This paper starts from the premise that political will, technical competence, and ethics are fundamental for the reforms that governments and firms might want to undertake. It focuses on a small Japanese feud in the 18th century and on the figure of its chief, and presents the reforms that were undertaken, which were based on those elements. It hopes that what happened there might bring some kind of contribution for our current days.Este artigo parte da premissa de que vontade política, competência técnica e ética são fundamentais a reformas que governos e empresas queiram realizar. Focaliza um pequeno feudo japonês do século XVIII e a figura de seu chefe e apresenta as reformas que foram ali empreendidas e que se baseiam naqueles elementos. Espera que, de alguma forma, o que aconteceu naquele pequeno feudo do século XVIII possa oferecer subsídios aos dias correntes.