CABE Research Seminar - The Dynamism of Entrepreneurship in Japanese Family Businesses and Long-Established Companies

PRESENTER Associate Professor Keita Kato (Otaru University of Commerce)  
TOPIC The Dynamism of Entrepreneurship in Japanese Family Businesses and Long-Established Companies
DATE Friday 28 June 2019
TIME 2:00pm – 3:30pm
VENUE The Spot (198 Berkeley St), Level 10, Room 10.039

ABSTRACT
This seminar will show the dynamism of entrepreneurship in Japanese long-established companies. There are many long-established companies in Japan which have been in existence for over 100 years, many of which are family businesses. These companies have been run by family members from generation to generation. In Japanese, they are commonly called Shinise, which is a word that has traditional, cultural and historical meaning in business. In this presentation, I will present some Shinise cases from my research. Specifically, I have conducted research into the oldest miso makers, established over 300 years ago in Japan. I discuss two Hatcho-miso makers in Hatcho-town, located 8 cho (about 870m; pronounced “hatcho” in Japanese) west of Okazaki Castle, birthplace of Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. One maker I discuss is Kakukyu, which has been run by the Hayakawa family for generations. The other is Maruya, which the Ota family managed until the early 20th century. Both companies have strictly maintained traditional methods of manufacturing for many generations since the Edo period. I will discuss the sustainability of businesses through such case studies of Shinise.

BIO
Keita Kato is an Associate Professor in organization theory and business administration at Otaru University of Commerce in Japan. His research focuses on small business strategies, entrepreneurship and innovation of regional companies, and sustainable strategies of long-established companies. He has published numerous articles in Japanese publications such as Organizational Science, Venture Review, and Entrepreneurial Studies. He currently serves as a chief editor of the Journal of the Japan Academy of Family Business.