Eiichi Shibusawa

A leader of modern Japanese capitalism. Born on February 13, Tempo 11, to a wealthy farming family in Chiaraijima, Hanzawa County, Musashi Province (Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture). At the end of the Edo period, he was once a patriot of the Sonno Joi movement, but in 1864 (Genji 1), he served the Hitotsubashi family, and became a shogunate official when Yoshinobu succeeded him as shogun. In 1867 (Keio 3), he traveled to Europe as a member of the shogunate's European mission, where he saw and experienced modern industrial facilities and economic systems in Western Europe. In 1869 (Meiji 2), he was invited by the new government to become an official in the Ministry of Finance, and under Inoue Kaoru, the Minister of Finance, he participated in the establishment and reform of important monetary, financial, and fiscal systems. During this time, he wrote "Tachiairyakusoku" (Outline of the Board of Directors) and made an effort to spread knowledge of the joint stock company system. In 1873, he retired from the government and founded the First National Bank (the predecessor of the First Bank, which was later merged and reorganized into the Mizuho Bank and Mizuho Corporate Bank) and became its president. After that, he played a remarkable role as a leader in the financial world. There are countless companies that he was involved in founding, including Oji Paper, Osaka Spinning, Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance, and Japan Railway. He also worked energetically to organize the financial world, founding the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce (the predecessor of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry), the Tokyo Bankers' Association, and the Tokyo Bill Clearing House. He was also an ideological leader in the financial world, and constantly emphasized that businessmen must be businessmen who contribute to the national goal (theory of economic and moral unity). In 1915 (Taisho 4), he established the Shibusawa Dozoku Kabushiki Gaisha (the first bank) and formed the Shibusawa Zaibatsu (the Shibusawa Zaibatsu) with the First Bank at its core. The following year, in 1916, he retired from the business world and thereafter devoted himself primarily to educational, social and cultural work.

[Yoichi Kobayakawa]

"Autobiography of Eiichi Shibusawa" (1937, Great Men and Martyrs Editorial Office)" ▽ "Study of the Business History of Japanese Capitalism" by Takao Tsuchiya (1954, Misuzu Shobo) ▽ "Shibusawa Eiichi Biographical Materials" edited by the Shibusawa Eiichi Biographical Materials Compilation Office (1955-71, Ryumonsha)" ▽ "Shibusawa Eiichi: Founder of Japan Inc." by Hidemasa Morikawa (included in Japanese Companies and the Nation edited by Hidemasa Morikawa, 1976, Nihon Keizai Shimbun)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

近代日本資本主義の指導者。天保(てんぽう)11年2月13日、武蔵国(むさしのくに)榛沢(はんざわ)郡血洗島(ちあらいじま)（埼玉県深谷市）の豪農の家に生まれた。幕末、一時尊王攘夷(じょうい)運動の志士であったが、1864年（元治1）一橋(ひとつばし)家に仕え、慶喜(よしのぶ)が将軍を継ぐとともに幕臣になった。1867年（慶応3）幕府の遣欧使節の一員として渡欧、西欧の近代的産業設備や経済制度を見聞した。1869年（明治2）新政府の招きで大蔵省官吏に登用され、井上馨(いのうえかおる)大蔵大輔(おおくらたいふ)のもとで、重要な貨幣、金融、財政制度の制定と改革に参与した。この間『立会略則(たちあいりゃくそく)』を著して株式会社制度に関する知識の普及に尽力した。1873年退官、同時に第一国立銀行（第一銀行の前身。のち第一勧業銀行を経てみずほ銀行、みずほコーポレート銀行に統合・再編された）を創立して頭取に就任した。以後財界のリーダーとして目覚ましい活躍を示した。王子製紙、大阪紡績、東京海上、日本鉄道などをはじめ創立に関与した会社は枚挙にいとまがない。また東京商法会議所（東京商工会議所の前身）、東京銀行集会所、東京手形交換所などを設立するなど財界の組織化にも精力的に努めた。さらに財界の思想的指導者でもあり、実業家は国家目的に寄与するビジネスマンでなければならない（「経済道徳合一説」）ことを絶えず強調した。1915年（大正4）渋沢同族株式会社を設立し、第一銀行を中核とする渋沢財閥を形成した。翌1916年実業界の第一線から引退し、以後は主として教育、社会、文化事業に力を注いだ。

［小早川洋一］

『『渋沢栄一自叙伝』（1937・偉人烈士伝編纂所）』▽『土屋喬雄著『日本資本主義の経営史的研究』（1954・みすず書房）』▽『渋沢栄一伝記資料編纂室編『渋沢栄一伝記資料』（1955～71・竜門社）』▽『森川英正著『渋沢栄一　日本株式会社の創立者』（森川英正編『日本の企業と国家』所収・1976・日本経済新聞社）』

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