Entrepreneur and gentleman: a case history of a Japanese company

The inner workings of a Japanese company are revealed for the first time in Entrepreneur and Gentlemen, a best seller in the original Japanese version. Akira Sueno, the founder and president of Showa Boeki (one of Japan's leading packaging enterprises), typifies the Japanese entrepreneur in his unique system of management. Yet he also has the distinction of being a pioneer in the international trade arena. This broad range of experience has given him an exceptionally clear perspective on the Japanese management system and how it works, as well as an exceptionally detailed view of the behind-the-scenes realities of company life. Because Showa Boeki's history almost exactly parallels the economic growth of Japan—from the postwar chaos to the international activity of today—the story of its development makes for fascinating reading. Entrepreneur and Gentleman not only reveals to Westerners the Japanese company experience, but also offers the West an opportunity to look at itself through Japanese eyes.