Heigoro Shoda

Japanese: 荘田平五郎 - しょうだ・へいごろう

Year of death: April 30, 1922
Year of birth: 1 October 1847 (8 November 1847)
A Meiji era businessman. He was the manager of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu and a leading figure in the business circles of Fukuzawa Yukichi. He was the eldest son of Masataro and Setsu Shoda, samurai of Usuki Domain in Bungo Province (Oita Prefecture). He was born in Usuki. After being sent to Edo and Kagoshima by the domain to study English around the time of the Meiji Restoration, he entered Keio Gijuku in 1870 and qualified as a teacher two years later. He was highly trusted by Fukuzawa Yukichi and was a sort of headmaster, taking charge of establishing the Osaka branch school. In February 1875, Mitsubishi Steamship Company president Iwasaki Yataro appointed him as a senior executive, and he transferred to Mitsubishi. At Mitsubishi Company (which was renamed Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Company in September 1875), he was in charge of important duties such as translation, introducing double-entry bookkeeping, and formulating company rules (articles of incorporation). The high expectations that President Iwasaki had for him can be seen from the circumstances surrounding his marriage to Iwasaki's niece, Tazuru. In 1947, as the head office manager, he became a part of the rapidly growing Mitsubishi leadership. At the same time, he cooperated with Fukuzawa and his disciples, and with investment from Fukuzawa's ally Iwasaki, he was involved in the founding and management of Tokio Marine, Meiji Life Insurance, Sanyo Railway, and other companies. In 1948, when President Iwasaki passed away, his younger brother Yanosuke took over, and Mitsubishi transferred its shipping business to Nippon Yusen Kaisha, expanding into land-based businesses such as coal mining and shipbuilding, making a great contribution to President Yanosuke. With his senior head office manager Kawada Koichiro taking on the role of Governor of the Bank of Japan in 1947, it could be said that Mitsubishi after Yataro's death was centered around the duo of President Yanosuke and Manager Shoda. His great achievements include mediating the absorption of the 119th National Bank (the predecessor of Mitsubishi Bank), which had been established by samurai of the Usuki domain and was facing financial difficulties, under the umbrella of Mitsubishi, proposing the development of a steel industry and building districts during a one-year overseas inspection tour starting in 1941, and when he found that the steel industry was not viable, he advocated the expansion of the shipbuilding industry, and took on the role of shipyard manager himself, supervising the modernization work at the Nagasaki Shipyard on site. After Iwasaki Yanosuke died in 1941, he retired from the position of manager two years later and spent the rest of his life as an executive of a Mitsubishi-affiliated company. <References> Shukuri Shigekazu, Shoda Heigoro

(Hidemasa Morikawa)

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

Japanese:

没年：大正11.4.30(1922)
生年：弘化4.10.1(1847.11.8)
明治時代の実業家。三菱財閥の経営者で,福沢諭吉系財界人の指導的存在。豊後国(大分県)臼杵藩士荘田雅太郎,セツの長男。臼杵生まれ。維新前後に藩より英学修業のため江戸,鹿児島に派遣されたのち,明治3(1870)年慶応義塾に入学,2年後には教師の資格を得た。大阪分校設立の任に当たるなど,福沢諭吉の信頼厚く,塾長格的存在であった。8年2月三菱蒸汽船会社社長岩崎弥太郎から幹部人材として嘱望され,三菱に転じた。三菱会社(8年9月郵便汽船三菱会社と改称)では,翻訳係,複式簿記の導入,会社規則(定款)制定等の重要な職務を担当した。岩崎社長から寄せられた期待の大きさは,岩崎の姪田鶴と結婚した事情からもうかがわれる。12年には本社管事として飛躍する三菱の首脳部の一角を形成するに至った。他方,福沢およびその門下生たちと協力し,福沢の盟友である岩崎の出資を得て,東京海上,明治生命,山陽鉄道などの創立,経営に当たった。 18年,岩崎社長が死去してその弟弥之助があとを継ぎ,三菱会社の海運事業を日本郵船に譲渡して,炭鉱,造船など陸の事業へと展開すると,弥之助社長のために大いに貢献した。先輩格の本社管事川田小一郎が22年に日銀総裁に就任したこともあって,弥太郎死後の三菱は弥之助社長,荘田管事のコンビを軸に動いたといえる。臼杵藩士が設立し,経営難に陥っていた第百十九国立銀行を三菱の傘下に吸収するよう斡旋したこと(三菱銀行の前身),21年からの1年間の海外視察中に製鉄業とビル街建設を提案したこと,製鉄業が無理と知るや造船業の拡充を主張,自ら造船所長を兼任して現地で長崎造船所の近代化工事を指揮したことなど,功績は大きい。41年に岩崎弥之助が死ぬと,2年後管事を退き,三菱系企業の役員として余生を送った。<参考文献>宿利重一『荘田平五郎』

(森川英正)

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