Shinise


Shinise are Japanese businesses that have been in operation for at least a hundred years, some more than a thousand years. Japan has significantly more very old businesses than any other country, and Shinise products enjoy a particular prestige in Japan.

Characteristics

Long-established companies are particularly common in Japan, which is home to over half of the world's companies that are older than 200 years. As of 2020, the country had more than 33,000 shinise, of which 3,100 were older than 200 years, 140 older than 500 years and at least 19 who say that they have been operating for over 1,000 years. Shinise are a source of national and regional pride, and are the subject of governmental promotion, business management books and travel guides.
Frequently, shinise are relatively small family businesses guided by a particular set of principles. These principles tend to emphasize continuity, tradition, longstanding business relationships, sticking to the core business, accumulating cash reserves and avoiding debt and other risk. This limits growth but helps the companies weather even severe crises. Some shinise, however, have grown to be leading players in their fields, such as the video game maker Nintendo or the general contractor Takenaka.
The prevalence of shinise in Japan is attributed to the particularities of Japanese culture, such as reverence for traditions and one's ancestors, and Japanese history, such as the country's relatively long global isolation prior to the 19th century. To ensure familial continuity, shinise owners without children of their own sometimes adopt one of their male employees. One effect of the high prestige that shinise enjoy in Japan is that startups are less respected or appreciated than elsewhere.

''Shinise'' products

Buying something from a shinise imparts particular prestige in Japan, connoting the "pinnacle of taste". This Japanese preference for shinise is distinguished from the appreciation most societies have for luxury goods in that it does not only include expensive, long-lasting items such as cars and watches, but also everyday objects and food.
This consumer preference may have roots in Japanese society's predilection for conformity, which makes it so that somebody who owns a shinise item is certain not to be ridiculed for it, and frequently respected. As a result, brand loyalty to shinise is often intense, which in turn helps these companies survive for a long time.

List of ''shinise''

This list aims to include all shinise founded before 1600, and selected notable younger shinise.
CompanyLocationBusinessDate of establishmentRef.
Kongō GumiOsaka, OsakaConstruction578
Nisiyama Onsen KeiunkanHayakawa, YamanashiHot spring hotel705
KomanToyooka, HyōgoHotel717
Hōshi RyokanIshikawa PrefectureHotel718
Genda ShigyōKyoto, KyotoCeremonial paper goods771
Tanaka Iga ButsuguKyoto, KyotoBuddhist religious goods885
Nakamura ShajiIchinomiya, AichiConstruction970
Ichimonjiya WasukeKyoto, KyotoConfectionery1000
Shumiya-ShinbutsugutenReligious goods1024
Takahan RyokanYuzawa, NiigataHotel1075
Geto OnsenKitakami, IwateHotel1134
Sudo HonkeKasama, IbarakiSake1141
Tsuen TeaUji, KyotoTeahouse1160
Gorobee AmeConfectionery1177–1180
Confectionery1184
KikuokaNara, NaraHerbs1184
Sakan RyokanSendai, MiyagiHotel1184
Ito TekkoMetalworking1189
Shirasagiyu TawarayaKaga, IshikawaHotel1190
Kotabe FoundrySakuragawa, IbarakiFoundry1190–1199
Tosen GoshoboKobe, HyōgoHotel1191
Arima Onsen OkunoboHotel1191
Yoshinoya IrokuenKaga, IshikawaHotel1192
NotoyaKomatsu, IshikawaHotel1311
HigashiyaYonezawa, YamagataHotel1312
SankoganGose, NaraPharmacy1319
Korenya ShingetsuanConfectionery1327
KanbukuroConfectionery1329
Kuroda SennendoConfectioneryBef. 1333
Maruya Hatco MisoOkazaki, AichiMiso1337
TakataTextiles1346
Confectionery1349
Pharmacy1368
MatsumaeyaSeaweed1392
NamariichiChemicals1395
Kameya MutsuConfectionery1421
SakuSaku, NaganoHotel1428
Yunushi IchijohHotel1428
Confectionery1461
SenkiyaTea1462
OwariyaKyoto, KyotoRestaurant1465
InoueTea1467
Mizuta GyokuundoConfectionery1477
HiraizumiSake1487
FukkodoBrushes1501
TsutayaConfectionery1502
Chigira JinsenteiIkaho, GunmaHotel1502
Confectionery1503
Ishiga HontenReligious goods1504–1520
KenbishiSakeBef. 1505
TorayaTokyo, TokyoConfectioneryAbt. 1520
YamajiSake1532
Honke KojimaConfectionery1532
MatsuokayaSauce1534
Sake1534
Izumiya RyokanHotel1536
Shusen KuranoSake1540
FubokakuHotel1546
Kunitomo KyutaroGunpowder1547
YoshinogawaSake1548
Sake1550
SasaiyaConfectionery1550
IzekiClothing1550
Itamuro Onsen DaikokuyaNasushiobara, TochigiFood1551
Meien Co., Ltd.Nagoya, AichiSalt1554
ChisoKyoto, KyotoClothing1555
Clothing1555
KaikodoLacquerwareBef. 1558
Tea1558
UedaSake1558
AritsuguKyoto, KyotoKnives 1560
Nabeya Bi-tech KaishaSeki, GifuMachine parts 1560
OkamotoIron1560
HasemokuReal estate1560
IchijohHotel1560
ToyahachiPottery retail1560
YamagatakanHotel1561
Otaya HanuemonConfectionery1562
Shima TamuraHotel1563
KojiyaFood1563
Confectionery1565
Beds1566
KichijiyaOil1568
SuishodoPharmacy1570
Isekusuri HonpoPharmacy1570
KikuhimeSake1570–1600
Yoshida GennojoReligious goods1572
Hosoji InbantenStamps1573
NakanoFish1573
Sauce1573
Retailing1573
ShintsuBuilding material1573–1592
SonodayaConfectionery1573–1592
KanbayashiTea1573–1592
Mitsuboshien Kanbayashi SannyuTea1573–1592
IshikawaStone1573–1592
Nikenjayamochi KadoyaBrewery1575
Meboso HachirobeeFishing flies1575
Yanagiya HozenConfectionery1575
Nippon KodoIncense1575
Heihachi JayaRestaurant1576
KishigonHotel1576
GyokueidoConfectionery1576
KobaienInk1577
MineyoFish1577
Lamp no YadoHotel1578
TomihiroClothing1578
KigurayaClothing1579
NakayaHerbal medicine1579
HigashimaruSauceAbt.1580
Hatano PaintPaint1582
IndenyaLeather1582
KojuIncense1582
OnomichizousuOnomichi, HiroshimaVinegar1582
TamaruyaUdon noodles1582
MinowaLacquerware1582
Godayu KikuyaConfectionery1584
Yamato IntecMetalworking1584
KikuyaConfectionery1585
MercrosRetailer1585
TenshoenTea1585
MatsuiConstruction1586
Oyama ShajiConstruction1586
ChogoromochiConfectionery1587
JosuianConfectionery1587
OkekaFurnaces1588
IbasenFans1590
KogureHotel1591
YamashinaUtensil1591
Osugiya SobeeConfectionery1592
Meimon SakaiSake1592
KikyoyaConfectionery1592
NezameyaRestaurant1592
KoyaSake1593
YamamotoyaSeed1593
KungyokudoIncense1594
FujinoyaFertilizer1594
ChojiyaRestaurant1596
ToshimayaSake1596
TakimoFood1596
Oteramochi KawaidoConfectionery1596
TazenMetal1596
GyokurinboHotel1596
Nagata BunshodoPublisher1596–1615
HeirakujiPublisher1596–1615
HayashikanClothing1596–1615
KojimaSake1597
KuwanayaConfectionery1597
Uzu KyumeiganPharmacy1597
RyujinSake1597
ChinjukanPottery1598
Wakanoura ImotoPharmacy1598
WatahanConstruction1598
Nakazato MoemonPottery1598
Minatoya Yurei-kosodate-ameConfectioneryBef. 1599
Umai ChemicalChemicals 1599
BounHotel1599
KyorinClothing1599
Shichiyama HospitalHospital1599
TakenakaOsaka, OsakaConstruction1610
GekkeikanKyoto, KyotoSake and plum wine1637
NintendoKyoto, KyotoVideo games 1889
Takamatsu Construction GroupYodogawa-ku, OsakaConstruction1917
KikkomanNoda, ChibaSoy sauce and other food1917