Exploring Japanese management, marketing, and miso with Esade Business School

2024 marks the third time our school has hosted MSc students from Esade Business School (Spain) for an international study tour in Japan, led by Prof. Marc Vilanova, Senior Lecturer and Director for the Department of Society, Politics and Sustainability. The program featured lectures on various aspects of Japanese management and companies, culminating in an exploratory visit to Okazaki's Maruya Hatcho Miso factory.

Throughout sessions taught by our professors, Esade students honed their case method discussion skills, discovered the unique qualities of Japanese management and workplace culture, and augmented their Western perspectives on business to learn how to examine Japanese companies and develop appropriate proposals.

These skills were put into practice on the final day of the program, on which they visited one of Japan's most important historical cities, Okazaki, housing one of the country's oldest industries, miso production. Interviewing the CEO, Mr. Shintaro Asai, gave the students insights into managing historical family businesses, while exploring Okazaki Castle grounds provided important context on the region itself.

NUCB Business School is proud to be a gateway through which students of our partner institutions can demystify Japanese business and culture, familiarize themselves with strange new environments, and widen their perspectives on how companies collaborate, engage their employees, and communicate with the marketplace.