Okura Zaibatsu

A zaibatsu (financial conglomerate) built in one generation by Okura Kihachiro. Kihachiro Okura, an entrepreneur who rose to prominence during the upheaval of the Meiji Restoration, accumulated capital during the Meiji period through political business activities such as supplying military supplies. During World War I, an organizational structure was formed around Okura Gumi (established in 1893) as a holding company, with Okura Shoji, Okura Mining, and Okura Civil Engineering at its core. Kihachiro was also involved in the establishment of many companies as a business leader, and by the early Showa period, the number of companies in which he invested had risen to a total of more than 100. However, a large proportion of his investments were in businesses in mainland China, and with the exception of a few such as the Benxi Lake Coal and Iron Works, these were performing poorly. In addition, due to Kihachiro's one-man management, the development of management structures was delayed and the company had no financial institutions, so development stagnated in the Showa period, and the company was gradually left far behind by giant conglomerates such as Mitsui and Mitsubishi. The defeat in World War II caused the company to lose all of its mainland businesses, dealing a devastating blow.

[Nakamura Aoshi]

"Anatomy of the Japanese Zaibatsu" by Takahashi Kamekichi (1930, Chuokoron-Shinsha) " Okura Zaibatsu Research Group (ed.), "Study of the Okura Zaibatsu" (1982, Kondo Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大倉喜八郎が一代で築いた財閥。幕末・維新の動乱に乗じて台頭した企業家大倉喜八郎が明治期に軍需物資用達などの政商活動で蓄積した資本を基礎に、合名会社大倉組（1893設立）を持株会社として、大倉商事、大倉鉱業、大倉土木の直系3社を中核とする組織機構が第一次世界大戦期に形成された。また喜八郎が財界人として多数の会社の設立に関与していたため、投資先会社数は昭和初期には総計100社以上に上った。しかし投資先に占める中国大陸の事業の比重が大きく、しかもそれらは本渓湖煤鉄公司(ほんけいこばいてつコンス)など若干のものを除くと業績不振であった。加えて喜八郎のワンマン経営のため管理機構の整備が遅れたことや金融機関をもたない弱点もあって、昭和期に入ると発展が停滞し、しだいに三井、三菱(みつびし)などの巨大財閥に大きく水をあけられていった。第二次世界大戦の敗戦で大陸事業のすべてを失い、壊滅的打撃を受けた。

［中村青志］

『高橋亀吉著『日本財閥の解剖』（1930・中央公論社）』▽『大倉財閥研究会編『大倉財閥の研究』（1982・近藤出版社）』

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