Sanpo-Yoshi and Corporate Social Responsibility in Japan

Discussion on Asia and Asian values is conspicuously absent from existing research in global capitalist society. In order to foster critical debates on ‘Asianism Retold’, we explore how Asian traditional value has been integrated into the contemporary business system. By examining Japan’s traditional values—Sanpo-yoshi, this article explores the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Asian values. The case study also shows how the management strategy of Japanese companies applies Sanpo-yoshi to demonstrate typical CSR in certain ways and influence people’s views on responsible and ethical business. Implications of this research for both researchers and practitioners are discussed in the conclusion.