A Case Study of a Family Business: Hattori Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of a family business, focusing on Hattori Kogyo Co., Ltd., a long-established enterprise founded in 1885 in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture. Throughout its history of over 130 years, the company has transformed its business in response to changing times. The defining characteristic of this case is “parallel business succession,” wherein the predecessor continues to manage a portion of the business operations while the young successor actively expands into new ventures. This case offers valuable insights for examining the diversity of business transformation and succession.