Keido Ohara

…Businessman and social worker. Born as the second son of Koshiro in Kurashiki Village, Tsukubo District, Okayama Prefecture (now Kurashiki City), he took the pen name Keido. After graduating from Shizutaniko in Okayama, he entered Tokyo Senmon Gakko (now Waseda University) in 1897. While studying there, he visited areas affected by mining damage at the Ashio Copper Mine, and felt a strong sense of corporate social responsibility, so he dropped out and returned to his hometown. After returning home, he met Ishii Juji and converted to Christianity. In order to make Kurashiki a holy place in the Orient, he devoted himself to social work, such as founding the Ohara Scholarship Foundation and the Kurashiki Educational Forum, which were educational programs. He took over as head of the family in 1904, and in 1906 became president of Kurashiki Spinning Co., Ltd., where he worked to improve the working conditions and welfare of factory workers. He also served as president and director of Kurashiki Silk Weaving Co., Ltd., Mitoyo Spinning Co., Ltd., Nippon Mattress Co., Ltd., Kurashiki Electric Light Co., Ltd., Chugoku Joint Hydroelectric Power Co., Ltd., Chugoku Bank, Okayama Joint Savings Bank, Chugoku Trust Bank, and Keihan Electric Railway Co., Ltd., and contributed to the promotion of industry in Okayama Prefecture. He also played an important role in the Kansai financial world.

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Ohara Keido" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…実業家，社会事業家。岡山県都窪郡倉敷村(現，倉敷市)で孝四郎の次男に生まれ，敬堂と号した。岡山の閑谷黌（しずたにこう）を経て，1897年東京専門学校(現，早稲田大学)へ進学。在学中足尾銅山の鉱害地を視察して，企業の社会的責任を痛感，中退して郷里へ帰る。帰郷後，石井十次に接してキリスト教に入信した。倉敷を東洋の聖地にすべく育英事業の大原奨学会や倉敷教育懇話会の設立など社会事業に奔走した。1904年，家督を継ぎ，06年倉敷紡績の社長として，工場労働者の労働条件の改善や福祉向上に努める一方，倉敷絹織，三豊紡績，日本莚業，倉敷電灯，中国合同水力電気，中国銀行，岡山合同貯蓄銀行，中国信託，京阪電鉄などの社長，取締役に就任して，岡山県産業の振興に尽くし，広く関西財界にも重きをなした。…

※「大原敬堂」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

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