AOTS E-Newsletter: Information from Monozukuri Kentei Kyokai / Insight
2025/01/31 (Fri) 10:30
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆ AOTS E-Newsletter ◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
January 31, 2025
https://www.aots.jp/en/
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"AOTS E-Newsletter" is published by the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS).
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<Index>
1. Information from Monozukuri Kentei Kyokai (MKK).
2. Insight: Thoughts on the Management Philosophy of Various Japanese Companies.
--------------------------------------------------------
1. Information from Monozukuri Kentei Kyokai (MKK).
--------------------------------------------------------
[Multilingual/Free/Unlimited] Japanese-style Monozukuri on your smartphone anytime, anywhere.
You can also learn in your native language.
The Monozukuri Kentei Kyokai (MKK) conducts research on manufacturing industries around the world, including the "Global South" countries.
As a useful tool for training, you can watch and view course videos for learning Japanese-style "Monozukuri" for free.
"Monozukuri Learning, Testing & Recruiting (MLT&R Tool)" allows you to evaluate your skills by taking a test.
"MLT&R Tool" has been launched and is operated at the following URL.
https://www.monoken.org
"MLT&R Tool" focuses on "quality control" and "production management" that are useful for those who have experienced AOTS training.
We provide "Japanese-style Monozukuri course videos" and "Etiquette collection videos" where you can learn Japanese business etiquette.
These videos are free, unlimited, and can be used for job hunting.
They are available in Japanese, English, Spanish, Indonesian, Arabic, Thai, Vietnamese, and Hindi.
A free online information session will be held in February 2025.
For inquiries, please contact us via email.
Inquiry: Monozukuri Kentei Kyokai (MKK)
E-mail: info@monoken.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Insight: Thoughts on the Management Philosophy of Various Japanese Companies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thoughts on the Management Philosophy of Various Japanese Companies - January 2025
Eiichi Shibusawa, who gave birth to almost 500 companies that are still driving Japan's economy even today, is known as the "father of Japanese capitalism."
However, he did not use the word "capitalism" when discussing his own ideas and actions.
What word did Shibusawa use, then? In Japanese, he spoke of "gappon."
This does not have an exact equivalent in English, but recent researchers have explained it by translating it as "ethical capitalism" or "stakeholder capitalism."
What Shibusawa called "gappon" was an "approach that brings together human resources and capital that are best suited to achieving the mission and objective of pursuing the public good and promotes projects."
Shibusawa also called companies that were founded based on this approach "gappon" companies.
These resembled today's incorporated public companies, but if the organization was suited to achieving the objectives of the projects he conceived, its form did not necessarily have to be an incorporated public company; it could also be a silent partnership.
The key point was "achieving the public good."
Along with founding some 500 companies, he was actually involved in establishing the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the stock exchange, and around 600 social projects as well.
He founded the Japanese Red Cross Society and healthcare institutions, established universities and other organizations to develop human resources, and also launched charitable initiatives such as institutions to raise orphaned children, care facilities for people with physical disabilities, etc.
He always kept society as a whole in perspective and worked to advance it concurrently with his other activities.
What is more surprising is that once the companies he founded were successful and able to run independently, he would let go of them all.
He was not a tycoon who hoarded wealth for himself.
He returned it to society, rather than keeping a fortune in his own possession.
I believe that through Shibusawa being involved in founding modern companies in many different fields, his thinking deeply penetrated Japanese society, and it was subsequently passed on in the DNA of outstanding executives such as Konosuke Matsushita and Kazuo Inamori.
And a notable characteristic of Japan is that there are also many SMEs with a mindset that values Shibusawa's approach.
One example, which I presented previously in this column, is the management philosophy known as "spirit of altruism" advocated by the founder of HARDLOCK Industry.
I believe that the origin of Eiichi Shibusawa's concept of "gappon" was his voyage to Europe, where he learned the importance of achieving an equal society.
To be continued in the next edition.
Stay tuned for the next AOTS E-Newsletter.
Rikio Suma, Author
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<Privacy Policy>
Your personal information is protected and is not made public.
Any information you provide through AOTS website and email will only be used by us to provide you with AOTS E-newsletters, occasional information and related questionnaires.
Copyright 2016 The Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships, 30-1, Senju-Azuma 1-chome, Adachi-ku, Tokyo 120-8534, JAPAN
January 31, 2025
https://www.aots.jp/en/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"AOTS E-Newsletter" is published by the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*This email has been sent from a send-only address.
There have been more and more cases of subscribers not receiving AOTS E-Newsletters via Yahoo address or Gmail address.
If you are using Yahoo address or Gmail address and willing to continue to receive the AOTS E-Newsletters without fail, we recommend changing your email provider to another one.
It may be possible to avoid such a case by unblocking "johochosa@aots.jp" if your email provider offers such a service.
<Index>
1. Information from Monozukuri Kentei Kyokai (MKK).
2. Insight: Thoughts on the Management Philosophy of Various Japanese Companies.
--------------------------------------------------------
1. Information from Monozukuri Kentei Kyokai (MKK).
--------------------------------------------------------
[Multilingual/Free/Unlimited] Japanese-style Monozukuri on your smartphone anytime, anywhere.
You can also learn in your native language.
The Monozukuri Kentei Kyokai (MKK) conducts research on manufacturing industries around the world, including the "Global South" countries.
As a useful tool for training, you can watch and view course videos for learning Japanese-style "Monozukuri" for free.
"Monozukuri Learning, Testing & Recruiting (MLT&R Tool)" allows you to evaluate your skills by taking a test.
"MLT&R Tool" has been launched and is operated at the following URL.
https://www.monoken.org
"MLT&R Tool" focuses on "quality control" and "production management" that are useful for those who have experienced AOTS training.
We provide "Japanese-style Monozukuri course videos" and "Etiquette collection videos" where you can learn Japanese business etiquette.
These videos are free, unlimited, and can be used for job hunting.
They are available in Japanese, English, Spanish, Indonesian, Arabic, Thai, Vietnamese, and Hindi.
A free online information session will be held in February 2025.
For inquiries, please contact us via email.
Inquiry: Monozukuri Kentei Kyokai (MKK)
E-mail: info@monoken.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Insight: Thoughts on the Management Philosophy of Various Japanese Companies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thoughts on the Management Philosophy of Various Japanese Companies - January 2025
Eiichi Shibusawa, who gave birth to almost 500 companies that are still driving Japan's economy even today, is known as the "father of Japanese capitalism."
However, he did not use the word "capitalism" when discussing his own ideas and actions.
What word did Shibusawa use, then? In Japanese, he spoke of "gappon."
This does not have an exact equivalent in English, but recent researchers have explained it by translating it as "ethical capitalism" or "stakeholder capitalism."
What Shibusawa called "gappon" was an "approach that brings together human resources and capital that are best suited to achieving the mission and objective of pursuing the public good and promotes projects."
Shibusawa also called companies that were founded based on this approach "gappon" companies.
These resembled today's incorporated public companies, but if the organization was suited to achieving the objectives of the projects he conceived, its form did not necessarily have to be an incorporated public company; it could also be a silent partnership.
The key point was "achieving the public good."
Along with founding some 500 companies, he was actually involved in establishing the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the stock exchange, and around 600 social projects as well.
He founded the Japanese Red Cross Society and healthcare institutions, established universities and other organizations to develop human resources, and also launched charitable initiatives such as institutions to raise orphaned children, care facilities for people with physical disabilities, etc.
He always kept society as a whole in perspective and worked to advance it concurrently with his other activities.
What is more surprising is that once the companies he founded were successful and able to run independently, he would let go of them all.
He was not a tycoon who hoarded wealth for himself.
He returned it to society, rather than keeping a fortune in his own possession.
I believe that through Shibusawa being involved in founding modern companies in many different fields, his thinking deeply penetrated Japanese society, and it was subsequently passed on in the DNA of outstanding executives such as Konosuke Matsushita and Kazuo Inamori.
And a notable characteristic of Japan is that there are also many SMEs with a mindset that values Shibusawa's approach.
One example, which I presented previously in this column, is the management philosophy known as "spirit of altruism" advocated by the founder of HARDLOCK Industry.
I believe that the origin of Eiichi Shibusawa's concept of "gappon" was his voyage to Europe, where he learned the importance of achieving an equal society.
To be continued in the next edition.
Stay tuned for the next AOTS E-Newsletter.
Rikio Suma, Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Others
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
<Inquiries>
https://www.aots.jp/en/contact/
<Past Issues>
https://h.bme.jp/bm/p/bn/list.php?i=hri_hida&no=all
<Unsubscribe or change your registered e-mail address>.
https://www.aots.jp/en/publications/newsletter/
*If you want to change your registered email address, please unsubscribe once with your old address and register your subscription with your new address at the above website.
<Privacy Policy>
Your personal information is protected and is not made public.
Any information you provide through AOTS website and email will only be used by us to provide you with AOTS E-newsletters, occasional information and related questionnaires.
Copyright 2016 The Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships, 30-1, Senju-Azuma 1-chome, Adachi-ku, Tokyo 120-8534, JAPAN