Growth and Business Expansion of the Local Entrepreneurs in the Meiji Period

As in the Case of Chokichi Toyonaga, Chofu Clansman

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to feature Chokichi Toyonaga, the Chofu clansman, as a local entrepreneur in the Meiji period who did entrepreneurial activities in a main stage then and started Nihon Seimi Seizou Kaisya (the Japan chemical medicine manufacturing company), which in the end became an enterprise in a foundational period of the chemical industry of our country, and to consider the process of growing as a local entrepreneur in the Kanmon area. I would like to make it clear that the local entrepreneurs industrialized through Toyonaga's business expansion in our country.

Chokichi Toyonaga was born as a low-level clansman of Chofu, but was able to rise in rank as fast as possible because of his talent and also got deep trust from two seigneurs, Motokane Mori and Mototoshi Mori. It was in the establishment of Akamagaseki-Beisyoukaisyo (the Akamagaseki rice Exchange company) that Toyonaga developed independent entrepreneurial activities for the first time. After that, it was added to the establishment of Toyonaga-gumi of a financial institution and Moji-Chikkou-kaisya (the Moji harbor company) where they did maintenance of infrastructure, and he made progress as an entrepreneur and established Nihon Seimi Seizou Kaisya.

They had developed the process of the industrial enterprise, because a local entrepreneur like Toyonaga existed, who also raised up a modern industry not only in an urban area but outside of an urban area in the Meiji period, and local entrepreneurs were playing an important role in our country as bearers, too.