Reviews
#Sponsored copy. Shibusawa's daily schedule: wake at 6 a.m., skip lunch, take no nap, read for five hours in the morning and afternoon, and go to bed at 10 p.m. He practiced diligence throughout his life and remained active in his work until age 91. I thought I was simply reading about Shibusawa, the architect of Japanese capitalism, but it felt like an intensive blend of philosophy, self-help, motivation, biography, the Analects, and economics. It was immediately clear that the author, a
Eiichi Shibusawa was born on March 16, 1840, and died on November 11, 1931. He is the new face on Japan’s 10,000-yen bill, and he has a complicated legacy. He is regarded as a great man who provided the rationale for the Seikanron, the debate over invading Korea, as well as the architect of Japanese capitalism. That reputation followed Peter Drucker, the “management guru,” discussing Shibusawa. The book helps explain the path he took from a samurai background and, during the upheaval of the
A business leader who founded 500 companies but refused to become a zaibatsu magnate: the zeitgeist Japan chose. While Korea was regressing under its ruling clans, neighboring Japan was moving toward modernization. The Meiji Restoration overturned every aspect of Japanese politics, economy, society, and culture. Eiichi Shibusawa, the subject of this book, laid the foundations of Japanese capitalism, built its framework, and gave it strength. Unfamiliar to readers without expertise in Japan, he
As I was beginning to study marketing, I came across the man Peter Drucker reportedly mentioned, who is now the face on the redesigned 10,000-yen note. His story, intertwined with modern Japanese history, is also a history of invasion. Yet I was curious about how this low-ranking samurai quickly read global trends, recognized the importance of modernization, learned from it, and founded 500 companies in a Japan without modern corporations, helping build the foundation of its economy. He
I don’t know many notable figures in Japan’s business world outside of those connected to war. The one I know is the late Kazuo Inamori, whom I respected. I was selected for this book review program, and as I read the book slowly, I could only marvel. Of course, as the author says, from Korea’s perspective Shibusawa was a grave traitor: Japan started World War II, invaded and colonized other countries, and sacrificed many young people, among other things. Still, studying him as a historical
The book that underpins this one is *The Analects and the Abacus*, written by its subject, Eiichi Shibusawa. Why don’t we have an *Analects* written from our own distinctive perspective? This book introduces it only in passing. Could translators of Japanese-language books please translate *The Analects and the Abacus* in full? 🙏 Or should I try? @nextwave_pub I’d like to share a few of its key passages. The first habit is “Be proactive.” There’s a saying: “Life is the C between B and D”—B for
Today’s business leaders are busy putting sales and profits first every day. But amid this trend, are we forgetting important values? Where is the management philosophy that considers moral responsibility, social value, and the public good? By exploring Eiichi Shibusawa’s life and philosophy in Eiichi Shibusawa: Architect of Japanese Capitalism, we can seek answers. He was more than an entrepreneur; he practiced social contribution and ethical management. Shibusawa laid the foundations of
After reading this book, one thing I’m trying to change in my life is practicing “ethical wealth”—pursuing financial goals without forgetting moral values. I realized how important that is. I also hope to care more about contributing to society, as Shibusawa did. I want to start small and do things that help the people around me. I don’t think *Eiichi Shibusawa, Architect of Japanese Capitalism* is simply a history book. It contains many lessons for today’s workers, college students, and
This book recounts the life and achievements of Eiichi Shibusawa, a leading figure in Japan’s 19th-century economic modernization. Across nine chapters, it follows his life chronologically, describing his activities, influence, and significance in their historical context. The author is Dr. Shin Hyun-am, former head of social contribution research at Samsung Economic Research Institute. The pivotal period that shaped Korea and Japan today was the series of events spanning roughly 15 years from
Eiichi Shibusawa was clearly a business leader and a person we can learn a great deal from. Some readers interested in him and management may already know his name, but many still do not. This book offers a chance to learn about and consider the essence and value of business leaders and management. Japan achieved tremendous economic and social growth, yet controversy continues over anti-Japanese sentiment, historical issues, and attempts to justify its acts of aggression. A closer look at the
Shin Hyeon-am: Eiichi Shibusawa, the architect of Japanese capitalism
Even in Japan, Eiichi Shibusawa, the central figure in Eiichi Shibusawa: Architect of Japanese Capitalism, had been forgotten. His work The Analects and the Abacus, once compared to Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, disappeared from bestseller lists. Few people remembered his reputation as the ‘architect of Japanese capitalism’ or knew he had twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet in Japan, Shibusawa was more than an entrepreneur: he designed the business system Japan uses today. In the turmoil after the Meiji Restoration, he acted as a ‘venture investor,’ a concept that did not yet exist, founding 500 companies and 600 social welfare organizations. Japan today would not be what it is without the institutions he built, from its first bank and stock exchange, paper company, railway, and logistics company to Tokyo Gas, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT), the Imperial Hotel, Kirin Beer, and Dai Nippon Sugar. Most of Japan’s eight major zaibatsu grew by partnering or competing with him. Though he could have become a zaibatsu magnate if he had wished, he advocated ‘clean wealth’ and used his fortune to care for marginalized people. Now Shibusawa, once forgotten, is emerging as a symbol of the Japanese zeitgeist. NHK, whose historical dramas usually focus on warlords of the Warring States period or Meiji Restoration reformers, dramatized his life. The Analects and the Abacus has again become required reading for Japanese office workers, and exhibitions honoring him have opened across the country. His selection as the face of the new 10,000-yen banknote issued in 2024 is a symbolic sign that Japan has turned to Shibusawa as a way out of its ‘lost 30 years.’
Korean title: 시부사와 에이이치 일본 자본주의의 설계자
Korean author: 신현암
Korean publisher: 흐름출판
ISBN-13: 9788965966289
Reviews
#Sponsored copy. Shibusawa's daily schedule: wake at 6 a.m., skip lunch, take no nap, read for five hours in the morning and afternoon, and go to bed at 10 p.m. He practiced diligence throughout his life and remained active in his work until age 91. I thought I was simply reading about Shibusawa, the architect of Japanese capitalism, but it felt like an intensive blend of philosophy, self-help, motivation, biography, the Analects, and economics. It was immediately clear that the author, a
Eiichi Shibusawa was born on March 16, 1840, and died on November 11, 1931. He is the new face on Japan’s 10,000-yen bill, and he has a complicated legacy. He is regarded as a great man who provided the rationale for the Seikanron, the debate over invading Korea, as well as the architect of Japanese capitalism. That reputation followed Peter Drucker, the “management guru,” discussing Shibusawa. The book helps explain the path he took from a samurai background and, during the upheaval of the
A business leader who founded 500 companies but refused to become a zaibatsu magnate: the zeitgeist Japan chose. While Korea was regressing under its ruling clans, neighboring Japan was moving toward modernization. The Meiji Restoration overturned every aspect of Japanese politics, economy, society, and culture. Eiichi Shibusawa, the subject of this book, laid the foundations of Japanese capitalism, built its framework, and gave it strength. Unfamiliar to readers without expertise in Japan, he
As I was beginning to study marketing, I came across the man Peter Drucker reportedly mentioned, who is now the face on the redesigned 10,000-yen note. His story, intertwined with modern Japanese history, is also a history of invasion. Yet I was curious about how this low-ranking samurai quickly read global trends, recognized the importance of modernization, learned from it, and founded 500 companies in a Japan without modern corporations, helping build the foundation of its economy. He
I don’t know many notable figures in Japan’s business world outside of those connected to war. The one I know is the late Kazuo Inamori, whom I respected. I was selected for this book review program, and as I read the book slowly, I could only marvel. Of course, as the author says, from Korea’s perspective Shibusawa was a grave traitor: Japan started World War II, invaded and colonized other countries, and sacrificed many young people, among other things. Still, studying him as a historical
The book that underpins this one is *The Analects and the Abacus*, written by its subject, Eiichi Shibusawa. Why don’t we have an *Analects* written from our own distinctive perspective? This book introduces it only in passing. Could translators of Japanese-language books please translate *The Analects and the Abacus* in full? 🙏 Or should I try? @nextwave_pub I’d like to share a few of its key passages. The first habit is “Be proactive.” There’s a saying: “Life is the C between B and D”—B for
Today’s business leaders are busy putting sales and profits first every day. But amid this trend, are we forgetting important values? Where is the management philosophy that considers moral responsibility, social value, and the public good? By exploring Eiichi Shibusawa’s life and philosophy in Eiichi Shibusawa: Architect of Japanese Capitalism, we can seek answers. He was more than an entrepreneur; he practiced social contribution and ethical management. Shibusawa laid the foundations of
After reading this book, one thing I’m trying to change in my life is practicing “ethical wealth”—pursuing financial goals without forgetting moral values. I realized how important that is. I also hope to care more about contributing to society, as Shibusawa did. I want to start small and do things that help the people around me. I don’t think *Eiichi Shibusawa, Architect of Japanese Capitalism* is simply a history book. It contains many lessons for today’s workers, college students, and
This book recounts the life and achievements of Eiichi Shibusawa, a leading figure in Japan’s 19th-century economic modernization. Across nine chapters, it follows his life chronologically, describing his activities, influence, and significance in their historical context. The author is Dr. Shin Hyun-am, former head of social contribution research at Samsung Economic Research Institute. The pivotal period that shaped Korea and Japan today was the series of events spanning roughly 15 years from
Eiichi Shibusawa was clearly a business leader and a person we can learn a great deal from. Some readers interested in him and management may already know his name, but many still do not. This book offers a chance to learn about and consider the essence and value of business leaders and management. Japan achieved tremendous economic and social growth, yet controversy continues over anti-Japanese sentiment, historical issues, and attempts to justify its acts of aggression. A closer look at the
