Why are most of the oldest companies in the world from Japan?
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They were very successful…. And they tend to keep their original name after changing the company. The hanafuda cards manufacturer from 1889 has little to nothing in common with the modern multimedia giant, but it‘s still Nintendo.
Also, there are other old companies from other parts of the world too, like Coca-Cola or Marlboro.
There were no revolutions or civil wars for several centuries, and no foreign invasions for more than a thousand. So a company could continue functioning.
Also, the culture favors old stuff, so company owners try to keep the old name, even if company itself is being completely reorganized.
Aside from no major civil wars or revolutions, being an island nation like Japan gives them a huge advantage when it comes to invading forces. Japan is hundreds of miles outside of mainland Asia, and the mountainous terrain of many parts of it make it even more difficult for any invading force to occupy.
There’s a theory that large island nations like Britain, or Japan owe a decent amount of their success in industrialization and as modern economies because they were so easy to defend, and as such has relatively stable economies and little disruptions. Compared to other nations like China or India Japan was able to industrialize VERY quickly. This is in my opinion a large reason why most of the oldest businesses are in easily defended, relatively stable, long lasting nations, such as Britain, Japan, or to a lesser extent Switzerland, I suspect given enough time the US might start to move up the longest lasting businesses list, but as of now it just hasn’t been around long enough as a nation.
In addition to what everyone else is saying, one other consideration is how prominent it is for companies to be part of a “family” legacy in Japan. This [BBC Article](https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200211-why-are-so-many-old-companies-in-japan) explains it pretty well, but adoption of adult male workers into the family is a widespread practice.
https://www.skiptonbusinessfinance.co.uk/the-business-brain/5-oldest-companies-uk
You guys ar in for a shock, royal mint is over 800 maybe a1,000 years old. Link link above is for the top 5 oldest UK companies.
The answers about no civil upheaval are rubbish. There were at least three rebellions/civil wars around the turn of the 20th century. Also there was this scuffle known as World War II that devastated the Japanese Home Islands.
The real reasons why Japan has so many old companies are because they heavily emphasise tradition and continuity and the widespread practice of adult adoptions. The owners of the companies would marry their daughters to a suitable heir and adopt that person into the family. With this continuity in place, you’re seeing the small handful of survivors that have managed to make all the way to this age. You’re not seeing the tons of failed businesses.
If you look at the list, most of them are hotels offering a traditional experience, some make traditional confectionary and the rest produce goods related to temples and religion (the two construction companies specialised in building temples, good business in a place subjected to frequent disasters). All heavily emphasise tradition and the age is a plus. You can see this too in Germany where 9 of the 11 oldest are related to alcohol where tradition is prized.
A combination of factors – many of which have been touched on here.
First off: While Japan has seen many internal struggles, there hasn’t been a lot of changing *national* borders; which means that the Japanese people have tended to stay more or less the same over time. In contrast, in China, India, and Europe, national borders have been much more subject to change; and when foreigners invaded, they often took over the jobs (but not the companies) along with the government. There are some long-lived companies in those areas, but they tend to be in more nationally stable sections.
Second: The Japanese have tended to favor tradition and heritage; and tend to prefer doing business with companies with a proven history – even if the history is in an adjacent business. This is what allowed Nintendo to move from playing cards to board games to electronic games; but also has served other Japanese companies as well. This has also sheltered some companies from civil wars; because the conquerors would rather take over a business with tradition that shut it down and start their own.
Finally, Japanese businessmen show far more willingness to adopt heirs than other nationalities. In Europe and America in particular, there is a tendency of family companies that grow large to end up dying off two to four generations after the initial growth as the children of the previous owners don’t show the same skill in business that their parents did. In contrast, Japanese business leaders legitimately view the business as their family; and have a history of adopting people (usually sons) who show promise in the business – and in so doing, making sure they have legal heirs that will take care of the business.
Historically the business was handed down to the first born son, but failing that they could adopt one. Today, the majority of people who are adopted in Japan are men aged 25-30 for this reason.
It’s like starting a job near the top, but you can’t quit.
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