The Oldest Family Run Business in the World

The Oldest Family Run Business in the World

Businesses are often able to garner attention just for having been around a long time. The words “Established in ….” are often proudly displayed directly under a company’s name on many signs. The older the business, the more trustworthy it must be. After all, how could anything not great exist for so long? A particular mystique is added when it is an old, family run business where one can imagine the pride and knowledge of a company being passed down through a single family, from generation to generation. This brings us to the Hoshi Ryokan, a Japanese Inn that, amazingly, opened its doors over 1300 years ago and claims the title as the oldest family owned business in the world.

Divine Origins

The Hoshi Ryokan is much more than merely a very old hotel. Even its beginnings are steeped in legend. The story of the Inn’s opening begins in 717 with Taicho Daishi, a great teacher ofBuddhism who had climbed Mount Hakusan for the purpose of meditation. Legend has it that after rigorous spiritual exercises, the guardian deity of Mount Hakusan appeared to the monk in a dream. Taicho Daishi was told of an unknown, underground hot spring with curative powers in the village of Awazu. Taicho was commanded by the deity to uncover the hot spring so that the people may heal themselves in its waters. Once discovered, Taicho ordered his disciple, Garyo Hoshi, to build a spa on the site and to run it for posterity thus beginning the Inn’s long history.

Modern Times

Throughout the centuries the Hoshi Ryokan has expanded to one hundred rooms, accommodating up to 450 guests, but still maintains much of its original look. It is run by the 46th generation of the Hoshi family. The hot spring is still a popular destination with many still believing in its curative powers. Comfort and healing remain important themes to the Inn as guests are clothed in traditional kimonos and treated to a Japanese tea ceremony upon arriving. Some of the other amenities to be enjoyed by the modern visitor include a theatre, traditional rooms each named to represent a season, and fine dining. As the region is renowned for its fine food products, the Inn boasts of simple and pure preparations of dishes to preserve the wonderful inherit tastes.

The New Record Holder

Surprisingly, it was only in the past decade that the Hoshi Ryokan took the crown as the world’s oldest family run business. The previous title holder was Kongo Gumi, a Japanese construction company run by consecutive generations of the Kongo family dating back to 578. However, the company fell on hard financial times and was absorbed by a larger corporation in 2006.

In an era where technology is constantly evolving and people are always looking for the next new thing, there is some comfort in knowing that change is not always constant. For nearly 1300 years the Hoshi Ryokan has greeted guests and kept its history alive into the modern days.

George is interested in the history of family businesses because he, himself, is a part of one. He knows the importance of keeping the business going strong and recommends <a href=”http://www.francisclark.co.uk/key-markets/family-business/”>Francis Clark Chartered Accountants for family businesses</a> for professional advice and management of the company’s finances.

Image:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Spa_bath_at_Hoshi_Ryokan.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hakusan_Top_2010-6-11.JPG