Shibusawa Eiichi is remembered as one of the principle architects of the modern Japanese economy. Associated with over 500 business enterprises, he has even been called the "father of Japanese capitalism." In later life, Shibusawa regularly spoke and published papers on the need to harmonize moral virtue with economic activity. Throughout his life, Shibusawa asserted that he regularly consulted the Analects of Confucius for guidance in conducting his professional and personal life. He also argued strenuously that he worked not to enrich himself personally, but to contribute to the prosperity of Japan.
My research focuses on Shibusawa's use of Confucian thought to legitimate modern business activities in terms of older Japanese cultural values.
Book
Confucian Capitalism: Shibusawa Eiichi, Business Ethics, and Economic Development in Meiji Japan, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. Avaliable here
Video
"From Farmer to Financier: Shibusawa Eiichi's Blend of Confucianism and Capitalism in the Industrialization of Japan," Faculty Lecture, Linfield College, October 18, 2017. View here.
Published
Sagers, John. “Shibusawa Eiichi, Dai Ichi Bank, and the Spirit of Japanese Capitalism, 1860-1930.” Shashi: The Journal of Japanese Business and Company History; Vol 3, No 1 (2014): Shibusawa Special Edition, 2014. http://shashi.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/shashi/article/view/24.
Sagers, John. “Shibusawa Eiichi and the Merger of Confucianism and Capitalism in Modern Japan.” Education about Asia 19, no. 3 (Winter 2014): 30–35. https://www.asian-studies.org/EAA/EAA-Archives/19/3/1323.pdf
