The Analects and the Abacus

The man on Japan's $100 bill founded 500 companies. His most important book has never been available in English. Until now.In 1916, Shibusawa Eiichi — the father of Japanese capitalism — wrote The Analects and the Abacus, a bold argument that Confucian morality and the pursuit of profit are not opposing forces, but inseparable partners. A century before the world began debating stakeholder capitalism, ESG, and the purpose of business, Shibusawa had already answered the question.Shibusawa helped found roughly 500 companies and 600 civic organizations, transforming Japan from a feudal state into a modern industrial economy. Peter Drucker called his achievements "a good deal more spectacular than those of Rothschild, Morgan, Krupp, or Rockefeller." In July 2024, Shibusawa became the face of Japan's new 10,000-yen banknote — the highest denomination in circulation.Yet despite his towering influence, this book — his definitive statement on business, ethics, and the responsibility of wealth — has never been published in English.The Analects and the Abacus is not a relic. It is a strikingly modern argument for moral leadership, written by a man who didn't just theorize about ethical business — he built an entire national economy on the principle. From the boardroom to the classroom, from Wall Street to Davos, the questions Shibusawa raised in 1916 are the same ones the world is asking today.This is the first complete English translation.Held in the collection of the Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation, Tokyo.Published by Understory Editions. Read more