Japan has 33,000+ businesses that are over a century old!
They offer powerful lessons about business and life – the last line is powerful.
This Japanese Shop Is 1,020 Years Old. It Knows a Bit About Surviving Crises. [The New York Times] – “Japan is an old-business superpower. The country is home to more than 33,000 with at least 100 years of history — over 40 percent of the world’s total, according to a study by the Tokyo-based Research Institute of Centennial Management. Over 3,100 have been running for at least two centuries. Around 140 have existed for more than 500 years. And at least 19 claim to have been continuously operating since the first millennium.”
If you’re a fan of the NBA, this next story is a fun look inside the bubble. I enjoy how normal the players seem to be.
The Most Magical Place on Earth [GQ] – “In early July, 22 NBA teams descended on Disney World in central Florida to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experiment. More than 300 athletes boarded a series of repurposed Mickey Mouse tour buses and were scattered among three different hotels—the Gran Destino, the Yacht Club, and the Grand Floridian—each designed to cater to the needs and wishes of the kinds of people who travel vast distances for the immersive family fun of the Magic Kingdom.”
The Donut King who went full circle – from rags to riches, twice [BBC News] – “The family worked 12 to 17 hours a day, with all hands on deck. At the weekend the oldest children, Chet and Savy, then nine and eight, helped out by pouring coffee, packing doughnuts and folding boxes. During the week they went to school, where sometimes they were so hungry they stole snacks from other kids’ lunchboxes.”