The journey of the Kongō Gumi, a company with over a millennium of history, has been anything but smooth. In 1868, during the first year of the Meiji era, Emperor Meiji implemented the “Shinto and Buddhism Separation Order,” leading to the destruction of many Buddhist temples. This policy stripped the Four Heavenly Kings of their territories and the Kongō Gumi, a carpentry company serving the temples, of its traditional privileges and status. Faced with this challenge, the craftsmen began working in other temples and engaged in commercial construction and maintenance. Their exquisite skills helped them navigate through this crisis.
Adapting to new company leadership
As the company moved into the Shōwa era, its 37th-generation leader, Kongō Haru, a true craftsman at heart, lacked interest in business operations, hindering the company’s progress. In 1932, burdened by a sense of failure to his ancestors, Haru committed suicide at his ancestors’ gravesite. In a bold break from tradition, the company appointed Haru’s wife Yoshie its first female leader, ushering in a new era.
Surviving wartime struggles
The onset of World War II posed another significant challenge. With Japan focused on building “National Defense Shrines” and “Military God” shrines, temple construction stalled, plunging Kongō Gumi into hardship. The company seized a business opportunity in manufacturing military wooden boxes, which helped them survive this difficult period and keep the business alive.
Heritage and reinvention
In the 1980s, Kongō Gumi, attracted by the booming real estate industry, invested heavily in land. However, the burst of Japan’s economic bubble hit the real estate market hard, leading to a significant reduction in the company’s assets and entangling it in debt. In January 2006, Takamatsu Construction, a renowned building firm in Osaka, bought it from the 40th-generation leader, Kongō Masakazu, and undertook its restructuring. The new company ended the family management model, but retained the name, organizational structure, and business practices.
According to Ogawa, Kongō Gumi’s thousand-year dedication to craftsmanship and respect for tradition has become an integral part of the Japanese social and cultural fabric and must be preserved. “What we build are religious structures, a culmination of the beliefs and thoughts of people from each era. The overwhelming solemnity, the manifestation of paradise, and the purity in front of the gods and Buddha are eternally engraved by history.”
In a paulownia wood box within the company, a precious manuscript is kept. It’s a family precept written in 1801 by the 32nd leader, Kongō Yoshisada, in his “Last Will.” It lists 16 rules, broadly categorized into four areas: respect for gods, Buddha, and ancestors; focus and moderation in business; sincerity and humility toward others; and integrity in thoughts and actions.
On January 11, 2014, Kongō Gumi held its annual hand-axe commencement ceremony at the Shitennō-ji Temple. “Tradition is built over a long time, step by step, each leaving a distinct mark in history. As the world’s oldest company, what we have today is the result of taking these steps seriously. We will continue to move forward in this manner.”
See Part 1 here
Translated by Audrey Wang
