This paper explores the legacy, current developments, and future impact of simulation and gaming in Japan, with a focus on the Japan Association of Simulation and Gaming (JASAG). Drawing on the outcomes of the ISAGA (International Simulation and Gaming Association) conferences hosted in Japan (1991, 2003, 2015), the study highlights how Japanese researchers have integrated simulation and gaming into education, policy-making, disaster preparedness, organizational development, and community engagement. The analysis emphasizes Japan’s unique commitment to ethical considerations, social responsibility, and participatory design. Japanese scholars have developed culturally sensitive simulations to address complex societal issues, combining technological innovations with traditional methodologies. JASAG has played a pivotal role in institutionalizing gaming simulation as a scientific discipline and a transformative tool for societal improvement. The paper underscores the interdisciplinary nature of the field and outlines Japan’s contributions to advancing theory, practice, and global dialogue in simulation and gaming research.

This paper presents the digital transformation of the serious board game SysTeamsBusiness (STB), originally designed to teach fundamental business concepts through tactile, team-based gameplay. Digitalization aimed to preserve the game’s educational value while increasing scalability, accessibility, and facilitator efficiency. The authors adopted a hybrid board game model that integrates digital interfaces with physical components and fully virtual gameplay modes, supporting in-person and remote learning. A five-stage design and development process was implemented, including gameplay mapping, feature-based development, interface and engine design, user testing, and iterative refinement. A key innovation was automating facilitator tasks using techniques such as the Box–Muller transformation to simulate real-time bidding dynamics. The result is a flexible, adaptive digital learning tool that maintains the immersive qualities of the original game while enabling broader educational use. This project illustrates how thoughtful digitalization can enhance game-based learning in management education.

This article discusses the necessity to adapt serious games for innovation in the BANI environment (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible), which is marked by increasing uncertainties after COVID-19. The focus is on creating new mechanisms for instructional games that encourage creativity and company development. The original business simulation game “SysTeamsRYBI - Realize your Business Ideas” was originally intended for scenarios of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, which now requires new scenarios, models, and transparency in game-mechanics as a result of those changes. Based on literature assessment and real-world experience, this study highlights the Cynefin model and the ikigai framework as important methodological approaches for designing innovation games. The findings indicate that a simulation game for innovation should be based on dynamic components can improve capabilities in overcoming BANI issues. The newly designed Innovation Strategy House provides a structured way of integrating hard and soft skills into innovation and managerial options and processes, allowing long-term investment decisions through simulation and gaming.