＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・「青天を衝け」の主人公渋沢栄一とは？「ノーベル平和賞候補」にもなった！？
Who was Eiichi Shibusawa, the protagonist of the NHK Taiga drama “Seiten wo Tsuke,” which finally began airing on February 14, 2021?
He has been chosen as the face of the new 10,000 yen banknote to be issued from 2024, but he is still relatively unfamiliar to many, isn’t he?
Therefore, this time, we would like to introduce the personality and life of Eiichi Shibusawa in an easy-to-understand way.
1. Who was Eiichi Shibusawa?
Eiichi Shibusawa (1840-1931) was a businessman who was active for a long period from the late Edo period to the early Showa era. He rose from a farmer to a samurai, became a retainer of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, then a shogunate official, and after the Meiji Restoration, became a bureaucrat before becoming a businessman, active in many fields, and lived to the ripe old age of 91.
He is called the “father of Japanese capitalism.” His pen name was “Seien.”
(1) Early Life and Childhood (1840-1860)
He was born in 1840 in Chiaraijima Village, Hanzawa District, Musashi Province (present-day Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture), as the eldest son of Ichiroemon Motosuke Shibusawa and Ei Shibusawa.
The Shibusawa family was a wealthy farming family (of “village headman” status) that combined the manufacture and sale of “ai-dama” (indigo dye) with sericulture (silkworm farming), and also produced rice, wheat, and vegetables.
Because they were responsible for everything from purchasing raw materials to manufacturing and sales, they constantly needed “commercial acumen and the ability to calculate profits.”
He, along with his father, traveled to Shinshu and Joshu to sell the finished ai-dama, and was also involved in the procurement of raw indigo leaves.
From around the age of 14, he began traveling alone to procure indigo leaves, and this experience is said to have formed the foundation for his understanding and absorption of modern economic systems and institutions during his European tour, and also led to his later “practical rationalist thinking.”
On the other hand, in terms of education, he received instruction in Chinese classics from his father from the age of five, and at the age of seven, he studied the Analects of Confucius, the Four Books and Five Classics, and Nihon Gaishi (Unofficial History of Japan) under his cousin, Odaka Atsutada (1830-1901) (pictured below). He also learned swordsmanship from Okawa Heibei, a former swordsmanship instructor of the Kawagoe Domain, in the Shinto Munen-ryu style.
In 1858, at the age of 18, he married Odaka Chiyo, his cousin and the younger sister of Odaka Atsutada.
(*) About Otaka Junzo (pictured above):
Otaka Junzo later became a businessman, serving as the first director of the Tomioka Silk Mill and the manager of the Sendai branch of the First National Bank.
For a better understanding of the relationship between the Shibusawa and Otaka families, please refer to the “Shibusawa Family Genealogy and Relationship Chart” (pictured below), which includes the cast members from the NHK Taiga drama “Seiten wo Tsuke” in parentheses.
(2) From a loyalist and anti-foreign activist to a retainer of Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1861-1866)
In 1861, he went to Edo and became a student of the Confucian scholar Kaiho Gyoson (1798-1866).
He also enrolled in the Otama-ga-ike Chiba Dojo of Chiba Eijiro of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school of swordsmanship, and while training in swordsmanship, he formed friendships with loyalist activists.
Influenced by this, he became interested in the “revere the emperor and expel the barbarians” ideology, and in 1863, together with his cousin and brother-in-law Otaka Junzo and his cousin Shibusawa Kisaku (1838-1912) (pictured below), he devised a plan to “seize Takasaki Castle, steal weapons, burn down the Yokohama foreign settlement, and then, in cooperation with Choshu, overthrow the shogunate.” However, he abandoned the plan after being earnestly persuaded by Otaka Junzo’s younger brother, Choshichiro.
(*) About Shibusawa Kisaku (pictured above)
Shibusawa Kisaku later served as a scribe to Tokugawa Yoshinobu and leader of the Shogitai, among other positions. He fought as part of the former shogunate forces, resisting all the way to Goryokaku in Hakodate, and was imprisoned by the new government forces. After his release, he joined the Ministry of Finance at the recommendation of Shibusawa Eiichi. After retiring from government service, he founded Shibusawa Shoten with Shibusawa Eiichi’s support, managing a rice wholesale and raw silk wholesale business. He also established the Fukagawa Rice Market and became its president, and later served as chairman of the Tokyo Commodity Exchange.
To avoid implicating his relatives, he pretended to have been disowned by his father and fled to Kyoto with his cousin, Shibusawa Kisaku.
However, because it was immediately after the “August 18th Coup (September 1863)” (*), the loyalist faction’s activities in Kyoto had declined, and he found himself in a difficult position. Through the recommendation of Hiraoka Enshiro (1822-1864), a retainer of the Hitotsubashi family with whom he had been acquainted since his time studying in Edo, he began serving Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu.
(*) The August 18th Coup
This was a “counter-coup” in which “forces supporting the expulsion of foreigners by the shogunate, such as Emperor Komei, Prince Nakagawa Asahiko, the Aizu Domain, and the Satsuma Domain,” removed “radical pro-imperialist court nobles such as Sanjo Sanetomi, who were plotting an expulsion campaign (an expulsion war led by extremists), and the Choshu Domain behind them,” from the imperial court.
At that time, Yoshinobu was permanently stationed in Kyoto as a “Court Councilor.” After he entered service, Yoshinobu was appointed “Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard” by the Imperial Court. However, since the three branch families of the Tokugawa family did not have their own military forces, recruiting troops became an urgent matter, and he demonstrated his skills by touring the Hitotsubashi family’s territory and “recruiting peasant soldiers.”
(3) Becoming a Shogunate Official and Studying in Europe (1867-1868)
Following Yoshinobu’s ascension to the shogunate in December 1866, he became a “Shogunate official.”
He traveled to France as an attendant to Yoshinobu’s half-brother, Tokugawa Akitake (later the 11th head of the Mito Tokugawa family), who attended the Paris World’s Fair (1867) as the shogun’s representative, holding the title of “Accountant-Rank Army Investigator.”
He visited the Paris World’s Fair and accompanied Akitake to various parts of Europe, where he observed advanced industries and institutions, and was deeply impressed by the state of modern society.
Akitake was scheduled to study in Paris, but with the “restoration of imperial rule” in 1868, he was ordered to return to Japan by the new government, and he returned with him.
(4) Served in the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance of the Shizuoka Domain (1869-1872)
After returning to Japan, he met with Yoshinobu, who was under house arrest in Shizuoka, and was told, “From now on, follow your own path.” However, to repay his past debt of gratitude, he remained in Shizuoka and served the Shizuoka Domain.
In Shizuoka, he implemented the “joint-stock company system” he had learned in France, and in January 1869, he established the “Commercial Law Association” to repay loans from the new government.
Hearing of his activities in Shizuoka, Shigenobu Okuma (1838-1922) earnestly persuaded him to serve the new government. As a result, in November 1869, he joined the new government, leading the “Ministry of Civil Affairs Reform Section” (at the time, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance were effectively merged), where he “planned and drafted reform proposals” and was involved in the “establishment of weights and measures” and the “establishment of the National Bank Act.”
In 1872, he became the “Head of the Paper Currency Bureau,” handling the “Meiji Tsūhō” (commonly known as “German banknotes”) printed in Germany, but counterfeiting incidents were not uncommon.
Subsequently, he clashed with Toshimichi Okubo (1830-1878) and Shigenobu Okuma over budget formulation, and together with Vice Minister of Finance Kaoru Inoue (1836-1915), he submitted a “Fiscal Reform Proposal,” and in 1873, he resigned from the Ministry of Finance along with Kaoru Inoue.
During this time, he took on the responsibility of securing the release of his cousin, Kisaku Shibusawa, who had been imprisoned for fighting on the side of the former shogunate army, and helped him find employment at the Ministry of Finance. He also sent him on a European inspection tour under the guise of investigating sericulture and silk reeling businesses.
Furthermore, he entrusted the operation of the Tomioka Silk Mill to his cousin, Junzo Otaka, who had also fought on the side of the shogunate army in the Boshin War, as its first director.
(5) Becoming a businessman, he was active in various fields, including establishing banks, companies, and economic organizations, as well as education and international exchange (1873-1908)
① Bank
After resigning from the Ministry of Finance, he became the “Chief Director” of the “First National Bank” (later the First Bank, Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, and now Mizuho Bank), which he had helped establish, in 1873. He stood above the two “Presidents” of the major shareholders, the Mitsui Group (the predecessor of the Mitsui zaibatsu) and the Ono Group (a wealthy merchant family from the Edo period), and played a key role in the founding of Japan’s first bank.
In 1874, one of the two major shareholders, the Ono Group, went bankrupt, plunging the new bank into a management crisis. However, he minimized the damage and prevented the Mitsui Group from monopolizing bank management.
He then became the sole “President,” establishing a policy of “a bank centered on private transactions that contribute to the public good,” distinguishing himself from the “institutional bank of the zaibatsu,” and actively providing guidance and financial support to emerging merchants and industrialists.
He also provided guidance and support to many national banks established throughout the country through the First National Bank.
In 1892, when the “savings bank” system for collecting small-scale savings was established, he and other First Bank executives invested in the establishment of the “Tokyo Savings Bank” (later Kyowa Bank, now Resona Bank), where he served as Chairman of the Board.
In his hometown of Saitama, he was a founding member of the “Kumagaya Bank” (later Bushu Bank, Saitama Bank, now Saitama Resona Bank) in 1894, and served as an advisor to the “Kurosu Bank” (later Bushu Bank, Saitama Bank, now Saitama Resona Bank), established in 1899.
As “semi-governmental, semi-private special banks” began to be established, he served as a “founding committee member” and guided the opening of the “Nippon Kangyo Bank” (later Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, now Mizuho Bank) in 1896, the “Nippon Kogyo Bank” (now Mizuho Bank) in 1900, and the “Hokkaido Takushoku Bank.”
② Business Companies
In 1873, he obtained approval to establish a papermaking company (now Oji Holdings and Nippon Paper Industries), a plan he had been developing since his time at the Ministry of Finance, and began operations.
In the same year, he became a member of the Tokyo Prefecture’s “Gas Committee” (now Tokyo Gas) and planned the gas business.
Subsequently, he established “Ishikawajima Hirano Shipyard” (now IHI, Isuzu Motors, and Tachikawa Holdings), “Shueisha” (now Dai Nippon Printing), “Chugai Butsuka Shinpo” (now Nihon Keizai Shimbun), “Tokyo Marine Insurance Company” (now Tokio Marine Holdings), “Nippon Railway Company” (now East Japan Railway Company), “Kyodo Unyu Kaisha” (now Nippon Yusen), “Tokyo Electric Light Company” (now Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings), Osaka Spinning Company (now Toyobo), “Asano Cement Factory” (now Taiheiyo Cement), “Japan Brewery” (now Kirin Holdings), “Shimizu-gumi” (now Shimizu Corporation), and “Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company” (now Nissan Chemical). He was involved in the establishment and management of over 500 companies, including well-known large corporations today, such as “Tokyo Seimo Kaisha” (now Tokyo Seimo), “Tokyo Hotel” (now Imperial Hotel), “Sapporo Beer Company” (now Sapporo Holdings and Asahi Group Holdings), “Nippon Doboku Kaisha” (now Taisei Corporation), “Ashio Mining Association” (now Furukawa Machinery & Metal, Furukawa Electric, Fujitsu, Fuji Electric, and Yokohama Rubber), “Toyo Keizai Shinposha,” “Nippon Seito” (now Dai Nippon Meiji Sugar), “Kisha Seizo” (now Kawasaki Heavy Industries), “Uraga Shipyard” (now Sumitomo Heavy Industries), “Tokyo Tatemono,” “Shibusawa Warehouse Department” (now Shibusawa Warehouse), “Keihan Electric Railway” (now Keihan Holdings), and “Imperial Theatre Company” (now Toho and Tokyo Kaikan).
③ Economic Organizations
In 1877, he organized the “Takuzenkai” (now the Tokyo Bankers Association), which, through the cooperation of bank managers, made various proposals to the government.
In addition, he established the “Tokyo Chamber of Commerce” (now the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and the “Tokyo Stock Exchange.”
④ Welfare and Medical Care
From 1874, he was involved in the operation of the “Yōikuin” (now the Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center), a relief project for the poor, and later became its director and then hospital director.
He was also involved in the operation of the “Hakuaisha” (later the Japanese Red Cross Society), established in 1877 by Tsunetami Sano with the aim of providing relief to wounded soldiers of the Satsuma Rebellion, regardless of whether they were friend or foe, and the “Dōaisha,” established in 1884 by Ryōun Takamatsu with the aim of providing free medical care to the poor.
In 1907, he became an advisor and chairman of the “Tokyo Jikei Hospital” (now the Tokyo Jikeikai), and played a key role in its transformation into a foundation. In 1908, he also played a key role in the establishment of the “Cancer Research Society” (the current Cancer Research Society).
⑤ Education
In 1875, recognizing the low awareness of practical education and the lack of institutions providing it, he co-founded the “Commercial Law Training Institute” (later Tokyo University of Commerce, now Hitotsubashi University) with Arinori Mori. In 1900, he also contributed as a founding committee member to Kihachiro Okura’s “Okura Commercial School” (now Tokyo Keizai University).
Even amidst the strong patriarchal atmosphere of the time, he advocated for the necessity of higher education for women. In 1887, together with Hirobumi Ito and Kaishu Katsu, he established the “Women’s Education Promotion Association,” which later became the foundation for the “Tokyo Women’s School.” He also supported the founding of “Japan Women’s University” in 1901.
Furthermore, he was actively involved in the establishment and operation of private schools. He played a key role in raising and managing funds for Jo Niijima’s “Doshisha University” in 1888, and served as the chairman of the fund management committee for the expansion plan of “Tokyo Professional School” (now Waseda University) in 1908.
⑥ International exchange and private diplomacy
In 1879, upon the visit of former U.S. President Grant and his wife to Japan, he worked with the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and the Tokyo Prefectural Assembly to organize a “Reception Committee,” serving as its representative alongside Genichiro Fukuchi and preparing the welcoming ceremonies. A welcome reception was also held at his own residence in Asukayama (a separate residence for receiving guests).
In 1893, he established the “Guests’ Association” as an organization to handle foreign dignitaries and became its secretary-general.
In 1902, he inspected various locations in the United States and Europe, interacting with members of local chambers of commerce and meeting with President Theodore Roosevelt.
(6) Engaging in diverse activities including private diplomacy, education, and welfare even after retirement from the business world (1909-1931)
In 1909, at the age of 70, he announced his retirement from the business world. However, even after retiring from business, he continued to engage in diverse activities including private diplomacy, education, and welfare.
In 1924, he established the “Franco-Japanese Institute,” and in 1927, he founded the “Japan International Children’s Friendship Association,” where he worked to deepen friendly exchanges by exchanging American dolls (blue-eyed dolls) for Japanese dolls (Ichimatsu dolls).
He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926 and 1927. The reason for his nomination was “his efforts to improve U.S.-Japan relations regarding the legal status of Japanese workers in California.”
In 1917, he became the representative of the founders of the RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), a natural science research institution. In 1918, driven by a desire to accurately convey the achievements of his former lord (Yoshinobu) to future generations, he authored “The Biography of Tokugawa Yoshinobu.”
Also in 1918, he was a founding member of the Den-en Toshi Co., Ltd. (now Tokyu Corporation), supporting the commercialization of suburban housing development projects.
During the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, while offering temporary solutions to the government and the Tokyo City government, he personally procured food from neighboring prefectures at his own expense to supply the victims and distributed it.
2. The Philosophy of Eiichi Shibusawa
He advocated the concepts of “samurai spirit and merchant talent” (possessing both the noble spirit of a samurai and the talent of a merchant) and “balancing justice and profit” (achieving both justice and profit), along with the “theory of the unification of morality and economics” (balancing morality and economics). His philosophy is clearly expressed in his book, “The Analects and the Abacus.”
While a samurai spirit is undoubtedly necessary to thrive in the human world, relying solely on a samurai spirit without business acumen will lead to economic self-destruction. Therefore, one must possess both a samurai spirit and business acumen.
(From “The Analects and the Abacus,” Kadokawa Sophia Bunko)
Navigating the world is incredibly difficult, but by carefully reading and contemplating the Analects, one can gain invaluable insights. Therefore, I have always respected and believed in Confucius’ teachings, and at the same time, I have never let the Analects out of my sight, considering them an absolute guide for living in society.
Wealth that is not based on righteous principles cannot be truly lasting. Herein lies my crucial task today: to reconcile the seemingly disparate things of the Analects and the abacus.
(From “The Analects and the Abacus: A Modern Japanese Translation” by Eiichi Shibusawa, translated by Jun Moriya, Chikuma Shinsho)
American management scholar Peter F. Drucker described him as follows:
Of all the historical figures who have discussed the “social responsibility” of management, I know of no one who surpasses Eiichi Shibusawa, one of those great figures. He was the first in the world to realize that the essence of management is nothing other than “responsibility.”
From “Management” (Diamond, Inc.)
3. Descendants of Shibusawa Eiichi
He had two wives in his lifetime. This is because his first wife, Chiyo (1841-1882), died young from cholera. Chiyo gave birth to three children: Utako, Kotoko, and Tokuji.
Utako’s husband was Hozumi Nobushige, a Doctor of Law. Kotoko’s husband was Sakatani Yoshiro, who served as Chairman of the Ryumonsha (now the Shibusawa Eiichi Foundation) and Minister of Finance. Tokuji worked for Shibusawa Warehouse and Dai-Ichi Bank, but was disinherited for his womanizing.
As an aside, Tokuji’s son (Eiichi’s grandson), Keizo, was a very accomplished man. He served as a director of Dai-Ichi Bank, Governor of the Bank of Japan, and Minister of Finance, and was involved in the management of over 300 companies.
His second wife, Kaneko (1852-1934), bore him four children: Takenosuke, Masao, Aiko, and Hideo.
Takenosuke was the second president of Ishikawa Aircraft Manufacturing. Masao was the first president of Ishikawa Aircraft Manufacturing. Aiko’s husband was Akashi Teruo, who served as chairman of Shibusawa Warehouse, president of Dai-Ichi Bank, and chairman of Ryumon-sha. Hideo worked in land development at Den’en Toshi Co., Ltd., and later served as chairman of the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre and Toho.
Even this alone makes him a “large family” of seven, but it is said that he had many mistresses, and including illegitimate children, he had more than 20 children.
Incidentally, Shibusawa Rieru (20 years old), a female professional golfer of the “Platinum Generation,” is also said to be a descendant of Shibusawa Eiichi. We look forward to her future success.
Incidentally, her name, “Rieru,” is quite unusual, and it was chosen by her mother.
“It’s pronounced ‘Rieru,’ meaning ‘to attain enlightenment.’ The hope is that she will always be able to maintain a calm mind in all things. We ended up with these kanji characters because of the number of strokes, but I considered using hiragana instead,” she said.
＜For your reference＞Japanese original
ところで、「プラチナ世代」の女子プロゴルファー・澁澤莉絵留（しぶさわりえる）（20歳）も、渋沢栄一の子孫だそうです。これからの活躍が楽しみです。
ちなみに彼女の名前「莉絵留」は大変珍しいですが、これはお母さんが考えたもので、
「悟りを得る（の意味）で『りえる』。常に何事にも落ち着いた心でいられるように。画数の関係でこの漢字になってしまったが、平仮名にするか迷った」そうです。
