Japan’s small businesses are in trouble
Youngsters do not fancy taking over the family firm
INOUE TOYOSAKU moved to Tokyo in 1913 and became an apprentice to a metalworker. When he struck out on his own a few years later he found profit making scissors for hair salons. The company he founded, Tokosha, now sells its Joewell brand scissors in more than 50 countries, for as much as ¥330,000 ($2,900) a pop. “We make scissors in the Japanese countryside but export to New York, London and Paris,” boasts Inoue Kenji, a grandson of the founder and Tokosha’s current boss.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “At the sharp end”
From the December 4th 2021 edition
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