Takashima Kaemon

Japanese: 高島嘉右衛門 - たかしま・かえもん

Year of death: November 14, 1914
Year of birth: Tempo 3.11.1 (1832.11.22)
A businessman and fortune teller during the late Edo and Meiji periods. His childhood name was Seizaburo, and his pen name was Donzo. He was born in Edo Sanjikkenbori (Ginza, Chuo Ward, Tokyo) as the eldest son of Takashima Kahei and Kuni, and worked in the family business of construction contracting and lumber trading. In 1859 (Ansei 6), he opened a product store in Yokohama, but in 1860 (Man'en 1), he violated the ban on smuggling currency and served time in prison until 1865 (Keio 1). While in prison, he obtained the I Ching and studied I Ching. After his release, he ran a construction contracting business and lumber business in Yokohama, and amassed a huge fortune by contracting for the construction of the British Embassy, among other things. In the early Meiji period, in addition to running an inn and shipping business, he also worked on projects such as the reclamation of the area between Yokohama and Kanagawa (present-day Takashima, Nishi Ward) and the establishment of the Yokohama Gas Bureau. In 1891, he founded the Takashima School and tried to invite Fukuzawa Yukichi, but failed. Fukuzawa's disciples were sent to teach the school together with foreigners. In 1892, the Takashima School burned down. In 1896, he retired from the business world and devoted himself to writing "Takashima Ekidan", but returned to the business world and served as president of the Hokkaido Colliery and Railway Company in 1892 and the Tokyo City Electric Railway Company in 1903.

(Mitsuyoshi Yoneyama)

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

Japanese:

没年：大正3.11.14(1914)
生年：天保3.11.1(1832.11.22)
幕末明治期の実業家,易断家。幼名清三郎,号は呑象。高島嘉兵衛,くにの長男として江戸三十間堀(東京都中央区銀座)に生まれ,家業の建築請負業,材木商に従事する。安政6(1859)年横浜に物産店を開くが,万延1(1860)年貨幣密売の禁を犯し,慶応1(1865)年まで獄中生活を送る。獄中で『易経』を得,易を研究する。出獄後,横浜で建築請負業,材木商を営み,英国公使館の建設を請け負うなどし,巨額の富を築く。明治初年には旅館業,廻船業を営むほかに,横浜―神奈川間の埋め立て(現西区高島),横浜瓦斯局の設立などの事業に取り組んだ。さらに4年高島学校を創設し,福沢諭吉の招聘を試みるが果たせず,福沢の弟子たちが派遣され,外国人と共に教育に当たった。7年高島学校焼失。9年には実業界を引退し,『高島易断』の執筆にいそしむが,再び実業界に転じ,25年北海道炭礦鉄道会社社長,36年東京市街電気鉄道会社社長を歴任した。<参考文献>植村澄三郎『呑象高島嘉右衛門翁伝』

(米山光儀)

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