭ ‬"In the past,‭ ‬Japan was criticised for being an over-banked country‭; ‬now it is over-electronics,‭" ‬he‭ ‬says.

Idei also fired criticisms at‭ ‬Taro Aso,‭ ‬Japan’s Prime Minister,‭ ‬as well as‭ ‬Japan’s national bank,‭ ‬for their inaction over recent hard times. ‭"‬Mr Aso visited Korea but I couldn't find any evidence that they talked about the‭ ‬Yen,‭" ‬he says,‭ ‬speaking in regards to the Yen’s‭ ‬73‭ ‬percent rise against Korea’s Won‭ ‬since‭ ‬2008‭ ‬began,‭ ‬which‭ – ‬coupled with the proximity of the two nations‭ – ‬is making Japanese export trade uncompetitive.‭

In regards to‭ ‬Panasonic’s recent‭ ‬$9‭ ‬billion takeover of former-rival Sanyo,‭ ‬Idei believes that there is more opportunity for company consolidation,‭ ‬which would help protect‭ ‬Japan’s susceptibility to the global economic downturn.

Idei‭ ‬also believed that brighter futures are ahead for electronics devices that go beyond processing information,‭ ‬but,‭ ‬as paraphrased by the FT,‭ “‬sense what it is happening in the world and then act on it.‭” ‬This is where‭ ‬Idei cited Nintendo’s Wii as an example of going beyond.