Rising to greatness

The story of an ugly and chronically unemployed youth rising up from the position of shoe-bearer to rule a nation may sound like the stuff of fairy tales rather than the subject matter for a book on better business strategies. Tim Clark, an adjunct professor at Portland State, doesn’t think so–it’s the subject of his new book, The Swordless Samurai.

The book chronicles the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the son of a warrior-peasant who went on to an unlikely career as ruler of Japan in the 16th century. Clark has taken Hideyoshi’s life and created a guidebook on smart and ethical business.

Clark, who has spent nearly 10 years living, writing and doing business in Japan, said he came upon the inspiration to write the book while searching for possible source material among the shelves of Tokyo bookstores.

“What I discovered was a whole genre of books that use true stories of the samurai to illustrate business techniques and philosophy,” Clark said. “So, Swordless Samurai was very much a professional decision at first. But Hideyoshi completely captivated me.”

Clark first became interested in Japan as a student at the University of Washington one term before his graduation, choosing an intensive first-year Japanese course “on a whim,” he said.

After completing language studies classes as a postgraduate non-degree student, Clark decided to continue exploring his interest in Japan firsthand, and moved across the Pacific in 1984 for his first six-year stint.

Paralleling Clark’s idea, expressed in the first chapter of the book, is that last-minute changes can sometimes lead to unforeseen paths.

“A bold gambit changed my destiny, and can change yours too,” Clark relates Hideyoshi’s words in the book. “Don’t be like the man who, twenty years from now, reflects on days past and belatedly perceives his failure to seize the one moment that would have changed his fortune.”

Grasp your destiny with both hands, Clark said.

“I definitely saw involvement in Japan as an intriguing, ‘alternative’ career, and haven’t been disappointed,” Clark said of his decision.

Upon his return to America, he completed his master’s degree and founded his own company, TKAI, Inc., before returning to Japan for another four years.

Clark is a limited partner in the Oregon Sustainability Fund, a program that provides investment capital and mentorship for early-stage companies interested in sustainable business ventures in the Northwest, and is also involved in several investment partnerships based in Seattle.

PSU is currently considering whether to incorporate Clark’s entrepreneurship course (currently taught in the Master of International Management program on campus) into its master’s of business administration program.

Clark also recently started a doctoral program in international entrepreneurship at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, making him their first completely remote student.

Clark’s first book, Saying Yes to Japan: How Outsiders are Reviving a Trillion Dollar Services Market, was first published in Japanese during July of 2006. His third work, due out next month from Ideogram Publishing, is a fictionalized biography of Hideyoshi titled The Prosperous Peasant.