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“AOTS E-Newsletter” is published by the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS).
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1. Information from Hiroshima Global Academy (HiGA).
2. Insight: Thoughts on the Management Philosophy of Various Japanese Companies.
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1. Information from Hiroshima Global Academy (HiGA).
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School Information Webinar
Hiroshima Global Academy (HiGA) is located on an island in Hiroshima, Japan.
We are an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School that offers the Diploma Program (DP) from Grades 10 through to 12.
Additionally, our school offers a full board dormitory system.
We provide a high-quality education at an affordable price.
The tuition fee is waived for students whose parents/guardians live outside of Japan.
We are going to have the school information webinar at 1:00 pm on the 25th of January 2025, JST.
We would like to welcome you to the webinar!
Please check the URL below for more details.
Click here for information about the school information webinar.
https://www.facebook.com/event
Click here for information about the 2nd semester admission for the 2025 academic year.
https://higa-s.jp/en/senior-hi
Click here to view a PR video about HiGA.
https://youtu.be/X-l4GTyXj1E
[Inquiry]
[email protected]
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2. Insight: Thoughts on the Management Philosophy of Various Japanese Companies.
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Thoughts on the Management Philosophy of Various Japanese Companies – December 2024
While Eiichi Shibusawa was staying in Europe, a regime change took place in Japan.
His lord, the Tokugawa Shogun, relinquished his political power to the Emperor, and a new government was established.
Eiichi was given an official order to return home and came back to Japan in 1868.
Some time after his return, he was persuaded by Shigenobu Okuma (Deputy Minister of Finance and Deputy Minister of Popular Affairs), who was an influential figure in the new government, to join the Ministry of Popular Affairs / Ministry of Finance in 1870.
He was granted authority in the government and went on to set up tax reform and national administration initiatives.
At the time, he was 30.
With a dislike for officials, Eiichi had originally hoped to pursue activities as a private-sector entrepreneur.
He had thought about creating an ambitious company that would pursue the public good, to which anyone who was motivated could contribute, regardless of their status or position.
While the format was the same as what are known today as incorporated public companies, his intent was slightly different.
He did not want to create a conglomerate company that would monopolize wealth.
However, to make Eiichi’s ideal a reality, a democratized society was necessary.
He believed that the status of businesspeople and their relationships with government officials and soldiers had to be equal, as he had witnessed in Europe.
Now a cabinet minister in the new government, Eiichi created a system to develop society through the power of the people, without relying on the government.
He first worked on founding a bank.
Believing that establishing a flow of capital was necessary for the purpose of advancing industry, he created Japan’s first private bank in 1873.
He likewise built up many other kinds of infrastructure, including the weights and measures system, postal system, railways and shipping, and electrical power.
Eiichi had achieved impressive results, but at the age of 35, he resigned from his position as a bureaucrat and embarked on a career as a businessman.
Through his work, he had laid the foundations for Japan to develop its national power, but the class system remained in place: government officials had simply replaced samurai at the top of the social hierarchy, and civilians were still oppressed.
Eiichi now believed that the common people needed to acquire abilities that surpassed those of government officials.
As a private businessman, he opted to take the path of launching and developing companies that would achieve his ideal.
He actually launched some 500 companies, which continue to drive the nation’s economy even now as top corporations in the 21st century, such as Mizuho Bank, Tokio Marine & Nichido, Nippon Yusen, TEPCO, Tokyo Gas, the Imperial Hotel, JR, and others.
To be continued in the next edition.
Stay tuned for the next AOTS E-Newsletter.
Rikio Suma, Author
