Temples built by the Kongo Gumi Company
Up until 2006, Japan's Kongo Gumi was believed to be the oldest continuously operating independent company in the world. Founded in 578 AD as a family-owned construction company, Kongo Gumi finally fell on hard times in the 2000s, after 1400 years of building temples and palaces. The company was absorbed into Takamatsu Corporation — a mere baby of a company founded in 1917.
The name and work of Kongo Gumi continue under the Takamatsu umbrella, but since the company no longer survives as a separate entity, it's debatable whether it still belongs at the top of the "oldest company" list. If not, another Japanese company, Ikenobo Kadokai, took over the throne after 1,420 years of waiting. Founded in 587, Ikenobo Kadokai offers classes in flower arranging.
Japan is well-represented in the list of oldest companies. A 2009 survey by Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. found eight Japanese companies founded more than 1,000 years ago. (This may show the importance of tradition in Japanese society, or it may just mean that Japan has had better record-keeping.) Three Japanese hotels have been in operation since the 700s — Keiunkan (founded in 705), Hoshi (717) and Koman (717) — and paper-bag manufacturer Genda Shigyo was founded in 771.
The oldest non-Japanese company on the list is Stiftskeller St. Peter, a restaurant in Salzburg, Austria, that has been doling out grog since at least 803. France's Chateau de Goulaine, a vineyard, museum and butterfly collection, was founded in 1000, as was the Marinelli bell foundry of Agnore, Italy.
The oldest Canadian company is the Hudson's Bay Company (now represented by The Bay department stores), founded in 1620.
So you see, it is possible to stay in business for a long time. Too many fly by night companies are here today and gone tomorrow. It's hard to trust anymore. What a changing world we live in.
The Japanese has a flair for style, all their building look the same but there's still a different in them.
ReplyDeleteI like it...but hey, that's just me.
I think it's not fair that a company stayed in business for over one thousand four hundred years and just fell on hard times this year.
ReplyDeleteWhat next??
And the same family ran it for all those years. Now that is dedication to tradition.
ReplyDeleteHi cutie
ReplyDeleteHow is your tall southern ass????
ReplyDeleteI like the way you introduced Witchy. It is so cute. I put it first because I thought you might like it.
ReplyDeleteI went to see her on your profile. She looks just great as an avatar.
ReplyDeleteWe will see more falling by the wayside , maybe they have family members like Dad's...just gimmie, gimmie.
ReplyDeleteI believe that gimme gimme is the new lifestyle of the population of Earth.
ReplyDeleteI love her and witchy is a bitch, I just put her on SH's and she is playing with Maxy.
ReplyDeleteMy tall ass is dragging,but my babies is happy .
Did you see the Travolta story. How heartbreaking for his wife who is giving birth to his babies. He out her at great risk too.Those casual encounters happen all the time . I'm sure it wasn't always safe sex.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't out her...HA. He PUT her at risk.
ReplyDeleteHow are you doing ?
ReplyDeleteIs Brian still behaving himself ??
What is Nana doing, being a good girl ??[giggles] don't you wish ??
Maybe he should out himself...come clean as it were.At least give Kelly a chance to start her life over.
ReplyDeleteIf she has known about him and approved of his behavior all these years, then I shall be very surprised.
ReplyDeleteHe must be bi-sexual, don't you think PIC?
I read it before I went off.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad. It's hard to believe after 19 years she had no clue...
Nan said she left you a note on it,but she didn't sign it, but feft you another one telling you who she was.
NAN left me one on Witchy and call me a "Witchy Choochie.'
ReplyDeleteBitchy Witchy,eh? An alter ego, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteNana spent two hours on the phone today yelling at the phone company.
She wanted them to make all the people soliciting for charities and selling things to stop calling her. They tried to explain to her that they were not responsible but she wasn't having it. She kept calling people at the pnone company until she found one who would listen to her.
So Nana had fun today.She loves yelling at people. And of cousre she had fun bugging the public utilities people.
ReplyDeleteYes I think he is bi-sexual and the way the post read a lot of people knew about him.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could live with Gil that long and not know something was going on.
Shit...that makes him worse than DC..Tiger..Jesse.
I showed the post to the office staff today and one woman says some women will turn a deaf ear just to keep the money
Kelly would have to be pretty dense not to notice something in twenty years. She doesn't strike me as dumb.Maybe she loves him so much it's not important to her.
ReplyDeleteI can't be that liberal minded.I would have to cut it off while he was sleeping.I think I would flush it so it couldn't be naughty again.
Good for Nana.. Nana can't have fun with you...you will hide in the closet..Nana can't have fun with Brian...he'll make her go to her room, so Nana has to find her fun where she can.
ReplyDeleteThe person at the phone company was glad she called, he was ready to take a break. Sooo he got a long one.
John used to be quite handsome and he had a sexy body. He really let his body go and his face looks quite dissipated, even ugly now.
ReplyDeleteThe Public Utilities people have to come back again tomorrow morning,to fix the water heater, so Nana can bug them all over again.Lucky girl.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, I don't think Kelly is dense.
ReplyDeleteI think one of two things...
1) Kelly didn't want to give up the position she held.
2) JT and his church had her brain-washed...a lot of people are speaking out about their church.
Maybe his son Jett would still be here if they believed in doctors.
She'll be satisfied for days and leave me alone.
ReplyDeleteNow she insists our trees are dying.I tried to explain that it was autumn and all the trees change color every year in the fall and green again in the spring but she insists. She also says the neighbors tree is going to fall on the house and crush us in our beds. The tree is fine. She wants me to do something. What? Chop it down?
I know they just love coming to your home...
ReplyDeleteGive them hell Nana...she gets energy from somewhere when she wants to give them hell..Nana , you go girl.
Clever girl. I think number 2 is the money answer.That is exactly what happened. John is quite high up in that church. He is an elder or something.He is on the church coucil. Hypocrite.
ReplyDeleteShe probably believes he is a consecrated saint.
Your house sounds like mine there's never a dull moment here.
ReplyDeleteI had to sign some papers for Leon today and he told me he talked to Dad .
How is Dad doing? I hope he didn't get too stressed and bump his blood pressure up.
ReplyDeleteWell old Mel owned his church, look at him now.
ReplyDeleteI don't only think JT is a hypocrite ...I also think he is a consecrated farting shit-head S.O.B.
I know you have heard about the preacher in Florida that wants to burn the Muslim's bibles...now he is a piece of shit.
I respects anyone's religion just don't try to shove it down my throat.
Talk to Dad today and he was laughing and telling me what he was going to do when he get's home, he said Shirley is a piece of work, but Dad said Gil told him not to think or worry about them , he will take care of it as soon as he finish there.
ReplyDeleteDad told me when he left to tell you he will get with you when he get back...I did...
ReplyDeleteToday was the first time he asked if he had any recipes from you and I told him he had two waiting on him..He said to tell you he was still your main squeeze but don't tell your hubby. Dad is so full of it.
I read about the bible burning.Bill Clinton really got on their case. A church isn't supposed to do things like that.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what dad will get up to when he gets back.He probably wants to come home now.I bet he misses you all and especially Sis.
ReplyDeleteI asked Gil how was our lives was going to change or go in different direction and he said he will tell me when he get home.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any ideas, that's what I was talking about last night?
He and Sis have a very liberated relationship. It's nice to see two people caring for each other without tying each other down.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of tornado warning and sighting out, it's cool down a bit.
ReplyDeleteI think perhaps the two of them will not be so concerned any more with any family outside of your own little family. They can all
ReplyDeletesink or swim on their own.
Yout lives will be all about doing the best for your babies and each other, dad included.Everyone else, except for your sisters and brothers, can go merrily to hell for all you care.
[giggles]Sis says she likes their relaxed relationship, Sis says it's nice to know you can depend on someone and know they are there..She says Dad will never love a woman like he did Rosa but he love them all in his special way.
ReplyDeleteShe said I would understand when Gil's dangle go limp in the middle, it's not all about doing the 'hokey-pokey.'
They will all see a new tougher, meaner Gil, who will be very much in charge of Dad's busuness.
ReplyDeleteDad still cares for Rhonda and after he give her what he wants her to have...which is quite a lot...I think thats what Shirley was man about...she's a dumb fuck.
ReplyDeleteDad will still have a lot of holding...Dad said the day Jonny's adoption is finalize he would get his trust fund.
Dad still have holding in Reno, he's not worried about and he has his holding here.
I think he's giving Rhonda everything in Napa Valley and Carson city...
INCOMING MAIL
Well she is still his wife for gosh sakes. How can anyone object to that?
ReplyDeleteINCOMING MAIL
ReplyDeleteThey are just a greedy bunch of stupid bastards.
ReplyDeleteGil is his only child and he says Dad gave him the tools and taught him how to work for what he wants.
Sweetie...Gil is just like his daddy, he just try to keep his cool .
He said he will give me a heads up about some of it tonight...so I will send you an E-MAIL tomorrow.
Anita told me today that she once heard Shirley say she bet Dad was going to give Sis a lot of money..
Anita says ...she laughed when she heard Dad was signing stuff over to Rhonda...Anita said rhonda put blood , sweat and hard work into that place.
That's exactly what I said about Rhonda. She has a lot of sweat equity in the place.Even the articles about her say she works hard.And a winery and vinyards are very hard work all year.You can't let your standards down for a second in the wine world.
ReplyDeleteAnita said the brothers said the same thing about me, just wanting his money...knowing he was to old for me...
ReplyDeleteINCOMING MAIL.
He loves Sis. So what if he gives her something. Why are they all butting into his business all the time?? He still is of sound mind and knows exactly what he is doing.I have talked to the guy.He is very intelligent.
ReplyDeleteRoger.
ReplyDeleteThey don't know anything about running the business they're in how in hell are they going to run a winery..
ReplyDeleteI had to go back and pull the tables games back up.
They didn't know what a mess they was in...an accountant called Gil and told them they need to come take a look because Dad has the most shares so Dad was always in control.
I am going to leave you now Sweetie, with visions of vibrating penises and little pumps.
ReplyDeleteThe beauty of the pump is you can pump it up more or pump it up a little less according to your preference.
I have workmen coming early again tomorrow and I would like to print my BP article. Those guys are blaming lots of other people for the spill. They should step up to the plate and take responsibility.
So goodnight Witchy Kitty and get a good night's sleep. Those kids are going to wear your ass out tomorrow too. Not to mention being at the office for half the day.
See you at the corner of SH and FTBB in the dark....luv PIC
Sweetie... what gets me is Gil is his only child and he's not saying or caring what his daddy do with his money...he told them his only concern was taking care of his daddy and his family, and if Dad wanted to shit and wipe his ass with his money he didn't care and why should they and not to ask or tell him anything more...
ReplyDeletePS:Gil has the correct attitude and he has more class than the others too...PIC
ReplyDeleteYou are just two much but I love you all the more for it.
ReplyDeleteGoodnight and have good dreams and I will tell Dad and I bet he will get the injections...
BP is full of shit...
GOODNITE ...HUGS & KISSES...PIC
KISS THE ROCK.
PS; Look for your mail after 4:PM my time .
NITE