*This article is based on information as of January 2026.

1. Building a "utopia" as a business strategy: the full picture of New Lanark

Robert Owen is often labeled a "utopian socialist" in textbooks, but in reality he was an extremely cool-headed and rational businessman. The reforms he carried out at New Lanark should be seen as a precursor to what we now call "human capital management" and "Creating Shared Value (CSV)," rather than as a charitable endeavor based on philanthropy.

Geographical background and current location of World Heritage Sites

First, let's look at the geography of New Lanark, the setting of the story. It is located about 40km southeast of Glasgow, Scotland, in a valley ideal for water-powered spinning, taking advantage of the rapids of the River Clyde.

Founded by David Dale in 1785 and taken over by Owen in 1800, the village is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What's particularly noteworthy is that it's not just a "ruin," but a "living museum" where people still live, a hotel operates, and the hydroelectric power plant is still in operation. This clearly demonstrates how sustainable Owen's design was.

Radical reform based on "environmental determinism"

The British industrial world at the time was a miserable one: workers were treated like "living tools," forced into filthy slums, and many turned to alcohol. However, Owen had one strong belief.

"A man's character is formed not by himself, but by his environment"

In other words, his theory of "environmental determinism" is that workers' bad behavior is not due to their personalities, but to the poor working conditions they live in. Based on this theory, he made dramatic improvements to the working environment, as can be seen in the comparison table below.

An important fact to glean from this table is that Owen did not simply "spread the wages."
He focused resources on "reducing the cost of living (cheap purchasing departments)" and "investing in the future (education)." As a result, New Lanark generated exceptionally high profits for the time, and by 1813 the asset value had nearly doubled (to 114,000 pounds) at the time of purchase. He demonstrated, not through emotional arguments, but through accounting records, that "ethical management can also be the right answer economically."

2. "Goodwill" as a System: Silent Monitoring and Education

New Lanark's success was underpinned by specific, and sometimes modern, management systems. Here we will take a closer look at two particularly emblematic systems.

1. Silent Monitor: Visual Nudge

Owen disliked corporal punishment and instead introduced the "silent monitor."
This was a piece of wood with four colored faces that hung next to each spinning machine and changed color each day depending on the work attitude and productivity of the previous day.

"Yesterday it was black, today let's make it blue."
Workers improved their behavior independently, not because they were being yelled at by their bosses, but because they were conscious of their own pride and the gaze of their peers. This was a far more advanced and sustainable system of discipline than rule by fear.

② Character Development Academy: The world's earliest early childhood education

The highlight of Owen's reforms was the Institute for the Formation of Character, which opened in 1816.
He believed that "children's personalities can be improved in any way if they are given the right educational environment," and he founded what is said to be one of the world's earliest infant schools.

There was no cramming here. Instead, emphasis was placed on music, dance, nature appreciation, and "being kind to one another." Happy, well-behaved children made workers feel secure, which in turn contributed to the stability and productivity of the entire community.
"Investing in education is the capital investment with the highest return." After 200 years, Owen's philosophy is once again in the spotlight in the modern context of SDGs and ESG investment.

3. The Light and Shadow of Paternalism: Similarities with Hokkaido's Industrial History

However, New Lanark cannot be praised unconditionally, as it had a dark side known as "intense paternalism."

This structure in which companies take care of everything in our lives is very familiar to us Hokkaido residents.
The coal mining towns of the Sorachi region and the paper industry in Tomakomai were also a kind of "Japanese version of New Lanark," with companies building infrastructure, housing, hospitals, schools, and even recreational facilities in undeveloped wilderness.

In times of rapid industrial growth, company towns function as the strongest communities, providing residents with the highest standard of living. However, the moment the industrial structure changes and the protection of companies is lost, towns that lack the ability to recover autonomously will easily collapse.
As the financial collapse of Yubari City shows, the greatest challenge we must overcome today is to move away from paternalism and move towards an "autonomous civil society."

4. Implications for Toyako Town: Modern implementation of the Owen model

So how can we apply Owen's lessons to the modern-day town of Toyako in Hokkaido?
In this town of approximately 8,000 people, where tourism and agriculture are the main industries, I believe it is entirely possible to create a regional design that could be called a "second New Lanark." Specific strategies include the following three points:

① Qualitative transformation of tourism centered on "education"

Owen placed the greatest importance on the aforementioned "Character Formation Institute," and he generously invested the profits from his factory in education.
Currently, in our town, which is home to the Lake Toya and Mount Usu Geopark, tourism should not be simply "consumption" (viewing the scenery and taking a bath in the hot springs). Just as New Lanark has become a place of learning that attracts over 300,000 visitors a year, we too should place "learning" at the center of our activities.

Specifically, the goal is to actively attract school trips, corporate SDG training, and workcations, and establish a brand that says, "If you come here, you can gain knowledge about coexistence with the Earth (disaster reduction, renewable energy, urban development)." This will compensate for the weakness of the tourism industry, which is easily affected by seasonal fluctuations, and lead to the creation of a stable "related population."

② A "modern village store" as a means of circulating the local economy

New Lanark's "Village Store" effectively redistributed wealth by funneling profits into running the school.
In modern urban development, this can be applied to "local currencies" and "local new power companies (local energy companies)."

• structure:A digital infrastructure will be built that automatically allocates a portion of the hot spring tax, accommodation tax, or the purchase price of local products paid by tourists to "local child-rearing support and education expenses" and "measures to deal with vacant houses."
• effect:It visualizes a clear circular structure in which "the more tourists there are, the lower the cost of living for residents (school lunches and electricity bills)."

This will ease the local residents' resentment towards "tourist pollution (overtourism)" that is unique to tourist destinations, and will allow us to design a happy, win-win relationship between residents and visitors.

3) Satellite office strategy to accommodate "modern immigrants"

Just as workers once flocked to New Lanark in search of work, today companies and individuals move in search of a better environment.
As climate change intensifies, Hokkaido, with its cool climate, abundant water resources, and advanced disaster risk control (geopark knowledge), has the potential to become a global "Climate Haven."

It is not simply about renting out land or vacant houses. Like Owen, it is about providing a package that includes a high-quality living environment, healthy local ingredients, and rich natural experiences (well-being). Attracting a "modern company town (satellite office cluster)" has a lower environmental impact than attracting large-scale factories, and can be a sustainable development model that attracts people with high intellectual productivity.

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