Naokata Kusama

Japanese: 草間直方 - くさま・なおかた

Year of death: Tempo 2.2.25 (1831.4.7)
Year of birth: 3rd year of the Horeki era (1753)
A money exchanger and economist active in the late Edo period. Son of Masuya Yuiemon, a merchant on Karasuma Street in Ayanokoji, Kyoto. In 1762, at the age of 10, he began his apprenticeship at the Konoike family's Kyoto money exchange shop in Shijo, Kyoto. The following year, he was transferred to the Konoike Shinden Kaisho in Kawachi Province. In 1774, at the age of 22, he was adopted into the Kusama family of Amagasaki-cho, Osaka, one of the Konoike branch families, and began working for the main Konoike family in Imabashi, Osaka, under the name Konoike Isuke. It was common at the time for talented servants to be adopted into the family. During the first five years of his 35 years working for the main family, he spent the last 20 years as a manager apprentice, and the remaining 15 years as manager. According to the Konoike family's accounting books, Isuke's managerial fee (service fee) was 3 kanme of silver (about 50 ryo of gold) per year. The maximum salary for a manager was 3 kan 500 moe of silver, so Isuke was not the highest. In Bunsei 5 (1808), he applied and was allowed to "run his own business." He worked on writing alongside his business, and completed "Sanka Zui" in Bunsei 12. It is an excellent work that provides commentary on the economy and finance, with a calm observation of economic trends and a rational interpretation of them, making it an outstanding work for the time. In a climate where saving was considered a good thing, Isuke was also evaluated as a pioneer who would become Fukuzawa Yukichi in the Meiji era, due to his clear-sighted and rational economic outlook, such as affirming the promotion of consumption. His other works include "Kusama Isuke Notes" (Osaka City History, Vol. 5, compiled by the Osaka City Council). <References> Shinbo Hiroshi, "The Business Elites of the Kansei Era: The Business Sense of People in the Edo Period as Seen in Osaka Merchant Kusama Naokata," and Yasuoka Shigeaki, "Research into the History of the Formation of Zaibatsu."

(Yasuoka Shigeaki)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：天保2.2.25(1831.4.7)
生年：宝暦3.9(1753)
江戸後期に活躍した両替商,経済学者。京都綾小路烏丸通りの商人桝屋唯右衛門の子。宝暦12(1762)年,10歳のとき京都四条の鴻池家の京都両替店に丁稚奉公。翌年河内国の鴻池新田会所へ転勤。安永3(1774)年22歳のとき,鴻池の別家のひとつ大坂尼崎町の草間家の婿養子に迎えられ,鴻池伊助を名のって,大坂今橋の鴻池本家に勤務することになった。優秀な奉公人を婿養子にすることは当時よく行われていた。本家勤務35年のうち後半の20年のはじめ5カ年は支配人見習,あとの15年間は支配人であった。鴻池家の算用帳によると伊助の支配人世話料(役料)は年に銀3貫目(約金50両)であった。支配人世話料の最高額は銀3貫500目だったから,伊助は最高ではなかった。文化5(1808)年願い出て「自分家業」が許された。自分家業のかたわら著述に努め,文化12年に『三貨図彙』を脱稿。経済の動きを冷静にみつめ,合理的に解釈する態度により当時としては抜群の経済,金融に関する論評を行ったすぐれた日本貨幣史である。節約を善とする風潮のなかで,消費促進を肯定するなど,その透徹した合理的経済観によって,明治の福沢諭吉につながる先駆者だったとも評価される。ほかに『草間伊助筆記』(大阪市参事会編『大阪市史』5巻)がある。<参考文献>新保博『寛政のビジネス・エリート―大阪商人草間直方にみる江戸時代人の経営感覚』,安岡重明『財閥形成史の研究』

(安岡重明)

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