Who was this person?
A businessman of the Meiji to Shōwa eras. After working as a shogunate interpreter he was discovered by Inoue Kaoru, launched Mitsui & Co. in 1876 and became its head, and also founded the Chūgai bukka shinpō, forerunner of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. He was also famous as a tea master under the name Don'ō.
| Name | Masuda Takashi (益田孝) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1848 – 1938 |
| Period | Late Edo–Shōwa |
| Birthplace | Aikawa, Sado Province |
| Also known as | Don'ō |
| Main achievements |
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He was born at Aikawa on Sado (Niigata), famous for its gold mine, the son of a shogunate official. His childhood name was Tokunoshin. When his father went to work under the Hakodate magistrate, the family moved to Hakodate. Encountering foreign ships and people in that port town greatly influenced his later life.
After moving to Edo he became a foreign-language trainee and, passing an examination, became a shogunate interpreter. He worked at the American legation housed at Zenpuku-ji in Azabu, where he had contact with Harris. He also studied English at Hepburn's school. While still a boy he had a job connecting him with the world.
His father was chosen to go to France as a member of a shogunate mission. Since father and son were not allowed to travel abroad together, he changed his name and joined as his father's retainer. The advanced society and industry of the West that he saw in Paris left a strong impression on the young Takashi.
After returning he joined the shogunate army, trained as a cavalryman and gained hatamoto status. But the next year Edo castle was surrendered to the new government and the shogunate ceased to exist. While many hatamoto moved to Shizuoka with the Tokugawa house, Takashi resolved to live as a merchant.
He moved to Yokohama and worked at a foreign trading firm, learning business in practice. The next year he opened his own shop and began an export business. Takashi's ability to speak English and deal with foreigners on equal terms proved very useful in Yokohama, newly opened to trade.
Through a business associate he met Inoue Kaoru of the Finance Ministry and, at his urging, joined the ministry. Posted to the Mint in Osaka, he worked on replacing the old Edo-period money with the new currency. Meeting Inoue was to change Takashi's life greatly.
After leaving government with Inoue and running a company, at the Mitsui family's request he launched a new trading company, Mitsui & Co. (Mitsui Bussan), and became its head. Mitsui & Co. is regarded as Japan's first full-fledged general trading company, buying and selling all kinds of goods at home and abroad.
Soon after founding Mitsui & Co., he launched the Chūgai bukka shinpō, a newspaper reporting commodity prices and economic news, believing accurate information was essential to business. Continuing in changing forms, this newspaper became the forerunner of today's Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
He set up a company to run the Miike coal mine in Kyūshū, acquired from the government, and put Dan Takuma, who had studied mining in America, in charge. Coal was an essential fuel for industry, and the mine became a major pillar of Mitsui. Takashi had a keen eye for people and nurtured much talent.
Around this time he devoted himself deeply to the tea ceremony, building a villa in Odawara with many tea rooms. He was also known as a collector of tea utensils and took the name Don'ō from the name of a utensil he acquired. He was later praised as "the greatest tea master since Sen no Rikyū" and revitalised the modern tea ceremony.
For his long service supporting the Mitsui businesses, he was made a baron. By this time he had handed the front line of Mitsui management to Dan Takuma and others and watched over them from behind as an adviser. In the world of tea he was at the centre of gatherings of political and business leaders.
He died at his home in Odawara at 90. Starting as a shogunate interpreter, he built up Mitsui & Co., supported the growth of Japan's trade and industry, and also preserved and fostered the culture of tea. He was a leading businessman from Meiji to Shōwa who left great marks on both the economy and culture.
A. A businessman of the Meiji to Shōwa eras. After working as a shogunate interpreter he was discovered by Inoue Kaoru, launched Mitsui & Co. in 1876 and became its head, and also founded the Chūgai bukka shinpō, forerunner of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. He was also famous as a tea master under the name Don'ō.
A. Period: Late Edo–Shōwa. Born in 1848, died in 1938.
A. Masuda Takashi was born in Aikawa, Sado Province.
A. Masuda Takashi deeply loved the tea ceremony and was known as a collector of tea utensils. He is said to have taken the name Don'ō from "Dontarō," one of the tea utensils he acquired. He was later praised as "the greatest tea master since Sen no Rikyū."
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Sen no RikyūTownsend HarrisInoue Kaoru
Nakae ChōminMori ArinoriTōgō HeihachirōKatsura TarōErwin BälzNogi MaresukeTakaki KanehiroHirooka Asako
People of the Meiji period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.