Courses

In this course, students learn about Japanese business culture and ethics mainly by studying Some Observations on Merchants: A Translation of Chōnin Kōken Roku, a historical text with over 50 business failure cases and lessons for merchants. We begin with a case study of a long-established Kyoto business (Kyoto shinise) to link the course themes to real-world organizations today.

Students will analyze cases using causal reasoning from business administration and conduct SWOT analyses to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. By the end of the course, students will propose their own hypotheses about business ethics and reflect on how ethical reasoning applies to modern business settings.