Business Lessons from the Country with the Oldest Companies on Earth

A key element of Japanese sustainability is its focus on longevity

A few months ago, I learned that the oldest business in the world still operating today was founded in 578 AD. And that the second, third, fourth, and fifth oldest were founded in 705 AD, 717 AD, 718 AD, and 771 AD, respectively.

And that all of these businesses are Japanese.

Your first guess might be that these are big conglomerates, such as Mitsubishi or Sumitomo. In reality, most of these businesses are small to medium in size, and span a wide variety of industries, from construction to hotels to ceremonial paper goods.

In fact, Japan is home to over 33,000 — or 40 percent of the world’s total — businesses that have been around for at least a century. And every year, more than 1,000 companies reach their 100th year anniversary.

This made me pause and think. It can’t just be a simple coincidence that Japan is home to so many old businesses.

If longevity is the ultimate barometer of sustainability, couldn’t we argue that Japanese shinise, or old companies, are sustainable, given that they have survived for generations despite wars, famines, and earthquakes? How do these companies fit into our…