Japan's Ancient Shops: Longevity Factors and Cultural Insights

Japan's unique Yatosuki culture and architectural choices have fostered the longevity of its ancient shops.

### The Longevity of Japanese Shops: Cultural and Architectural Insights
* 🏯 Japan boasts an impressive number of long-standing businesses, with **33,076 companies established over 100 years**, including **1,340 over 200 years**, **147 over 500 years**, and **21 that have lasted over a thousand years**.
* 📜 The oldest company, Kongo Gumi, was founded in 578 and operated until 2006, showcasing the **remarkable endurance of these businesses** through centuries of change.
* 🏘 Unlike countries that rely on single-story homes due to heating systems, Japan's architectural choices, influenced by **earthquake risks**, allowed for the development of **two-story houses**, leading to **higher population density** and a **thriving customer base**.
* 👥 This population density fostered a stable commercial environment, enabling a **robust merchant class** that capitalized on the **favorable business conditions** of historical Japan.
* 🔄 The Yatosuki culture, akin to a franchise system, helped ensure the **longevity of shops**, as apprentices trained under masters could later **open branches**, preserving the brand even if the main store failed.
* 🧘 The wasan philosophy promotes **peace and non-infringement of others' domains**, further explaining why family businesses in Japan tend to focus solely on their niche, **avoiding conflicts with other merchants**.
* 📚 However, research by historian Tanaka Yasuro reveals that nearly half of Edo period merchants were not family businesses, with transferred shops averaging a lifespan of **18.1 years** compared to only **6.3 years** for inherited ones, challenging common perceptions.
* 🔍 Overall, the combination of **architectural factors, cultural practices, and historical data** provides a nuanced understanding of why Japan has so many enduring shops, inviting further discussion on this fascinating topic.

일본에는 왜 오래된 가게가 많을까?  가업을 잇는다는 허상

지식보부상

Japan has a remarkable number of long-standing companies, with over 33,000 established for more than 100 years and 21 shops still in business for over a thousand years.

Kongo Gumi, founded in 578, is the oldest company in Japan, operating until 2006.

The country's unique architectural style, with a focus on single-story buildings, has contributed to low population density and the gradual passing down of businesses through generations.

Japan's inability to adopt the traditional Korean ondol heating system due to earthquakes led to the development of a unique housing style with two-story homes.

This architectural trend, which began in Kyoto, resulted in high population density and a stable commercial environment, fostering a robust merchant class.

The favorable conditions for business in historical Japan gave rise to the unique culture of Yatosuki, aimed at ensuring the longevity of shops and companies.

Yatosuki Culture and Its Impact on Japanese Shops

Yatosuki culture is a franchise system where apprentices, selected from young children, learn skills from a master and eventually gain the authority to manage their own shops.

This culture has contributed to the longevity of shops in Japan, as franchisees can maintain the brand even if the main store fails.

The traditional advice given to aspiring merchants emphasizes the importance of not coveting other territories and focusing on their own area of business to maintain social peace.

The Wasan Philosophy and Japan's Cultural Heritage

The wasan philosophy in Japan emphasizes peaceful coexistence and non-infringement on each other's domains, influencing the inheritance of family businesses.

The philosophy's impact on Japan's cultural heritage and ancient shops was significant but temporary, with the merchant class's influence fading from the Edo period.

The Edo Merchant Data Compendium, collected by historian Tanaka Yasuro, contains detailed information on 74,000 merchants from the Edo period, revealing that about half of them were family businesses.

The Surprising Ownership Transfer of Japanese Shops

Many long-established shops in Japan have been bought and sold casually, challenging the common perception of family business succession.

Research by Tanaka shows that shops transferred from others have a longer average lifespan (18.

1 years) compared to those inherited through family (6.

The traditional belief that inheriting a shop is more advantageous for business is refuted, as family-inherited shops tend to go out of business faster.