Japan is acknowledged to one of the most important players in the international economy, having moved rapidly and successfully from imitation to autonomous innovation.This paper is intended to give a brief analysis of the Japanese innovation system, particularly the role played by the participants in the system, with the purpose of providing implications for the innovations in China.It is argued that Japans approach to innovation has developed into a more advanced level and its experience in promoting innovation presents invaluable lessons for other countries, including China.