This enlightening text analyses theorigins of Western complaints, prevalent in the late nineteenth century, thatJapan was characterised at the time by exceptionally low standards of'commercial morality', despite a major political and economic transformation. AsBritain industrialised during the nineteenth century the issue of 'commercialmorality' was increasingly debated. Concerns about standards of business ethicsextended to other industrialising economies, such as the United States. Hunterexamines the Japanese response to the charges levelled against Japan in thiscontext, arguing that this was shaped by a pragmatic recognition that Japan hadlittle choice but to adapt itself to Western expectations if it was toestablish its position in the global economy. The controversy and criticisms,which were at least in part stimulated by fear of Japanese competition, areimportant in the history of thinking on business ethics, and are of relevancefor today's industrialising economies as they attempt to establish themselvesin international markets.