Kongo Gumi – The Oldest Company in Japan is a Construction Business!

Kongo Gumi Co., Ltd. is the world’s oldest continuously running independent company ever to exist, Kongo Gumi can be traced back to 578 AD when it first started. Until 2006 when it was absorbed as a subsidiary. Can you imagine being apart of a company that’s existence has been around 1,400 years?

(PRESS THE CC BUTTON IN THE VIDEO FOR SUBTITLES) A huge three meter (seventeenth century) scroll draws a line back 40 generations to where this humble Japanese construction company began. The company was passed down through sons and a daughters since son-in-laws would be taken into the family name.

Sadly in 2006 they liquidated their assets to a company called Takamatsu Construction Group. Before things fell apart this company had over 100 dedicated employees and a 7.5 billion Yen annual business. ($70 Million USD). Kongo Gumi was a specialist in constructing Buddhist temples. The very last president of this noble construction company was Madakazu Kongo, which was the 50th president of this family to run the company.

Although they are not fully independent they still operate with Takamatsu Construction Group.

http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/gaia/backnumber/preview080108.html