The Journey of Mitsui
This is the English version of Mitsui no Ayumi, originally published by Mitsui Bunko in 2015.
It consists of 50 chronologically arranged themes that follow the history of Mitsui from its founding in the Edo period to its reorganization and rebirth as the Mitsui Group in the postwar era.
(→Notes)
- 01Mitsui Takatoshi-The Founder of the Mitsui FamilyFather of Merchants/His Wife and Children/Quotes by Takatoshi
- 02Takatoshi of MatsusakaIse Merchants, Matsusaka Merchants/The Roots of the Mitsui Family/The Family Business/Biding Time in Matsusaka
- 03The Advance into EdoTakatoshi Opens His Shop/Edo and Kyoto/The Move to Surugacho
- 04Genkin Kakene NashiMitsui’s Shop Sign Phrase/The Meaning of Genkin Kakene Nashi/Growing in Edo/New Commercial Practices/Enormous Success
- 05Chartered Purveyor to the ShogunatePurveyor to the Shogunate (Kimono)/Purveyor to the Shogunate (Money Exchange)/Development of a Financial Division/Expanding the Shop Network
- 06The Children of TakatoshiTakatoshi’s Death and His Sons/The Eleven Mitsui Families
- 07Business Consolidation and the OmotokataThe Early Top Management/Business Consolidation/Omotokata, the Central Administrative Body
- 08An Age of Crisis and Record KeepingThe Kyoho Reforms and an Economic Downturn/Low Rice Prices, High Commodity Costs/Changes to Management Style/The Codification of Rules and Maintaining a Documentation System/The Start of Compiling Histories
- 09The Sochiku Isho Family ConstitutionThe Mitsui Standard/The Entire Family to Consolidate and Share Its Assets and Businesses/Business Structure and Preparedness for Crises/Into an Age of Prosperity
- 10The Omotokata (1): Overseeing Mitsui Shops and Family MattersAbout the Omotokata/Relationship with Shops/Relationship with the Mitsui Domyo/The Anei Partition
- 11The Omotokata (2): Consolidation of ProfitThe Line Items of the Omotokata Kanjomokuroku/The Structure of the Omotokata Kanjomokuroku/Settlement and Profit Accumulation/Assets Over Time
- 12Kimono Fabric Shops (1): Business Structure and TransitionThe Big Three Cities and Product Distribution/Echigoya’s Network of Shops/Echigoya’s Sales
- 13Kimono Fabric Shops (2): Tanasaki Uri and Large ShopsPracticing Tanasaki Uri/The Uriba/Receiving Customers/A Variety of Departments/A Giant Among Kimono Shops
- 14Kimono Fabric Shops (3): Competition and SalesAdvertising Echigoya/Storefront Sales Rivals/Intense Competition
- 15Kimono Fabric Shops (4): Diversified ProcurementExpanding Production Regions/Tanasaki Uri and Procurement/Local Purchasing Offices
- 16Money Exchange Stores (1): Chartered Purveyor of Exchange Services to the ShogunateRyogaedana Ichimaki/Money Exchange Business/Osaka Exchange Services for the Shogun’s Treasury/Purveying Diverse Services to the Shogunate
- 17Money Exchange Stores (2): Business Structure and TransitionThe Ryogaedana Ichimaki Business/Business Performance
- 18Money Exchange Stores (3): Feudal LordsCurrency Reform/Lords and Benefactors/High-Ranking Shogunate Officials/Aristocratic Priests and the Imperial Palace
- 19Employees (1): Promotions and PayNumber of Employees in the Kimono Fabric Division/Employment and Place of Origin/Employment Ranks and Promotion/Renumeration/Other Employees
- 20Employees (2): Daily Life and ManagementEmployee Daily Life/A Vast Number of Rules/Infractions and Their Management/Bekke and Sozokuko
- 21A Changing Society, Mitsui’s AgonyFire and Riots/Debts and Discord in the Mitsui Family/Financial Extortion/The Importance of Information
- 22Opening to the West and the Shogunate’s ExtortionOpening a Shop in Yokohama, Handling Trade for the Shogunate/Financial Extortion and Mitsui’s Response/Establishing the Goyosho/Minomura Rizaemon
- 23Supporting the New GovernmentApproach to Satsuma/Early Help for the Meiji Government/Mitsui and the Dajokan Banknote
- 24Leaders of the Early Meiji EraThe Omotokata During the Late Shogunate and Imperial Restoration/Heading for Tokyo/Reorganization
- 25The Bank of Japan ConceptThe New Currency Act/A “Genuine Bank”/Mitsui-gumi Kawaseza/Ministry of Finance Convertible Certificates/Launching the First National Bank
- 26Separation of the Kimono StoresA Slump in the Kimono Business/Circumstances behind the Separation/“A Split in Appearance Only”/From Kimono Store to Department Store
- 27The Crisis of 1874Mitsui-gumi’s Handling of Government Funds/“Collateral Increase Order”/Borrowing from a Foreign Bank/Government Protection
- 28Japan’s First Private BankEstablishment of Mitsui Bank/The Mitsui Bank’s Organization/Operations at the Bank’s Opening
- 29Management Reforms at Mitsui BankPoor Performance at Mitsui Bank/Nakamigawa Hikojiro Appears/Recruitment of Those with Modern Higher Education, and Bad Debt Consolidation/Streamlining Operations
- 30The Founding of Mitsui BussanSenshu Kaisha/The Founding of Mitsui Bussan/Merger with Kokusankata/Masuda Takashi and Kimura Masamoto
- 31Early Management at Mitsui BussanEarly Products Handled/Change in Profit/Loss/Early Overseas Branches/Establishment of London Branch/Chugai Bukka Shimpo
- 32Global Expansion of Mitsui BussanGrowing into an Exporter/Branch Network Expansion/Organizers of Industrialization/Branch Managers’ Meetings
- 33Sale of the Miike MineMiike Mine Under Government Management/Exports of Miike Coal by Mitsui Bussan/Bidding for the Miike Mine/From Miike Coal Mine to Mitsui Mining
- 34Mitsui’s Cash CowMiike Coal Mine at the Time of Privatization/Revival of the Kattachi Pit/Expansion to Chikuho and Hokkaido/“Mitsui’s Cash Cow”
- 35Opening of Miike PortMarine Transport of Miike Coal/Plan for Construction of Miike Port/Major Construction Phase/The Significance of Miike Port/“A One-Hundred Year Foundation”
- 36The Path to Industrialization and SetbacksNakamigawa’s Path to Industrialization/A New Industrial Department/Setbacks for the Industrial Department/Criticisms of Industrialization/Death of Nakamigawa
- 37Establishment of the Mitsui’s House ConstitutionEstablishment of the Mitsui’s House Constitution/Extent of the “Family”/Obligations of the Families and Rules Regarding their Actions/Property/Maintaining the Shared Property System/Inoue Kaoru, Mitsui Family Advisor
- 38Establishment of Mitsui Gomei KaishaAn Exploratory Process/Mitsui Gomei Kaisha: A Holding Company/Investing Partners/Closely Held Ownership and Realization of Limited Liability
- 39Governance of the Mitsui ZaibatsuCentralized Control through Mitsui Gomei Kaisha/Review and Approval Protocols for Important Decisions/Decision-Making Procedures at Mitsui Gomei Kaisha/The Role of the Mitsui Family
- 40Family Members Visit Europe and AmericaTakamine and His Group Take a Trip/Trip to Russia (16 days)/Grand Tour of Europe (41 days)/Stay in England (approx. two months)/Inspection of Businesses in America (approx. 45 days)
- 41The Diversification of Mitsui BussanMitsui Bussan in the 1920s/Changes in Mitsui Bussan’s Investment Strategy/Establishment of Toyo Rayon/Investment Trends in the 1930s
- 42Development of the Coal Chemical IndustryThe Dawn of Coal Chemistry/The Start of Zinc Refining/Domestication of Synthetic Dyes/Unexpected Success/Industrializing Indigo/A Coal Chemical Industrial Complex
- 43Expansion of the Finance DivisionGrowth of the Corporate Bond Market/Entry into the Trust Business/Entry into the Life Insurance Business/Contributing to Infrastructure Development
- 44The Scale of MitsuiThe Mitsui Group of Companies/The Hegemony of the Three Major Zaibatsu/Assets of Mitsui Gomei Kaisha/Completion of the Mitsui Main Building/Mitsui’s Headquarters
- 45The Conversion of the ZaibatsuThe Showa Depression/The “Dollar-Buying Incident”/Death of Dan and Retirement of Mitsui Family Members/Repaying Society/Public Share Offering/Assessment of the Conversion
- 46Launch of Teikoku Bank“Policy of Few Branches”/Shift to a Branch Expansion Policy/Merger Concept/Establishment of a New Bank/The Postwar Era
- 47War and the MinesMechanization of Coal Mining/Wartime Regime and Coal Mines/Dealing with the Munitions Industry/Business in Occupied Territories/Defeat
- 48Wartime Business RestructuringPublic Offering of Shares/Changes in the Zaibatsu Governing Body/Expansion of Subsidiaries
- 49Breakup of the Mitsui ZaibatsuDismantling of Mitsui Honsha/Dismantling of Ownership Structures and Personal Connections/The Impact of Capital Levies/
- 50From Defeat to Reconstruction: Reunion of the Mitsui GroupPostwar Restart/Dissolution of Mitsui Bussan/Splitting up Major Corporations/The Issue of Prohibition on Use of Trade Names and Trademarks/Reunion of the Mitsui Group
Notes
- Dates prior to December 2, 1872 conform to the traditional lunar calendar. More recent dates correspond to the solar calendar.
- Up until Section 21, all ages written conform to the traditional East Asian age system. From Section 22 onwards, ages written correspond to the Western age system.
- Various names were used to address Mitsui families over the generations. In this publication, family names that currently apply are used throughout (e.g., Kita family and Isarago family).
- Unless specifically required, company names appearing herein are stated without corporate designations.
There is no legal continuity between the entity known as Mitsui Bussan, dissolved in November 1947, and the current Mitsui & Co., established in 1959. They are entirely separate entities. - In preparing this English translation, some changes to the source wording were made for ease of understanding.
- Company and organization names with no verifiable English equivalent have been described using common nouns.
- For those wishing to use any of the images posted on the Mitsui Bunko website, prior application is required. Please refer to the link below for further details (Japanese language only).
http://mitsui-bunko.or.jp/archives/application/