The Five Oldest Companies in the World Are All Japanese

If there’s one place on Earth that understands the art of longevity, it’s Japan.

The five oldest continuously operating businesses in the world all hail from the Land of the Rising Sun, with histories stretching back over 1,300 years.

Imagine a business so old it was founded just a century after the fall of the Roman Empire. That’s Kongō Gumi, a Japanese construction company established in 578 AD to build a Buddhist temple for Prince Shōtoku. Over 14 centuries of continuous operation, this family-run firm built and repaired Japan’s sacred shrines and castles, adapting through samurai wars, shogunates, and modern skyscrapers.

A single 17th-century scroll recounts 40 generations of the Kongō family, testament to its incredible lineage. Though financial challenges led to it becoming part of a larger corporation in 2006, Kongō Gumi still exists today – the world’s oldest company hammering away since 578!

Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, nestled in the Japanese Alps, has welcomed guests since the Nara period.

Opened in the year 705 and still taking reservations, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest hotel on Earth. This hot-spring inn has been run by the same family for 52 generations, quietly passing the keys from parent to child for over 1,300 years. Feudal warlords and samurai have soaked in its baths – even shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and an emperor dropped by for a dip.

Tucked in Yamanashi’s mountains, Keiunkan has endured through Japan’s eras with unwavering hospitality. Today it offers modern comforts (38 rooms and Wi-Fi!) amid timeless tradition, proving that hospitality, like its healing waters, never runs dry.

Founded in 717 AD in the Kinosaki hot-springs town, Koman is the second-oldest hotel in Japan (and third-oldest business in the world). For 46 generations, the founding family has kept this “thousand-year inn” running, with its history recorded in ancient chronicles passed down through the ages .

According to legend, a Buddhist monk named Dōchi Shōnin prayed here for 1,000 days until a hot spring miraculously burst forth in 717 – talk about job dedication! Located on a quaint lantern-lit street, Koman exudes old-world charm with its wooden architecture and traditional baths. Step inside, and you’re part of a 1,300-year continuum of weary travelers enjoying a warm welcome (and a hot soak) at this living piece of history.

Opening its doors in 718 AD, Hōshi Ryokan has been operated by the Hoshi family for an astonishing 46 generations. For much of modern history, people believed Hōshi was the oldest hotel in the world – until its friendly rival Nishiyama Onsen proved it had a few years’ head start.

Located at Awazu Onsen in central Japan, this inn surrounds guests with classic tatami rooms, hot spring baths, and a serene garden, just as it has since the Nara period. It even holds the record as the world’s oldest continuously-run family business. After 1,300 years of check-ins, the Hoshi clan knows a thing or two about hospitality – you might say inn-keeping is in their DNA.

When this company was founded in 771 AD, Charlemagne was still a young king in Europe – and in Japan, Genda Shigyō began making paper goods. Headquartered in Kyoto since the Heian era, it produces elegant ceremonial paper products like gift wrap and mizuhiki (ornate knotted cords used in weddings and gift envelopes).

Over the centuries, Genda Shigyō supplied its handcrafted paper treasures to everyone from samurai aristocrats to the Imperial Palace. Remarkably, it has never ceased operations in over 1,250 years, continually adapting from hand-dyed washi paper to modern printing techniques. Today, this venerable firm still helps Japan “tie the knot” – literally – with the same artful touch it has displayed since the 8th century.

Whether it’s the meticulous craftsmanship of Kongō Gumi, the unwavering hospitality of Japan’s ancient inns, or the artful precision of Genda Shigyō’s ceremonial paper, these companies prove that legacy, dedication, and a deep respect for tradition can keep a business thriving for over a millennium.

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