Japan is known for its FB's outstanding longevity, but not many people are necessarily familiar with the factors that lead to their success. Starting with the overview of FB in Japan,  this session mostly focuses on its longevity, introducing the six major key factors for longevity, as well as the philosophical and ethical elements that support them. To deepen this understanding, ｗe will also briefly touch on the social background factors and historical transitions.

Several cases are further introduced to illustrate the unique aspects of FBs in Japan, which are instrumental to its longevity, as follows;

・Some families manage the FB without ownership influence for generations.

・Two-thirds of CEOs are non-family members.

・Those who are talented are adopted and made CEO.

To enhance participants' understanding, the sessions will be interactive and questions and comments are encouraged.

Features of Japanese Family Business by Prof. Kenji Yokoyama

Family businesses exist in every country in the world and play an important role. However, when we look into the specifics, we find that each country, culture, and customs have their own characteristics. In this presentation, I will explain Japanese family businesses from the perspectives of family surnames, open innovation, family businesses consisting of multiple families, competition for mutual development, and family businesses and regional banks.

This is a case study and a dialogue about the major disasters experienced by Ichijo, a long-established inn in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the Maldonado family, a Venezuelan family conglomerate. The Ichijo family was hit by the Great Tohoku Earthquake, but made a dramatic recovery afterwards. The Maldonado family had all of their assets confiscated with the arrival of the Chavez administration, but the family emigrated to the United States and South America, where they started new businesses in their respective locations.