Mitsui Takatoshi (三井高利)
Takatoshi MITSUI (1622- May 29, 1694) was a merchant who lived during the Edo Period. His common name was Hachirobei. He laid the foundations of the Mitsui Family (the later Mitsui Zaibatsu). He was said to be the restorer of the Mitsui.
Family lineage
The history of the Mitsui as wealthy merchants began when Takatoshi, the eldest son of Takayasu MITSUI who was said to be the old retainer of the Rokkaku clan, abandoned his class as a samurai in the early Genna era and opened up a pawn shop and a sake brewery in Matsusaka, Ise Province. Further, it was claimed that the family name, Mitsui, was started by the Fujiwara clan.
Biography
He was born in Matsusaka, Ise Province (the present Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture) as the fourth son of Takatoshi. He served an apprenticeship under Takatsugu MITSUI (Saburozaemon), his eldest brother, who started Mitsui Family kuginuki (nail puller) in Edo, and became a clerk. Later, he was ousted by his brothers who feared Takatoshi's business talent, and Takatoshi ran finance business in Matsusaka.
In 1673, he opened a kimono shop in Edo Honcho 1 Chome, and made the name of the store as Echigo-ya (the later MITSUKOSHI). The shop prospered from new business methods such as payment in cash with no overcharges and selling roll of cloth by pieces. These methods were novel to the kimono fabric business, for in those days, it was customary that payment was done on credit until a later day, and the unit of trade was in 1 tan (length app 10.6 m and width apploximately 34 cm); and this new system was useful for the customers, too, for while demanded to pay in cash, merchandise in good quality might be bought in the amount necessary for a good price (since there was no danger of welshing the credit, there was no need to tack on for that risk). Later, Takatoshi moved to Kyoto and lived there to professionally handle brokerage business, and had his eldest son, Takadai MITSUI, and others in charge of the shop in Edo.
However, he was persecuted from those who were in the same trade that were jealous of the way he prospered, and he was banished from associations, his employees were hired away, he was boycotted, and so on. Yet, owing to the recommendation of Narisada MAKINO who was a sobayonin (lord chamberlain), he became a merchant of the Shogunate's official business, and since then, those movements ceased. He later started money-exchange business. He died at the age of 73.
Kaken (family code)
Takatoshi left kakun (family percept) for his descendants.
1, A lone tree is easily snapped whereas trees that stand together do not easily break. You must get along and cooperate with each other to make the luck of the family firm.
2, All of the income from each of the family's business must be distributed only after a certain amount has been put away for reserved funds.
3, A choja (chieftain of family) must be nominated from each of the family to be appointed as 老八分 to be the supervisior of the entire body, and each family head must follow his orders.
4, Those in the same family must never go against each other.
5, Indulging in luxury is strictly prohibited.
6, As there are no weak soldiers under a great commander, always have in mind to hire wise and able people. Be careful not to have any resentments from those working under you.
7, The master, for all matters of the family, must be well acquainted with them irrespective of high and low, big and small of those matters.
8, Children of the same family must, within a certain amount of time, must experience working as a clerk and an assistant manager, and never be treated as a master.
9, Have in mind that in business, the time in forsaking is crucial.
10, Go out to Nagasaki and do business with foreign countries.