An era of economic globalisation and inward investment has seen much interest in Japanese labour management techniques. The first English edition of this 1964 classic of Japanese economics corrects the misunderstandings which often prevail in this debate, by providing the necessary historical context from the Meiji restoration to the second world war. Professor Hazama debunks the myth that Japanese-style management is inherited from her feudal past, showing the impact of businesses imported from the west after reunification in 1867-68 and how these were amalgamated with a range of Japanese traditions.