Research activity information

• A gateway to the business world? The analysis of networks in connecting the modern Japanese nobility to the business elite

  Taylor and Francis, Feb. 2022, Business History, 64(2) (2), 434 - 455, English, International magazine

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Rothschild, Warburg, and the Mitsui family: A case of ownership and organisational reforms under the modern legal constraints in early 20th century Japan

  CJEAS Ltd., Jul. 2019, Interdisciplinary Journal of Economics and Business Law, 8(3) (3), 52 - 78, English, International magazine

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• "Binding emotions for long-term continuity of family business? The foundation of family rule and Mitsui's business in the late 19th and early 20th century Japan"

  ESKA, Jun. 2018, Entreprises et Histoire, 91, 48 - 61, English, International magazine

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• The 1920 Japanese Income Tax Reform: Government, Business and Democratic Constraints

  Economic History Department, London School of Economics, Apr. 2016, Economic History Working Papers No. 237, English


• The Comparative Studies of Graduates of the higher educational institutions in the case of the Modern Japanese and European Economic Elite

  中岡 俊介

  国士舘大学政経学会, Mar. 2012, 政経論叢, 2012(第159号) (第159号), 35 - 72, Japanese


• Adoption, inheritance, and modern Japanese family businesses: in the case of the wealthy economic elite

  NAKAOKA Shunsuke

  The inheritance of family businesses or merchant houses by adopted sons, which was among the traditions and peculiarities of modern Japan, has long been out of scope of research in business history. This article focuses on this particular characteristic, which may be connected to the longevity and survival of Japanese family businesses in modern times. Official government documents on the granting of orders and medals of honour, which provided detailed personal information, along with other published materials are used to explain the background to the process of selecting adopted sons. Note that integrating into an adoptive family network, for instance, via marriage to an adoptive father's daughter or intimate relations with other members of the adoptive family, played a crucial role for adopted sons to inherit the family business. Further, social networks comprising the adoptive and original families occasionally functioned as a source of capital or human resources contributing to the development of modern Japanese family businesses. As such, the system of adoption presumably provided managerial flexibility to family businesses.

  THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC HISTORY SOCIETY, Feb. 2011, Socio-Economic History, 第76巻(4号) (4号), 593 - 608, Japanese

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• The making of modern riches: The social origins of the economic elite in the early 20th century

  Shunsuke Nakaoka

  Oxford University Press, Oct. 2006, Social Science Japan Journal, 9(2) (2), 221 - 241, English

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Rethinking Modern Japanese History (Review Essay)

  Nakaoka Shunsuke

  OXford University Press, Apr. 2005, Social Science Japan Journal, 8(1) (1), 125 - 129, English, International magazine

  Scientific journal


• Der deutsche Grossunternehmer im Kaiserreich : Soziale Geburt und Heirat

  NAKAOKA Shunsuke

  Doshisha University, Nov. 1995, Studies in the cultural history, 51(第51号) (第51号), 127-146 - 146, Japanese

  Scientific journal

• Studies in the History of Tax Law Volume 12

  edited by, Peter Harris, Dominic de Cogan

  Joint work, Chapter 14: How Modern Japanese Business Elite Formed a Way to Intervene in Legal Reform? The Case of Income Tax Reform During the 1920s,, Bloomsbury Publishing, Sep. 2025, ISBN: 9781509981731


• Nobility and Business in History: Investments, Innovation, Management and Networks

  Joint work, Routledge, Mar. 2023, English, Co-authored internationally

  Scholarly book


• Studies in the History of Tax Law Volume 10

  Edited by Peter Harris and Dominic de Cogan

  Joint work, Chapter 14: The Colonial Taxation Policy, Income Tax and the Modern Japanese Empire, Bloomsbury Publishing, Sep. 2021, 363-388, English, Co-authored internationally, ISBN: 9781509962914

  Scholarly book


• オルラ・オルソン著 マクロ経済学（共訳）

  Others, 第2章、第4章担当, 成文堂, Jun. 2017, Japanese

  Scholarly book


• 納税をめぐる公と私

  猪木武徳, マルクス・リュッターマン(編)

  Joint work, NTT出版, Oct. 2014, Japanese, ISBN: 9784757143333

  Scholarly book


• 二つの企業エリート層の社会史的素描－二十世紀初頭の日本とドイツ

  望田幸男(編)

  Joint work, ミネルヴァ書房, Apr. 2007, 123-150, Japanese, ISBN: 9784623037476

  Scholarly book


• 隣人として日本企業を理解するために－イギリス・ドイツにおける日本企業研究の一考察－

  工藤章・橘川武郎・グレン・D・フック(編)

  Joint work, 有斐閣, Mar. 2006, 223-244, Japanese, ISBN: 4641054002

  Scholarly book


• 現代日本企業 ３ グローバル・レビュー （共訳）

  工藤章 橘川武郎 グレン・D・フック(編)

  Others, 第4章、第6章、第7章翻訳担当, 有斐閣, Mar. 2006, Japanese

  Scholarly book


• 近代企業エリート層と教育の機能について－20世紀初頭の日本・ドイツ・イギリス三国の比較の視点から

  広田照幸・望田幸男(編)

  Joint work, 昭和堂, Nov. 2004, 29-56, Japanese, ISBN: 4812204186

  Scholarly book


• The business role of Japanese wealth holders in the early 20th century: An analysis of networks and activities during the process of industrialisation (PhD Thesis: London School of Economics and Political Science)

  Single work, Mar. 2002, English

  [Refereed]

  Scholarly book


• エリック・リーヴィー著 第三帝国の音楽（共訳）

  Others, 名古屋大学出版会, Dec. 2000, Japanese

  Scholarly book


• リーズ・V・ジェンキンス著 フィルムとカメラの世界史：技術革新と企業（共訳）

  Others, 平凡社, Sep. 1998, Japanese

  Scholarly book

• Seeking applicable and suitable model through global search –commitment, connection and information collection of international tax policies by the interwar Japanese government and business organization

  the 3rd World Congress of Business History, University of Toronto, Jul. 2026, English

  Oral presentation


• Reconsidering the birth of the Japanese income tax law in 1887

  the 13th Tax History Conference, Centre for Tax Law, University of Cambridge, Jul. 2026, English

  Oral presentation


• Utilizing Enforced Regulations, Confidential Notices and Socio-economic Constraints Toward Targeted Payers — Implementation of the Japanese Income Tax Law in the Early 20th Century

  the 35th Annual World History Association Conference, Jun. 2026, English

  Oral presentation


• Contextualize family business through business taxation-governmental tax policy and the big Japanese family business during 1920s

  2025 European Business History Association Annual Congress, Jun. 2025, English, European Business History Association, University Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, International conference

  Oral presentation


• Reconsidering the role of zaibatsu families in the zaibatsu holding company -from perspective of recent trends of family business research

  European Social Science History Conference 2025, Mar. 2025, English, International Institute of Social History, ライデン大学, Netherlands, International conference

  Oral presentation


• Direction of reforms and reaction from the business community: The income tax system during 1920s and 1930s Japan, UK and US

  Crossings and Connections East Asia and the World, c1800-1945, Oct. 2024, Japanese, International Commitee of Historical Sciences, 帝京大学, International conference

  Oral presentation


• How modern Japanese business elite formed the way to intervene the legal reform? The case of the income tax reform during 1920s

  12th Tax History Conference, Jul. 2024, English, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, Cambridge UK, United Kingdom, International conference

  Oral presentation


• 日本繊維産業史の新展開

  阿部武司(オーガナイザー), 結城武延, 平野恭平, 平井直樹(以上発表者), 橋野知子, 富澤芳亜, 中岡俊介(以上コメンテーター)

  社会経済史学会 第92回全国大会, May 2023, Japanese, 社会経済史学会, 福岡 西南学院大学・九州大学（共同開催）, 本人はパネルディスカッション司会及びコメンテーター担当

  Public symposium


• 20世紀前半における日米英所得税制度の運用とその問題点について－1920年代～30年代における高額所得者課税を中心に－

  経営史学会東北ワークショップ（社会経済史学会東北部会合同）, Nov. 2022, Japanese, 経営史学会（社会経済史学会）

  Oral presentation


• Reconsidering Business and Economic Role of the Modern Japanese Nobility –from some comparative perspective with the European Cases

  Abe Takeshi

  13th European Social Science History Conference (ESSHC), Mar. 2021, English, International Institute of Social History, Leiden Netherland (as Virtual Conference), International conference

  Oral presentation


• How did the accounting and finance system change within Japanese zaibatsu due to the tax reforms in the 1920s and 1930s?

  The Accounting History International Emerging Scholars' Colloquium, Sep. 2019, English, The tenth Accounting History International Conference, Dauphine University Paris, International conference

  Oral presentation


• Managing family fortune in the context of family business -historical evidence from Mitsui Holding Company between 1920s and 1930s

  23rd Annual Congress of European Business History Association, Aug. 2019, English, European Business History Association, Erasmus University Rotterdan, International conference

  Oral presentation


• 日本の華族と西洋の貴族－土地所有をめぐる比較経済史的考察－

  阿部 武司

  第88回社会経済史学会全国大会, May 2019, Japanese, 社会経済史学会, 青山学院大学 東京, Domestic conference

  Oral presentation


• Rothschild, Warburg and the Mitsui family -the case of ownership and organizational reforms under modern legal constraints in the early 20th century

  BHSJ and GuG Joint Conference 'Corporate Governance in Japan and Germany in the 19th and 20th Century', Sep. 2018, English, Business History Society Japan and Gesellschaft fur Unternehmensgeschichte, Frankfurt am Main Germany, International conference

  Oral presentation


• 近代日本における旧大名層の資産について－貴族の経済活動に関する国際比較の基礎的考察－

  阿部武司

  東北大学経済史・経営史研究会, May 2018, Japanese, 東北大学

  Oral presentation


• The age of great auction -selling the fine art, reallocation of the precious collection, and the role of modern Japanese wealthy business elite

  12th European Social Science History Conference (ESSHC), Apr. 2018, English, International Institute of Social History, Belfast Northern Ireland UK, International conference

  Oral presentation


• In the name of modernization of underdeveloped territories: social and political backgrounds of introduction of the colonial income tax system in modern Japan

  5th European Congress on World and Global History, Sep. 2017, English, European Network in Universal and Global History, Corvinus University, Budapest, Hungary, International conference

  Oral presentation


• In search for suitable and adoptable model: Why Mitsui showed strong interests on the Rothschild family's business system during the period of their business reform?

  European Business History Association 21st Annual Congress, Aug. 2017, English, European Business History Association, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria, International conference

  Oral presentation


• Acceptance and practice of the western styled banquet and dinner party in modern Japan -the case of wealthy elite

  26th Annual World History Association Conference, Jun. 2017, English, World History Association, Northeastern University, Boston US, International conference

  Oral presentation


• The First Globalization, its Impacts and the Ownership and Managerial Reforms of Japanese Family Business

  2017 Family Business Conference -Family Firms in the long run: The interplay between emotions and history, May 2017, English, EDHEC Business School Family Business Centre, Lille France, International conference

  Oral presentation


• The First Globalization, its Impaces and the Ownership and Managerial Reforms of Japanese Family Business

  2017 Family Business Conference -Family Firms in the long run: The interplay between emotions and history, May 2017, English, EDHEC Business School Family Business Centre, Lille France, International conference

  Oral presentation


• Exploring the role of marriage and social network between modern Japanese nobility and business elite

  Nobility and Economy in the nineteenth century: Asian and European cases and context, Aug. 2016, English, Department of Historical Studies, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

  Nominated symposium


• The first globalization, its impacts and the ownership and managerial reforms of Japanese family business -the case of Mitsui families

  1st World Congress on Business History, Aug. 2016, English, European Business History Association, Bergen, Norway, International conference

  Oral presentation


• Integrating Euro-American culture into their own lifestyle - the modern Japanese business elite and patterns of building residences

  11th European Social Science History Conference, Apr. 2016, English, International Institute of Social History, Valencia, Spain, International conference

  Oral presentation


• Open the Gateway to the Business World? Exploring the Role of Marriage Network between Japanese Nobility and Business Elite

  17th World Economic History Congress, Aug. 2015, Japanese, International Economic History Association, Kyoto JAPAN, International conference

  Oral presentation


• Strategy of Business Survival? Child Adoption and Inheritance of Family Business in Modern Japan

  17th World Economic History Congress, Aug. 2015, Japanese, International Economic History Association, Kyoto JAPAN, International conference

  Oral presentation


• The income tax system in the Japanese colonial empire

  STICERD Japanese Studies Workshop-Empire and Imperialism in British and Japanese History, Mar. 2015, Japanese, STICERD (Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines), LSE, London

  Oral presentation


• Session: Chinese Family Business in Transition- Case Studies in Taiwan and HongKong

  The 50th Congress of the Business History Society of Japan, Sep. 2014, Japanese, Business History Society of Japan, Bunkyo Gakuin University, 経営史学会第50回大会において開催された英語セッション'Chinese Family Business in Transition- Case Studies in Taiwan and HongKong’においてセッションのコメンテーターを担当（英語）, International conference

  Nominated symposium


• Redefining Territorial Boundaries through Taxation- Japanese Empire, Colonies and Introduction of the Income Tax System

  4th European Congress of World and Global History, Sep. 2014, Japanese, European Network in Universal and Global History, Ecole Normale Superieure Paris France, International conference

  Oral presentation


• For Exchanging Status and Money? Marriage Alliance between the Nobility and the Business Elite in Modern Japan

  10th European Social Science History Conference, Apr. 2014, Japanese, European Social Science History Conference (ESSHC), University of Vienna (Vienna, Austria), International conference

  Oral presentation


• Child Adoption as an inheritance strategy-in the case of modern Japanese family business

  First World Business History Conference, Mar. 2014, Japanese, World Business History Conference, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, International conference

  Oral presentation


• 昭和初期における高額所得者の所得構造とその特徴‐関東圏の高額所得者を事例として

  大阪大学経済史・経営史研究会, Feb. 2014, Japanese, 大阪大学経済学部, 大阪

  Oral presentation


• Wealthy elite in modern Japan in the period of the series of economic crisis: From the perspective of their income structure –the case of the Kanto region in 1930s

  Asia-Pacific Economic and Business History Conference, Feb. 2013, Japanese, ソウル大学 韓国, International conference

  Oral presentation


• Tensions between the government and business in modern Japan –in the case of the income tax reform in 1920

  EBHA(ヨーロッパ経営史学会)－BHSJ（日本経営史学会）共同大会, Sep. 2012, Japanese, パリ, International conference

  Oral presentation


• 昭和初期における高額所得者の所得構造－関東圏のケースから－

  社会経済史学会, May 2012, Japanese, 名古屋大学, Domestic conference

  Oral presentation


• 比較の視点からみたビジネス・エリート層の社会的出自についてー20世紀初頭日・英・独の事例からー

  一橋大学経済研究所経済発展研究会, Dec. 2002, Japanese, 一橋大学経済研究所

  Oral presentation


• 近代日本ビジネス・エリート層の社会的出自－イギリス・ドイツとの比較から－

  経営史学会 関西部会, Nov. 2002, Japanese, Domestic conference

  Oral presentation

• Economic History Society

  Sep. 2011 - Present


• Business History Society of Japan

  Apr. 2009 - Present


• The Society of Historical Research

  Apr. 2008 - Present


• The Historical Society of Japan

  Apr. 2008 - Present


• Socio-Economic History

  Apr. 2005 - Present

• Book Review: Sawai, Minoru. 2023. Nihon teikokuken tetsudōshi [A history of the railroads of the Japanese empire]. Nagoya: University of Nagoya Press.

  Dec. 2024, Business History Society of Japan Japanese Research in Business History


• Book Review: Takatsuki, Yasuo, ed. Gōshō no kin’yūshi: Hirooka-ke monjo kara tokiakasu kin’yū inobēshon [A Financial History of Wealthy Merchants: Explaining Financial Innovations Based on Documents from the Hirooka Family]. Tokyo: Keio University Press, 2022.

  Dec. 2023, Business History Society of Japan Japenese Research in Business History


• Book Review: Kojima, Yōhei. Sarakin no rekishi: Shōhisha kin’yū to Nihon shakai [The history of sarakin: Consumer finance and Japanese society]. Tokyo: Chuokoron-Shinsha, 2021.

  Dec. 2022, Business History Society of Japan Japanese Research in Business History

• 20世紀前半における租税制度改革の動向とその諸背景-日英米の所得税制度を中心に

  中岡 俊介

  日本学術振興会, 科学研究費助成事業, 基盤研究（C), 国士舘大学, Apr. 2022 - Mar. 2025, Principal investigator

  Others


• Study on Technology Transfer at Early Stage of Industrialization: Experience of Cotton Spinning Industry in Meiji Japan

  Abe Takeshi, Hirano Kyohei, Yuki Takenobu, Tamagawa Kanji, Nakaoka Shunsuke, Hirai Naoki

  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Apr. 2019 - Mar. 2023

  The development of the cotton spinning industry, which drove Japan's industrialisation, was made possible by the transfer of technology from Britain in the second half of the 19th century. The task of this research project was to elucidate the actual state of this technological transfer, making full use of primary sources in Britain and Japan. During the majority of the research period, we were under the Corona disaster, which made it difficult for us to travel within Japan as well as to the UK, the focus of this research, but we kept in touch with each other through online meetings and continued to think and to publish our findings. In particular, the results of the research in the UK before and after the Corona Disaster are already being published, and the new facts about the layout of machinery (millwrights) and mill design by an engineering company, Hick Hargreaves and Co., that were revealed are groundbreaking discoveries.