this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2026
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At the risk of sounding Orientalist here, the Japanese seem to have a way of running stable, long-lasting businesses. Look at this list of oldest companies in the world. The top 5 oldest are in Japan. The oldest is a construction company (purportedly) founded in 578 AD. It was a family-owned business for over 1,400 years. Nintendo itself was founded in 1889. Maybe there is some other historical explanation for this?
A long history of isolationism and protectionism might contribute, they didn't have to compete with foreign enterprises for much of their existence, and even when they did open to trade they've had a focus on building up their own productive forces as a way to avoid being carved up like other east asia states/groups. Plus post ww2 America had a vested interest in rebuilding them as a bulwark in East Asia against communism so keeping local enterprises going makes sense as a way to get/keep local bourgeoise on their side
Good points, thanks. Those definitely sound like contributing factors. I wonder if another one was the Black Death having a major impact in Europe in the 1,300s but leaving Japan apparently untouched.
That's another good point, they've also been largely isolated from destabilizing events like foreign invasions. Plenty of internal conflict, sure, but no slate-clearing table-flipping upheaval that comes from outside invasion and occupation. As far as I'm aware (not an expert) aside from the American occupation following ww2 the last time Japan was even threatened by an outside force would have been the mongols and that was in the 1200s
True too, thanks.
From what I recall, these family owned companies survive because they don't aim to maximize growth, but aim to have sustainable growth over years. The owners (apparently) are concerned with legacy for their heirs. They don't take massively leveraged financialized capital investment, which introduces the need for short term returns.
Thanks, I think I've read similar. It makes sense. So perhaps it is cultural after all, and not directly related to history.
Don't they also adopt large adults sons to leave them the company or something?
I work for a [my country, not the US btw] subsidiary of a large Japanese conglomerate that's been going since before the turn of the last century, I'd say we're well run mainly because my line manager is a former dev who still pitches in dev work, his boss the boss of our local office tends to leave us alone and then the only time I've interacted with the people above them is when they came over to sample the occidental delights of Dominos, basically there's no micromanagement so people just crack on with what needs to be done.
But idk how it is the divisions actual based in Japan, in general the country is known for very rough culture of overwork(they even have a recognised medical term for death by overwork there: karoshi, not to say that doesn't happen elsewhere but that they codified it seems like its more common than elsewhere), and Nomikai: the expectation that you have to go out and get smashed with your boss then still work the next day, maybe things have improved in general in recent years though
If you drink your boss under the table, do you get to keep his liver as a trophy?
Yes, but the tough part is transplanting it into your own body so you get his position
Interesting, thanks for the perspective.
I think it has more to do with the fact that 99% of the countries in this list are colonizers
Could be.