Heizaburo Okawa

A pioneering entrepreneur in Japan's modern paper industry. Born as the second son of a samurai in Kawagoe Domain, Musashi Province (Saitama Prefecture). At the age of 12, he moved to Tokyo and became a student of his uncle, Shibusawa Eiichi, but gave up his studies due to his family's poverty and joined the Paper Manufacturing Company (the precursor to Oji Paper) in 1875 (Meiji 8). After studying in the United States, he became assistant manager and managing director, but left the company in 1898. He then founded Kyushu Paper, Chuo Paper, Karafuto Industries, and others as an independent paper manufacturing entrepreneur, and at one time held the largest group of paper manufacturing companies in Japan under his umbrella. However, after World War I, the business of Karafuto Industries, which was his base of operations, deteriorated, and he was forced to be absorbed into Oji Paper in 1933 (Showa 8).

[Toshiyuki Shinomiya]

"Japanese Entrepreneurs 2: Taisho Era" by Tsunehiko Yui et al. (Yuhikaku Shinsho)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

日本の近代製紙業の先駆者的企業家。武蔵(むさし)国川越藩（埼玉県）の藩士の次男として生まれる。12歳のときに上京、伯父渋沢栄一の書生となったが、生家の困窮から学業を断念、1875年（明治8）抄紙(しょうし)会社（王子製紙の前身）に入社した。アメリカ留学後、副支配人、専務取締役となったが、98年に退社。その後、独立の製紙企業家として九州製紙、中央製紙、樺太(からふと)工業などを創立して、一時期には国内最大の製紙企業群を傘下に収めた。しかし、第一次世界大戦後に事業拠点であった樺太工業の経営が悪化し、1933年（昭和8）に王子製紙への吸収合併を余儀なくされた。

［四宮俊之］

『由井常彦他著『日本の企業家2　大正篇』（有斐閣新書）』

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