--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: Teaching Long-​T​erm Lessons image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9997f70392df6f17/6a4b526160118c357689fc65/F2AD488BA9D3404F94084885ACEF2F7A.png?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- # Teaching Long-​T​erm Lessons  From papermakers and logistics firms to shrine builders and hot-spring hotels, Japan is home to many of the world’s oldest companies. No other country comes close in terms of the number of long-standing firms, with Japan home to over 45,000 companies that are more than 100 years old, surpassing contenders such as Italy and Germany. While Japanese business practices are often viewed as mysterious or stereotyped, the longevity of these firms stems from several key factors: long-term customer relationships, strong local community ties and, in many cases, leadership passed down through generations. Sponsoring local festivals and upholding kaisha no rinen—the time-honored company philosophy proudly displayed in boardrooms—shows that Japanese companies embrace values that foster long-term resilience. Though sometimes mistaken for rigidity, this mindset has helped overcome countless challenges. As the modern business landscape evolves and presents new hurdles, these traditions remain a valuable strength for the future.   Teaching Long-​T​erm Lessons ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/teaching-long-term-lessons/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/teaching-long-term-lessons/"},"headline":"Teaching Long-​T​erm Lessons","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:28:09.632Z","dateModified":"2026-06-09T07:26:53.887Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/teaching-long-term-lessons/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/teaching-long-term-lessons/","name":"Teaching Long-​T​erm Lessons"}}]}] ```