OSAKA -- For 260 years, a Kyoto company called Ueba Esou specialized in paints for Japanese art. But after the president succumbed to illness, his daughter faced an almost unthinkable decision: Should she close the business?
Demand for the subtle traditional hues had declined, and Ueba Esou was saddled with debt. There were over 20 other companies in the same trade in the local area, and many were folding. "I'm only an amateur when it comes to business management," Yumi Ishida, who succeeded her father as president, recalled thinking. "What can I do?"
