ABSTRACT
The greatest disruption in modern Japanese history occurred at the close of World War II. In the post-war period, the Japanese industrial system evolved in accord with earlier periods of growth and development. There are certain characteristics of Japanese society that have so far been no more than hinted at and that need to be more fully explored. The Japanese have values, attitudes and practices that are strange to the Western observer and of much importance for an understanding of the Japanese industrial system. The Confucian tradition allied to the Japanese conventions of bushido placed the strongest emphasis on filial piety and loyalty to the lord. The Japanese banking system was already of importance before 1900 as a prime source of loans for industry. The Japanese unions act as do unions in Western nations: bargaining over wages, promoting worker education, giving assistance in strikes, carrying out research, organizing the unorganized and manning political campaigns.
