Below are a few commonly asked questions about Shibusawa Eiichi.  Click section titles or individual questions or scroll down the page to view the answers.

1. Eiichi the Man
1. When and where was Shibusawa Eiichi born?
2. What sort of family did Shibusawa Eiichi come from?
3. What was Shibusawa Eiichi’s favorite food?
4. What were Shibusawa Eiichi’s last words?
5. When and how did Shibusawa Eiichi die?
6. Where is Shibusawa Eiichi buried?


2. Eiichi the Entrepreneur
1. What happened to the First National Bank?
2. Was Shibusawa Eiichi really involved with 500 different companies?
3. What happened to all the companies connected to Shibusawa Eiichi?
4. What was the last company with which Shibusawa Eiichi was involved?  The last organization?


3. Terminology
1. What are aidama?
2. What does Seien mean?
3. What was the Ryumonsha?

1. Eiichi the Man
1. When and where was Shibusawa Eiichi born?

   Eiichi was born on Monday, March 16, 1840 (corresponding to the 13th day of the second month of the 11th year of Tenpo in the Japanese lunar calendar).  He was born in the town of Chiaraijima in the Hanzawa district of Musashino province.  The area is now part of Fukaya in Saitama prefecture.




2. What sort of family did Shibusawa Eiichi come from?

   Eiichi was born into the Nakanchi, or main branch of the Shibusawa family.  The Shibusawa were said to be one of the village’s original families and were held in high esteem.  In addition to farming, the family was involved in sericulture and other cash businesses.  In Eiichi’s father’s time the family became heavily involved in the production and sale of indigo balls and became one of the richest families in the village.  Eiichi’s father was strict but his mother was very deeply compassionate and Eiichi grew up loving his studies.




3. What was Shibusawa Eiichi’s favorite food?

   In 1916 Eiichi is said to have expressed a like for foods high in sugar and fat.  He liked receiving gifts of sweets and for dinner enjoyed eating tempura, eel, kenchin-jiru (a miso-based soup with vegetables and tofu), and vegetables (eggplant and potatoes).
   His daily menu was varied.  For breakfast he would have oatmeal (with milk and sugar) and soup, two soft boiled eggs, two slices of toast, fruit, and black tea.  For lunch he would eat Western-style food.  For dinner he would have either Japanese or Western-style food.  If eating Japanese he would go to a traditional restaurant such as Tokiwa or Shinkiraku or Hyoya　(alternately read as Hisagoya).  If eating Western he would go to the Imperial Hotel, Chuo-tei, or Seiyoken in Tsukiji or Ueno.




4. What were Shibusawa Eiichi’s last words?

   According to the Shibusawa Eiichi denki shiryo (Shibusawa Eiichi Biographical Materials), Eiichi’s health stabilized on November 8, 1931 after a sudden illness.  The same day he is said to have told a group of important financial figures who visited him that “I have lived my life in good faith as an Imperial subject and a citizen of Tokyo.  I would like to continue to serve to the age of 100 but because of the illness and through no fault of my own I fear that this illness will be difficult to overcome.  Even if I pass away, however, I will continue to be with you in spirit to protect your projects and your health.  Please do not grieve but continue on the work we have begun.”




5. When and how did Shibusawa Eiichi die?

   On October 14, 1931 Eiichi underwent abdominal surgery for intestinal stricture of the large intestine at his home in Asukayama.  The surgery was performed by Professor Shioda Hiroshige of Tokyo Imperial University.  Eiichi’s health improved in early November but worsened again and he died on Wednesday, November 11, 1931.  He was 91 years old.




6. Where is Shibusawa Eiichi buried?

   The Shibusawa family grave is located in plot 11-1 of the Otsu section of the Tokyo Metropolitan Yanaka Cemetery.




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2. Eiichi the Entrepreneur
1. What happened to the First National Bank?

   The First National Bank (Dai-ichi Kokuritsu Ginko) was established in 1873 as Japan’s first commercial bank.  In 1896 it was renamed the Dai-ichi Bank, Ltd. (Kabushiki-gaisha Dai-ichi Ginko) and in 1943 it merged with the Mitsui Bank to form the Teikoku Bank.  In 1948 the Teikoku Bank was dissolved and the Dai-ichi Bank was re-established.  The Dai-ichi Bank merged with the Nippon Kangyo Bank in 1971 and was renamed the Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank.  In 2000 the Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the newly established Mizuho Holdings, Inc.  When Mizuho Holdings was divided in 2002, the customer and consumer affairs department merged with the Mizuho Togo Junbi Bank (‘Consolidation Preparation Bank,’ previously the Industrial Bank of Japan, or Nippon Kogyo Ginko).  The resulting bank was renamed Mizuho Bank and still exists under the same name today.  At the same time, the corporate department of Mizuho Holdings was transferred to the Fuji Bank, which then merged with the Industrial Bank of Japan (Nippon Kogyo Ginko) and became Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.




2. Was Shibusawa Eiichi really involved with 500 different companies?

   Eiichi is listed in the Shibusawa Eiichi jigyo-betsu nenpu (Shibusawa Eiichi Chronology by Industry) as having been involved with approximately 500 companies.  Roughly 360 companies are listed under the heading of “Companies” but this number rises to 500 when those companies that appear in the main text are also included.  Eiichi was involved with these companies not only as a founder, but in a range of roles including promoter, board member, advisor, and shareholder.




3. What happened to all the companies connected to Shibusawa Eiichi?

   We are currently undergoing research on the large number of companies related to Eiichi and the changes that these companies underwent.  Extrapolating from research into a sampling of companies, approximately sixty percent of the companies appear to have undergone mergers or nationalization and exist today in some form; twenty percent appear to have been dissolved or otherwise failed; and the remaining twenty percent are assumed to be no longer in existence as their fate is unclear.  A few companies, such as Tokyo Rope (Tokyo Seiko), Denki Kagaku Kogyo, Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, and Hokkaido Gas, retain their original name but most companies changed names over the years.
   For more detailed information please consult the Name Change Charts for Companies Related to Shibusawa Eiichi.




4. What was the last company with which Shibusawa Eiichi was involved?  The last organization?

   According to the Shibusawa Eiichi denki shiryo (Shibusawa Eiichi Biographical Materials), the last company established with Eiichi’s assistance was Japan Air Transport Company (Nihon Koku Yuso Kaisha), established on October 20, 1928.  Eiichi served as chairman of the founding committee but the role of president of the company was given to Nishino Keinosuke, not Shibusawa Eiichi.  Eiichi was involved in the establishment of many companies in this way, even though he may not have been involved in the direct management of the company after its establishment.
    
   According to the ‘Employment Chronology’ (Shokunin nenpyo) that was published in the Ryumon zasshi in December of 1931, Eiichi’s last involvement with a social/public organization was as promotion representative for the Sakashita Incident Commendation Committee (Sakashita Jiken Hyosho-kai) in October of that year.





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3. Terminology
1. What are aidama?

   Aidama, or ‘indigo balls’ are a natural dye made from the indigo plant (Japanese: tade-ai, Latin: persicaria tinctoria).  The cultivation of indigo plants and the production of indigo balls being separate processes, the first step in making indigo balls begins with the dye-producers purchasing indigo leaves from indigo farmers.  These leaves are then allowed to ferment for about three months before being pounded and formed into balls.  The region in which Shibusawa Eiichi was born and raised was a supply centre for the raw materials for the Bushu type of indigo dye. 




2. What does Seien mean?

   Seien was Shibusawa Eiichi’s penname and is written with the characters 青 (ao or sei, ‘blue’ ‘young’) and 淵 (fuchi or en, ‘deep pool’).  On December 24, 1929 Eiichi explained the meaning for his penname with the following explanation: “I was given my penname, Seien, by Ranko-sensei when I was 18 years old.  [Editor: Ranko-sensei is another name for Odaka Junchu, who was Eiichi’s cousin and teacher]  At that time there was a deep pool near my house so it was known as the ‘cabin above the deep pool’ (fuchinoue goya).  As a result I became known as ‘Seien.’”  When Eiichi told this story the deep pool no longer existed but there was said to be a spring in the same spot.




3. What was the Ryumonsha?

   The Ryumonsha originally began in 1886 as a study group for students lodging at the Shibusawa residence in Fukuzumicho, Tokyo.  The group was started not by Shibusawa Eiichi, but by the students themselves.  The name Ryumonsha was chosen by Eiichi’s teacher and cousin Odaka Junchu and the group was lead by Eiichi’s eldest son Tokuji.  At first the study group was for close friends but later on they set rules, began publishing a magazine called the Ryumon zasshi (now published under the title Seien), and began sharing their thoughts and opinions with society at large.  Members continued to turn to Eiichi for advice and guidance and membership increased over the years.  In 1924 the group was incorporated as a foundation.  Following the war, the foundation became the Shibusawa Seien Memorial Foundation – Ryumonsha and then in 2003 changed its name again to the Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation, under which name it continues to be active today.