The Analects and the Abacus
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Book Overview
He founded 500 companies. He transformed a feudal nation into a modern economy. Peter Drucker called his achievements "a good deal more spectacular than those of Rothschild, Morgan, Krupp, or Rockefeller."
In July 2024, he became the face of Japan's 10,000-yen banknote. His most important book has never been available in English. Until now.
Written in 1916, The Analects and the Abacus is Shibusawa Eiichi's definitive argument that Confucian morality and the pursuit of profit are not opposing forces - they are inseparable. A century before the world began debating stakeholder capitalism and ESG, the father of Japanese capitalism had already answered the question.
Drawn from decades of speeches and lectures, the book is part philosophy, part memoir, and part practical wisdom from a man who built Japan's first modern bank, its first stock exchange, and its first insurance company. This first complete English translation includes a translator's introduction providing historical context and annotations throughout.
Held in the collection of the Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation, Tokyo.
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