In Search of the Wellsprings of the Japanese Management : Teshima Toan (1718-1786)

This paper is the second of our research series of the wellspring of the Japanese management. We focus on Teshima Toan (1718-1786), a Japanese moral educator in the 18th century and examine his moral philosophy from a management standpoint. When it comes to SHINGAKU, a kind of Japanese moral philosophy, no one will deny that Ishida Baigan (1685-1744) was the most influential figure in Shingaku School. However, it is a well-known fact that Teshima Toan originated the term, SHINGAKU, and popularized the idea in moral philosophy established by Ishida Baigan. Consequently, we may safely say that Teshima Toan played a leading role in the broad diffusion of SHINGAKU. In spite of his celebrity, fewer researches have been made on Teshima Toan as compared to the ones on Ishida Baigan. In particular, it is very difficult to find studies on his idea in management philosophy besides the one by Yasukazu Takenaka. Thus, this paper discusses his two books; "Waga Tsue (My Guideline on Business)" and "Chounin Shindai Naoshi (A Restructuring Plan for Business)", and explores the implications of his management thought