Okura Group - Ookura Group

Japanese: 大倉組 - おおくらぐみ

…He opened a gun shop on Kanda Izumibashi-dori in 1867 (Keio 3) and took advantage of the upheaval of the Meiji Restoration to expand his sales channels. After the Meiji Restoration, he inspected the economic societies of Europe and America, and in 1873 he established the Okuragumi Trading Company, embarking on foreign trade and supply businesses. He formed ties with politicians and the military, and made huge profits by procuring and transporting military supplies during the Taiwan Expedition, the Seinan War, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Russo-Japanese War. During this time, he also began construction work, and in 1893 the Okuragumi Trading Company was reorganized as the Okuragumi Partnership Company. In the Taisho period, the Okura Zaibatsu was established, with the three direct descendants of Okura Shoji, Okura Kogyo, and Okura Doboku at its core. …

From the Okura Zaibatsu

...A zaibatsu (commercial conglomerate) founded by political businessman Kihachiro Okura in one generation. Taking advantage of the upheaval of the Meiji Restoration and the end of the Edo period, he rose to prominence through firearms sales, and in the Meiji period, he expanded his business to include political business activities such as supplying military supplies and trade. Using the capital he accumulated, he established the Okura Gumi Partnership (established in 1893) as a holding company, and during World War I, a conglomerate was formed with three direct descendants of Okura Shoji, Okura Kogyo, and Okura Doboku as its core businesses. As a powerful figure in the financial world, he was involved in the establishment of many companies and invested in them, so by the early Showa period, the number of companies in which he invested had risen to over 100, and although it was not as large as the large general conglomerates (Mitsui and Mitsubishi), it had developed into a conglomerate with second-class capital. ...

From Taisei Corporation

…One of the five major companies. Kihachiro Okura came to Tokyo from Echigo during the late Edo period and opened the Okura Gun Shop in 1867 (Keio 3). In 1873 (Meiji 6), he established the Okura Gumi Shokai (a cooperative organization) to engage in foreign trade. In addition to trading, the company also undertook construction work and other contracts at the behest of the government. During this period, the company was involved in the construction of parts of Shinbashi Station and the Rokumeikan building. …

*Some of the terminology used in reference to "Okura Group" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…1867年(慶応3)に神田和泉橋通に銃砲店を開業し，幕末･維新の動乱を利用して販路を拡大した。明治維新後は欧米の経済社会を視察したうえ，73年に大倉組商会を設立して外国貿易および用達事業に乗り出し，政治家や軍部と結びつき，台湾出兵，西南戦争，日清戦争，日露戦争の軍需物資調達や輸送で巨利を得た。この間，建設事業にも着手するとともに，93年大倉組商会は合名会社大倉組に改組され，大正期に入ると，大倉商事，大倉鉱業，大倉土木の直系3社を中核とする大倉財閥の体制を確立していった。…

【大倉財閥】より

…政商大倉喜八郎が一代で創設した財閥。幕末･維新の動乱に乗じて銃砲販売で台頭した彼は，明治期に軍需物資用達などの政商活動や貿易活動を中心に事業を拡大したが，そこで蓄積した資本を基礎に，合名会社大倉組(1893設立)を持株会社とし，大倉商事，大倉鉱業，大倉土木の直系3社を事業の中核とするコンツェルン機構が第1次世界大戦期に形成された。また彼は財界の有力者として多数の会社の設立に関与し，出資していたため，昭和初期には投資先会社数が100社以上にのぼり，巨大総合財閥(三井，三菱)には及ばないものの，第二級の資本規模を有する財閥に発展した。…