It’s really interesting to see that a lot of the oldest companies are in Japan. Japan has been around for a long time, so this makes sense.
But there are many other companies all over the world that have been around for more than 1000 years. Imagine, that’s really impressive, right? It means some of these companies were here even before the first crusade happened.
These companies below have all survived through tough times like natural disasters, wars, and times when everything was falling apart. It’s pretty amazing when you think about how countries can change, empires can be taken over by others, and yet these companies are still standing. You’ll see that businesses can even survive when different countries take control of a nation.
Marinelli Bell Foundry
- Age: 978 years
- Year Founded: 1040 CE
- Country: Italy
- Industry: Making bells
This company makes bells from metal, and it’s been doing that for almost 1000 years. Some of the old churches in Italy have bells made by this company. You can even visit and see their old stuff, like a museum.
Shumiya Shinbutsuguten
- Age: 994 years
- Year Founded: 1024 CE
- Country: Japan
- Industry: Religious stuff
This store in Japan has been selling things for Buddhist monks and others who follow Buddhism for almost 1000 years. That’s a really long time ago, like even before the time of Buddha.
Chateau de Goulaine
- Age: 1,018 years
- Year Founded: Around 1000 CE
- Country: France
- Industry: Making wine
This place in France has been making wine for more than 1000 years, even though it’s a bit unclear exactly how long. The land where the grapes grow has been making wine for a really long time by the same family. They might stop soon because they’re selling the place, but it will still be one of the oldest wineries ever.
| Company | Age | Year Founded | Country | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marinelli Bell Foundry | 978 years | 1040 CE | Italy | Making bells |
| Shumiya Shinbutsuguten | 994 years | 1024 CE | Japan | Religious stuff |
| Chateau de Goulaine | 1,018 years | Around 1000 CE | France | Making wine |
| Nakamura Shaji | 1,048 years | 970 CE | Japan | Building things |
| Royal Mint | 1,132 years | 886 CE | UK | Making coins |
| Tanaka Iga | 1,133 years | 885 CE | Japan | Religious stuff |
| Monnaie de Paris | 1,154 years | 864 CE | France | Making coins |
| Staffelter Hof Winery | 1,156 years | 862 CE | Germany | Making wine, hosting guests |
| Genda Shigy? Paper Industries | 1,247 years | 771 CE | Japan | Making paper |
| Kong? Gumi | 1,428 years | 578 CE | Japan | Building things |
Nakamura Saji
- Age: 1,048 years
- Year Founded: 970 CE
- Country: Japan
- Industry: Building things
This company in Japan has been building stuff for over 1000 years. It’s not the oldest construction company ever, but it’s still really old. The oldest one went out of business recently, so this one is now the oldest.
Royal Mint
- Age: 1,132 years
- Year Founded: 886 CE
- Country: UK
- Industry: Making coins
This place in the UK has been making money, like coins, for more than 1000 years. It’s like a place where they make money for the country. You can go there and learn about money and how they make coins, but they won’t show you all the details.
Tanaka Iga
- Age: 1,133 years
- Year Founded: 885 CE
- Country: Japan
- Industry: Religious stuff
This shop in Japan sells things related to Buddhism and it’s been around for more than 1000 years. That’s older than a lot of other stores. They even make many of the things they sell right there.
Monnaie de Paris
- Age: 1,154 years
- Year Founded: 864 CE
- Country: France
- Industry: Making coins
This place in France has been making coins for more than 1000 years, even before the European Union and even during times like World War II. It’s one of the oldest places that makes coins for the government.
Staffelter Hof Winery
- Age: 1,156 years
- Year Founded: 862 CE
- Country: Germany
- Industry: Making wine and hosting guests
This winery in Germany is more than 1000 years old. It’s not just a winery, but also a place where people can stay. It’s been around through a lot of history, like the fall of empires and big wars.
Genda Shigy? Paper Industries
- Age: 1,247 years
- Year Founded: 771 CE
- Country: Japan
- Industry: Making paper
This company in Japan has been selling paper for over 1000 years. Even though Japan didn’t invent paper, this company has been doing it for a really long time. That’s pretty impressive!
Kong? Gumi
- Age: 1,428 years
- Year Founded: 578 CE
- Country: Japan
- Industry: Building things
This company in Japan has been around for a whopping 1428 years! That’s longer than most things you can think of. It went out of business in 2006, but its history is still something to talk about. It’s kind of sad that it had to close because of money problems.
So, these are some of the oldest companies around the world. They’ve been through a lot, and their stories are really interesting. They’ve managed to stick around for so many years, even though times have changed so much.
