The 4 Best Japan Books of All Time (2024)

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1
 Summary
Made in Japan is the autobiography of Akio Morita, who co-founded Sony and grew it to become one of the largest electronics companies in the world. Akio shares his advice for management, leadership and innovation. He also explains many differences in the working culture between Japan and the West.
2
 Summary
Shoe Dog is an inspiring story of entrepreneurship from Nike's founder Phil Knight. He started as a regular kid who loved running and built the largest sportswear brand ever. But there were many challenging times that Nike barely survived.
3
 Summary
The Way of Zen is a comprehensive introduction to Zen Buddhism, including the history and practices. Alan Watts explains how the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism combined with Indian Buddhism to form Zen. He also shares many practices of Zen such as meditation, koans, and arts.
4
 Summary
Ikigai is about finding our life purpose and living longer, according to wisdom from Japan where people do live longer than average. The key ideas include: doing activities that make us feel 'flow', nurturing enjoyable relationships, keeping busy after retirement, and daily light eating and exercise.