Threats to Peace, Challenges to Prosperity: Themes from the 4th Shibusawa Seminar

A SIA N PERSPECTIVE,zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIH Vol. 27, No. 3, 2003, pp. 7-19. THREATS TO PEACE,VUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA CHALLENGES TO PROSPERITY: THEMES FROM THE 4t h SHIBUSAWA SEMINAR Allan BirdONMLKJIHGFEDCBA In tr o d u c tio n Every generation is inclined to see itself as unique and the problems that it faces as unprecedented. It is the role of social science scholars and other thoughtful observers to disabuse each generation of that notion and to separate reality from fiction. Of course each generation is unique, if for no other reason than its place in the chronological order is singular. However, it is also true that new circumstances and situations often have their par­ allels in previous eras, else where is the wisdom in George San­ tayana's famous dictum that "those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it." In Japan, the Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation was established not only to honor the memory of one of Japan's late nineteenth and early twentieth century visionary industrialists and philanthropists, but also to encour­ age a consideration of Japan's twenty-first century challenges in light of his accomplishments and legacy. To that end, and in conjunction with the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the Foun­ dation sponsors an annual seminar. The purpose of the seminar is twofold: to address and explore issues of relevance and importance to Japan, and to convene an international network of junior and senior scholars drawn from Japan, North America 8 Allan BirdzyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA and Asia. This special issue presents research carried out in con­ junction with the 4th Shibusawa Seminar.1ONMLKJIHGFEDCBA T h e L e g a c y o f S h ib u sa w a To better understand the seminar and this collection of papers it is important to understand something of the man whose name graces their proceedings. Shibusawa Eiichi (18401931 ) was the son of a wealthy farmer-merchant from Saitama prefecture. At fourteen years of age he joined the family busi­ ness. Eight years later, at the age of twenty-two, he set out for Tokyo. The early 1860s were a time of turbulence as several powerful daim yo confronted the Tokugawa bakufu over its sign­ ing of the Treaty of Commerce with the United States. Initially Shibusawa threw in his lot with the forces seeking to overthrow the bakufu. In an odd turn of events, rather than overthrowing it, he joined the bakufu, becoming a retainer in the Hitotsubashi house. From this vantage point he was well positioned to partic­ ipate in the ensuing industrialization of Japan. In 1870 he joined the Ministry of Finance and was tasked with helping to modernize Japan's monetary and tax system. Thus began a long string of entrepreneurial activities, some within the government and some without. Among his accom­ plishments were helping to establish the first national bank, helping to establish the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and having a hand in the founding of over 500 companies (including paper mills, spinning mills, railroads, forestry concerns, shipping, life insurance and public utilities). Among the companies he helped found are some of Japan's leading corporations, including Tokyo Marine Insurance, Tokyo Gas, Tokyo Electric, Oji Paper, and the Tokyo Imperial Hotel. His interests extended beyond business to philanthropy and international relations. He had a hand in founding twenty uni­ versities and colleges. He established numerous social welfare organizations and was a noted Confucian scholar. With regard1 1. The final article by Soeya, Wang and Welch, is drawn from a presenta­ tion they made at the 3rd Shibusawa Seminar. Because of its timeliness, it was included in this issue. Threats to Peace, Challenges to Prosperity 9zyxwvutsrqponmlkjih to the latter, he advocated a form of capitalism based on Confucian ethics. He saw business and commercial groups as a coun­ terbalance to government. Moreover, in a significant departure from the conventional wisdom of the day, he believed that com­ mercial activities had a basis in moral behavior and that busi­ ness leaders had a moral obligation to pursue activities that ben­ efited the community.2 It is no exaggeration to suggest that Shibusawa Eiichi was one of the most significant and influential persons of his time, and...