Ichibei Furukawa

Japanese: 古河市兵衛 - ふるかわ・いちべえ

Year of death: April 5, 1903 (Meiji 36)
Year of birth: Tempo 3.3.16 (1832.4.16)
A Meiji-era businessman. Founder of the Furukawa Zaibatsu. Also known as the Copper Mine King. Born in Okazaki, Kyoto. His family, the Kimura family, ran a sake brewery and served as village headmen for generations, but during his father's generation, the family fell into poverty and ran a tofu shop. From an early age, he had a strong desire to succeed in life, and at the age of 18, he went to live with his uncle in Morioka and worked at the Konoike branch there. In 1858 (Ansei 5), he was adopted by Furukawa Tarozaemon, who worked for the Ono-gumi, and under the name Ichibei, he bought raw silk for the Ono-gumi. During the Meiji Restoration, he led raw silk trade as manager of the Ono-gumi Thread Store, opened a mechanical silk mill in Tsukiji, Tokyo, and was also in charge of managing mines in Ani, Innai, and other areas, playing an active role as a capable clerk. After the Ono-gumi went bankrupt in 1874 (Meiji 7), he set up his own business and pursued a career in the mining industry. Lack of capital, he started managing the Kusakura Copper Mine under the name of the Soma family with the help and acquaintance of Eiichi Shibusawa. In 1866, he bought the abandoned Ashio Copper Mine and started joint management with the Soma family. He later received the Innai Silver Mine and the Ani Copper Mine. At first, the management of Ashio was a series of hardships, but things turned around with the discovery of a large vein in 1884. He promoted electrification of the mine by building a hydroelectric power plant and was one of the first to introduce the Bessemer smelting method. As a result, in the 1880s, it surpassed Sumitomo's Besshi Copper Mine and became the largest copper mine in Japan in terms of production. Ashio faced problems with mineral poisoning, but after Ichibei's death, Furukawa's business diversified, and the Furukawa Zaibatsu was formed, which included companies such as Furukawa Mining, Furukawa Electric, Fuji Electric Manufacturing, and Yokohama Rubber. Ichibei always believed that the three key factors in life were "luck, slowness, and perseverance." Looking at his business activities, he was extremely proactive in modernizing mining and refining technology, but he stuck to traditional business methods and opposed the adoption of a corporate structure. Under his own autocratic decision-making, he made copper production his "commandment," and modernization of organization and management was delayed. In 1915, his heir, Toranosuke, was awarded the title of baron in recognition of his father Ichibei's achievements. <References> "The Life of Furukawa Ichibei," edited by Itsukakai

(Nakamura Seishi)

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

Japanese:

没年：明治36.4.5(1903)
生年：天保3.3.16(1832.4.16)
明治期の実業家。古河財閥の創業者。銅山王とも呼ばれた。京都岡崎生まれ。生家の木村家は醸酒業を営み,代々庄屋を務めたが,父の代に零落,豆腐屋を営んでいた。幼少より立身出世の願望が強く,18歳で盛岡の伯父のもとに行き,同地の鴻池支店に勤務したりした。安政5(1858)年小野組に勤める古河太郎左衛門の養子となり,市兵衛と名乗って小野組の生糸買い付けに従事した。維新期には小野組糸店支配人として生糸貿易を指揮したり,東京築地に器械製糸場を開設する一方,阿仁,院内などの鉱山経営も担当し,有能な番頭として活躍した。明治7(1874)年の小野組破綻後は独立創業し,鉱山業に進路を求めた。資本が乏しいため,渋沢栄一の知遇と援助を得て相馬家名義で草倉銅山の経営に着手し,9年には廃山同様であった足尾銅山を買収し,相馬家と共同経営を開始,その後も院内銀山,阿仁銅山などの払い下げを受けた。当初の足尾の経営は苦難の連続だったが,17年の大鉱脈発見で好転し,水力発電所建設による鉱山電化をすすめ,ベッセマー式精錬法をいち早く導入した。その結果,明治20年代には住友の別子銅山を凌駕し,産出高が日本一の銅山となった。足尾は鉱毒問題に直面したが,市兵衛の死後,古河の事業は多角的発展をとげ,古河鉱業,古河電工,富士電機製造,横浜護謨などの企業を傘下に持つ古河財閥が形成されていった。市兵衛は常に「運,鈍,根」を処世の3大秘訣として信奉していた。その経営活動をみると,採鉱や精錬技術の近代化にはきわめて積極的であった反面,伝統的商法に固執して会社形態の採用に反対,自らの独裁的意思決定にもとづく専制主義のもとで産銅一本主義を「戒律」とし,組織とマネジメントの近代化は遅れた。大正4(1915)年嗣子虎之助は父市兵衛の功により男爵を授けられた。<参考文献>五日会編『古河市兵衛翁伝』

(中村青志)

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