This paper focuses on emerging processes of entrepreneurs who made business innovations during the Meiji era, when the modern society was formed, from the perspectives of entrepreneurial history and business history.

The individual data （home situation, educational background, processes to entrepreneurship, and types of innovation） of 46 entrepreneurs were analyzed, and common factors in their emerging processes were sought. As a finding, there were four types in the emerging process :（ 1） network type,（ 2） regional development type,（ 3） merchant type, and（ 4） technology type.

As for the network type, entrepreneurs utilized advantages of networking with government/ business leaders/ relatives to acquire advanced western knowledge （i.e. unique information for venturing） which was necessary for modern organization management. Regarding the regional development type, the entrepreneurial activities have characteristics of developing regional industries suitable for the times. Those entrepreneurs, who were mainly local elites playing official and influential roles in their regions, utilized information required for venturing that contributes to regional development （i.e. unique information for venturing） from local and political experts.

As for the merchant type, entrepreneurs were engaged to their merchant activities connected with opportunities for new innovative businesses. Those who became such merchants came mainly from farmers who aimed successful career and independence. In their works as merchants, they succeeded in business by acquiring the earliest information （i.e. unique information for venturing）. Finally in the technical type, entrepreneurs raised a business by using technologies acquired through skill acquisition and invention. This type often came from merchants, and as a part of management efforts, they aimed at the creation and invention of new products or technologies that had not existed in Japan so far. Here information on new western product/ technologies（ i.e. unique information for venturing） played a crucial role.

Access to such information for venturing above was a key for entrepreneurs who successfully created new modern businesses.

It is known that Kobe Higher Commercial School（ 1902─1932） attached great importance to moral education. The famous entrepreneur Sazo Idemitsu, for example, often told about being influenced by the education during his school days. From this fact, two research questions would arise. The first is the question as to whether this kind of education was seen in only KHCS. If not, such a fact increases the probability that the moral education was prevalent among commercial schools, giving an intelligent reason for conducting another survey of its major cause. Therefore, the present writers examined educational systems in three other schools which are Yamaguchi-HCS （1905─1944）, Nagasaki-HCS （1905─1944）, and Otaru- HCS （1910─1944）. The second question is concerned with the situation of a moral education in Tokyo-HCS which was established long before the four schools, because it can’t be denied that educational practices of THCS, including moral education, could have been passed on to the subsequent schools.

The brief outlines of the answers to the questions are given below. First, the moral educational systems similar to one in KHCS were found in the three schools. Second, it is conceivable that after resignation of the first principal Jiro Yano who took the initiative in promoting moral education, it lost momentum in THCS. But some persons influenced by his educational thought, such as Eiich Sibusawa, were still in the school. Perhaps there might have a chance of its surviving for the moment.

This study investigates how local entrepreneurs innovate in production areas. In particular, this study considers the implementation of the changes in production areas by local entrepreneurs from other industries, instead of by inside entrepreneurs, a topic of interest in existing research.

Today, society emphasizes regional activation, especially innovation in the region through cooperation between different industries. Prior studies point out that the realization of strategic sociality is a key to gaining legitimacy in the region for small and medium enterprises with roots in the region, and existing work discusses the realization of regional innovation from the view of entrepreneurial activities. However, previous research mainly addresses innovation arising from groups in the same industry, and does not sufficiently examine the innovation of production areas originating in different industries. This study explores this kind of innovation through a case analysis. Specifically, this study analyzes the utilization business of waste mandarin oranges by a butcher in Mikkabi Town, Kita Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and clarifies the route of the business creation and changes in production areas.

The case analysis indicates two findings. First, it was not easy to obtain cooperation from producers, even if the venture created a business satisfying strategic sociality. Secondly, the key to transforming the production area was that the local entrepreneur modified his business model and encouraged producers to participate in his business. This case analysis suggests the significance of the entrepreneur who changes the region itself, which is different from the image of the local entrepreneur as the entity using local resources, as presented in prior research.. Abstract