Somewhat overshadowed in recent years by China's rise as a regional and global power, Japan still extends considerable influence as a world leader in various fields, including investment, policy management and trade, according to experts who gathered at a Tokyo conference earlier this week. But at the same time, Japan lags behind other countries in incorporating into everyday life technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence and financial technology to improve efficiency, they said. "We want to talk about Japan as a role model, not Japan following, not Japan copying, but Japan actually and constructively led by the young generation," said Jesper Koll, who heads Wisdom Tree Japan KK, a Tokyo-based exchange-traded fund sponsor, in the opening session of the annual G1 Global Conference organized at Globis University on Sunday. Experts shared insights in a session titled "Can Japan be a Role Model for Global Economic Prosperity and Stability?" Hiromichi Mizuno, chief investment officer at Government Pension Investment Fund said the country can show leadership in the field of investment by educating on responsible investment, a concept that gained traction after the fall of Lehman Brothers in 2008 that triggered the global financial crisis, exemplifying the long-term failure of a capitalism that emphasizes the single-minded pursuit of short-term corporate profits.