An archive of long-form series on Japanese business, history, and culture.
Series Vol. 11 | Seken-Yoshi
What does seken — "the world" — actually mean? The word has Buddhist roots that most Japanese speakers have forgotten. Vol. 11 asks what those roots mean for us today, and for the economy we need to build.
The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin Vol. 10 | Kai-te Yoshi
The Ohmi Shonin conducted business across nearly all of Japan by the 18th and 19th centuries — and beyond its borders as early as the 17th. This volume traces where they went, who resented them for it, and why their legacy endures regardless.
The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin Vol. 9 | Uri-te Yoshi Ⅱ
The Ohmi Shonin lived by a simple maxim: shimatsu shite kibaru — use everything to the last, and work without rest. Vol. 9 explores what that ethic looked like in practice, from a box lid made of recycled business papers at the Ohmi Shonin Kyodokan, to an eighteenth-century merchant's blunt advice on how to build wealth. The spirit, it turns out, is not so distant from the habits of Warren Buffett or Bill Gates.
The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin Vol. 8 | Uri-te Yoshi
Reading the full series? Browse all volumes here.
Before diving in — Vol. 2 sets out the author’s framing and ...
The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin Vol. 7 | Sanpo Yoshi Ⅲ
The Ohmi Shonin operated as outsiders in distant regions — and that shaped everything. Vol. 7 explores the merchant wisdom behind Sanpo Yoshi, and why humility may be its hidden foundation.
The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin Vol. 6 | Sanpo Yoshi II
The Ohmi Shonin concept of Sanpo Yoshi is often linked to CSR — but the author argues it is closer to Stakeholder Capitalism. What does that mean for how we think about corporate obligations, and who a company truly belongs to?
The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin Vol. 5 | Sanpo Yoshi I
What is sanpo yoshi — and did the Ohmi Shonin actually use the term? This installment explores the philosophy behind the concept, and the Marubeni executive who rebuilt an elementary school in a small town, inspired by the founding of Stanford University.
The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin Vol. 4 | Why So Many Shonin Were Born in One Place
Why did Ohmi produce so many merchant dynasties? This installment of The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin examines the competing theories — from naturalized immigrants and free markets to fragmented fiefdoms — and argues that geography, more than any single cause, was the common thread that sustained them all.
The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin Vol. 2 | Before We Begin
A note to readers before the series begins in earnest: what this series is — and is not — about, and how key terms like "Jodo thought" and "Ohmi Shonin" are used throughout.
The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin Vol. 1 | The Japanese Stocks Warren Buffett Bought
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway holds stakes in five Japanese trading companies — including Itochu, whose roots trace back to Chubei Ito, an Ohmi Shonin from 19th-century Shiga Prefecture. This series explores the merchant spirit and Buddhist ethics behind their enduring success.