History of Innovative Entrepreneurs in Japan
Overview I: Edo Period -- Case 1: Konoike Zen'emon: Successive Innovations on the Nationwide Market -- Case 2: Takatoshi Mitsui: New Business Opportunities and the Retail Revolution -- Case 3: Genzaemon Nakai: Regional Merchant Thriving on the National Stage -- Discussion Point 1: Early Modern or Pre-modern? -- Overview 2: From Port Opening to the Post Russo-Japanese War Period -- Case 4: Hikojiro Nakamigawa: Zaibatsu Reform by Salaried Managers -- Case 5: Yataro Iwasaki and Yanosuke Iwasaki: Formation of Zaibatsu by Owner Managers -- Case 6: Zenjiro Yasuda and Soichiro Asano: Zaibatsu Formation through the Collaboration of Two Owner-Managers -- Case 7: Eiichi Shibusawa: Mobilization of Managerial Resources by an Investor-Manager -- Discussion Point 2: How Did Japan's Economy Manage to Take Off So Early? Conditions that Enabled the First Successful Industrialization Case among Late Developers -- Overview 3: World War I to the 1980s -- Case 8: Ichizo Kobayashi: A Leader in Urbanization Creates a New Industry -- Case 9: Yasuzaemon Matsunaga: Electrification Leader Establishes Private Sector-Led Public Utility Operations -- Case 10: Saburosuke Suzuki II : Commercialization of Exceptional Breakthrough Innovation -- Case 11: Kiichiro Toyoda: From Breakthrough to Incremental Innovations -- Case 12: Shitagau Noguchi and Yoshisuke Aikawa: Emergence of New Konzerns and Foray into the Continent -- Case 13: Sazo Idemitsu: From "Oil Merchant of the Continent" to "Hero of Native Oil Companies" -- Case 14: Yataro Nishiyama: Leader of Capital Investment Drives High Economic Growth -- Case 15: Konosuke Matsushita: Initiator of "Consumer Revolution" Drives High Economic Growth -- Case 16: Masaru Ibuka, Akio Morita, Soichiro Honda, and Takeo Fujisawa: The Groundbreaking Nature of Sony and Honda Becoming Global Companies -- Case 17: Toshio Doko: The Sense of Crisis Harbored by the "Fine Physician of the Business World" and "Mr. Administrative Reform" -- Discussion Point 3: How did Japan's Economy Grow Continuously Over a Long Period of Time? Catch-Up and Domestic Demand -- Overview 4: Japan since the 1990s -- Case 18: Kazuo Inamori: Managerial Renewal by a Venture Manager -- Case 19: Toshifumi Suzuki: Convenience Store Innovations Originating in Japan Spread to the World -- Case 20: Tadashi Yanai and Masayoshi Son: Exceptional Challenges Undertaken by the Two Risk Takers -- Discussion Point 4: Why did Japan's Economy Slow Down? ICT Revolution and "Disruptive Innovation".