Eiji Asabuki

Japanese: 朝吹英二 - あさぶき・えいじ

Year of death: January 31, 1918
Year of birth: February 18, 1849 (March 12, 1849)
A Meiji era businessman. He was the manager of the Mitsui zaibatsu and a financial leader associated with Fukuzawa Yukichi. He worked for both the Mitsui and Mitsubishi zaibatsu. He was the second son of Asabuki Taizo, a village headman from Miyazono Village, Buzen Province (Miyazono, Yabakei Town, Oita Prefecture), and Ikuno. After studying at various schools in Hita, Nakatsu, and Osaka, he entered Keio Gijuku in 1870 (Meiji 3). In Osaka, he planned to assassinate Fukuzawa as a member of the anti-foreign faction, but after a meeting with him, he was converted to an advocate of opening the country. In 1875, he married Nakagawa Hikojiro's sister, Fukuzawa's niece Sumi. In 1878, he was employed by Mitsubishi Company and worked at the Tokyo headquarters, but in 1880, he was appointed to a direct trading (import and export without relying on foreign traders) trading company and trading firm that Fukuzawa had established in cooperation with Iwasaki Yataro, and served as manager under President Hayashi Ariyoshi. The firm was not viable and ceased operations in 1944, so while he helped to liquidate it, he also became involved in business and political activities with Fukuzawa's disciples. In 1950, at the invitation of Nakagamigawa, who had become an executive at Mitsui Bank the previous year and was promoting reforms to the Mitsui zaibatsu, he was appointed managing director of Kanegafuchi Spinning, a Mitsui subsidiary. Thereafter, while cooperating with Nakagamigawa, he served as an executive at Mitsui-affiliated companies such as Mitsui Gofukuten (Mitsukoshi) and Oji Paper, and also played a part in the management of the Mitsui zaibatsu headquarters. In 1961, he resigned from all positions related to Mitsui. His eldest son, Tsunekichi, was a business leader who served as president of Teikoku Life Insurance (Asahi Life Insurance) and Mitsukoshi, and his children included such diverse talents as the xylophone player Eiichi, the French literature scholar Miyoshi Toshiko, and the architect Shiro. <References> "The Life of Asabuki Eiji" edited by Onishi Rihei

(Hidemasa Morikawa)

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

Japanese:

没年：大正7.1.31(1918)
生年：嘉永2.2.18(1849.3.12)
明治時代の実業家。三井財閥の経営者で,福沢諭吉系財界人。三井,三菱両財閥の勤務を体験した。豊前国宮園村(大分県耶馬渓町宮園)の庄屋朝吹泰造と幾能の次男。日田,中津,大坂の諸塾に学んだのち,明治3(1870)年,慶応義塾に入学。大坂で攘夷派として福沢暗殺を計画,面談して逆に開国派に転向させられたのが機縁だという。明治8年中上川彦次郎の妹で福沢の姪澄と結婚。11年三菱会社に就職,東京本社に勤務するが,13年福沢が岩崎弥太郎と協力して設立した直貿易(外商の仲介に頼らぬ輸出入)商社・貿易商会に起用され,早矢仕有的社長の下で支配人を務めた。同商会は経営成り立たず,19年経営を中止したので,その整理に当たる一方,福沢の門下生と共に財界,政治活動に従事した。25年には前年に三井銀行役員になり三井財閥の改革を推進していた中上川の招きで三井傘下の鐘淵紡績の専務取締役に就任した。以後,中上川に協力するとともに,三井呉服店(三越),王子製紙等三井系諸企業の役員を歴任,三井財閥本社経営陣の一翼をも担った。44年三井関係の役職をすべて辞任した。長男常吉は帝国生命(朝日生命),三越などの社長を歴任した財界人で,その子女には木琴演奏家英一,フランス文学者三吉,登水子,建築家四郎らの多彩な人材が育った。<参考文献>大西理平編『朝吹英二君伝』

(森川英正)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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