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A Japanese shop is 1,020 years old

nytimes.com

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Re: A Japanese shop is 1,020 years old

#41

Post by twic »

shagie wrote: post #3

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/oldest-companies/ is also rather interesting to look at. The oldest one in Japan: > The Japanese temple and shrine construction company, Kongō Gumi Co., Ltd. (founded in 578) has weathered a few storms over the millennia, from nuclear bombs to financial crises. In 2006, it was bought by the construction conglomerate, Takamatsu Construction Group Co., and continues to operate today.

The story is that Kongo Gumi was founded by people who had worked on the first Buddhist temple, but the first Buddhist temple, Hōkō-ji, wasn't started until 588. Not sure exactly what's going on there, someone should check the paperwork.

Canterbury Cathedral was founded in 597. I find it kind of wild that those two events were only nine years apart.

Re: A Japanese shop is 1,020 years old

#45

Post by err4nt »

NikolaeVarius wrote: post #16
Axsuul wrote: post #13

The kicker is at the end. Should future generations be obligated to continue the family business even if they resent it?

Thats what adopting full grown adults as sons is for.

Usually we try keep family and business apart (nepotism is seen as evil), but the way businesses run so often exploits or abuses humans and families. With this mindset of adopting future business owners into your real family, it's putting family above business even in business. I wonder how the results pan out, maybe there's wisdom in here we're largely missing by the way we approach things.

Re: A Japanese shop is 1,020 years old

#46

Post by geocrasher »

err4nt wrote: post #44

Really makes you wonder which businesses (and indeed which industries) will exist 1000 years from today! Very inspiring, thanks for sharing.

If the Web Hosting industry still exists in 1000 years, there will be somebody asking if we support Frontpage.

Re: A Japanese shop is 1,020 years old

#47

Post by threatofrain »

Barrin92 wrote: post #36
kiddico wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you can read it as "social pressure to do something for your entire life that you don't really want to do."

that's what maturation into adulthood is, taking responsibility for social institutions that are larger than oneself and endure longer than oneself, rather than being a 35 year old owning nothing and playing paintball, which is, in contrast to the business culture on display here the future sold to us by the beloved SV companies. Most of which if I had to bet will not last longer than this store.

Maturity means different things for people at different income levels. I've seen young children mature by managing a real estate portfolio, and then moving onto greater relations and responsibilities. I've seen other children mature by rotting in a failing Filipino bakery.

Re: A Japanese shop is 1,020 years old

#48

Post by howlgarnish »

nkoren wrote: post #37

Damnit, last year I walked straight past that mochi shop without even realising it. And now I'm hungry. (Seriously, though, the snacking in Kyoto is epic. Lovely temples and all, but when I go back, my first stop will be at a yatsuhashi shop, then mochi, then those red bean fish cake thingies, then maybe a cucumber on a stick. Damnit, now I'm REALLY hungry. Anyhow, these are businesses worth keeping around for a thou…

The oldest restaurant in Nara hasn't changed their menu in 500 years or so: your options are barley rice with grated yam (mugi tororo) or barley rice with broiled eel (unagi).

The eel is great. The barley rice with gloopy yam on top... let's just say I understand why nobody else sells this stuff anymore.

Re: A Japanese shop is 1,020 years old

#49

Post by kiddico »

iratewizard wrote: post #32
kiddico wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you can read it as "social pressure to do something for your entire life that you don't really want to do."

Like work?

No, like work you want to do.

Imagine everyone around you is allowed the opportunity to choose their career. You however are the son of a plumber, and have no choice but to be a plumber. This plumbing business is 1000 years old! Why throw away the family name?! Well, because I'd rather not be a plumber and I'm perfectly capable of something else.

Re: A Japanese shop is 1,020 years old

#50

Post by moron4hire »

lapetitejort wrote: post #20
Michael_Sieb wrote: post #10

I don't think any tech companies will ever survive that long.

Could Nintendo be the oldest company currently involved with tech?

It's probably Isabellenhütte, established in 1482 in Germany (https://www.isabellenhuette.de/en/company/innovation-by-trad...)
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