Year Age Events in the Life of Shibusawa Eiichi 1840 0 Born in Chiaraijima (now part of Fukaya city, Saitama prefecture) on February 13th 1847 7 Studies the Chinese Classics with his cousin Odaka Junchu 1854 14 Applies himself to the family businesses of agriculture and the production and sale of indigo 1858 18 Marries his cousin Chiyo, Odaka Junchu's sister 1863 23 Plans to capture Takasaki Castle and to set fire to concessions in Yokohama but later cancels the plan and flees to Kyoto 1864 24 Enters the service of Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu with a recommendation from Hiraoka Enshiro 1865 25 Travels around Yoshinobu's domain to recruit infantry 1866 26 Yoshinobu inaugurated as shogun and Eiichi becomes a servant of the shogunate 1867 27 Visits France and other European countries as a member of Tokugawa Akitake's delegation to the Universal Exposition in Paris 1868 28 Returns from Europe because of the Meiji Restoration and goes to meet with Yoshinobu in confinement in Shizuoka 1869 29 Founds the Shoho Kaisho (the first joint-stock corporation in Japan) in Shizuoka Becomes chief of the Tax Bureau and of the Kaisei Kakari (Reform Office) Appointed chief of Tax Bureau in the Ministry of Civil Affairs Becomes chief of the Tax Bureau and of the Kaisei Kakari (Reform Office) of the Ministry of Civil Affairs 1870 30 Becomes officer in charge of the state-owned Tomioka Seishi-jo (Tomioka Silk Mill), Gunma prefecture 1871 31 Publishes "Ryukai Ryakusoku", an instruction manual on how to found a company Appointed to post of daijo in the Ministry of Finance Concurrently made head of the Currency Office in the Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance 1872 32 Becomes a Ministry of Finance official of the third rank Appointed to post of assistant minister (shoho) in charge of administrative affairs 1873 33 Resigns from the Ministry of Finance Becomes sokan-yaku (superintendent) of Dai-Ichi Kokuritsu Ginko (First National Bank) Founds Shoshi Kaisha (Paper Manufacturing Company) [later becomes Oji Seishi (Oji Paper Manufacturing Company) of which Eiichi becomes president] 1875 35 Becomes president of the Dai-Ichi Kokuritsu Ginko 1876 36 Becomes secretary general (later president) of Tokyo Yoiku-in, a welfare institution managed by Tokyo prefecture for orphans, elderly, and people with disabilities 1877 37 Founds and becomes president of the Takuzen-kai (later the Tokyo Bankers' Association) 1878 38 Becomes chairman of the newly founded Tokyo Shoho Kaigi-sho (Tokyo Chamber of Commerce) 1879 39 Named chairman of the Tokyo Committee to Welcome General Grant (18th President of the United States) 1880 40 Becomes a member of the newly founded Hakuai-sha [later Nippon Sekijuji-sha (Japan Red Cross)] 1881 41 Begins lecturing on Japanese finance at the University of Tokyo (lectures for three years) 1882 42 Wife Chiyo dies 1883 43 Marries second wife Kaneko Founds (later becomes advisor to) Osaka Boseki Kaisha (Osaka Spinning Company) 1884 44 Becomes board member (and later director) of Nihon Tetsudo Kaisha (Japan Railway Company) 1885 45 Nippon Yusen Kaisha (Japan Mail Shipping Company) founded (later becomes director) 1886 46 Ryumonsha established 1887 47 Founds (later becomes chairman of) Nihon Renga Seizo Kaisha (Japan Brick Manufacturing Company) Founds (later becomes chairman of) Teikoku Hoteru (Imperial Hotel) 1888 48 Founds (later becomes chairman of the board for) Sapporo Biru Kaisha (Sapporo Brewery Company) Becomes auditor (later president) of the newly opened Tokyo Jogakkan School for Young Ladies 1889 49 Becomes committee member (later chairman) of Tokyo Ishikawajima Zosen-jo (Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipyard Company) 1890 50 Named to the Kizokuin Giin (House of Peers) 1891 51 Becomes committee chairman for the newly founded Tokyo Tegata Kokanjo (Tokyo Clearing House) 1892 52 Becomes director (later chairman) of the newly established Tokyo Chochiku Ginko (Tokyo Savings Bank) 1894 54 Becomes chairman of Tokyo Gasu Kaisha (Tokyo Gas Company) 1895 55 Becomes auditor (later advisor) for the newly formed Hokuetsu Tetsudo Kaisha (Hokuetsu Railway Company) 1896 56 Becomes director of the newly established Nihon Seito Kaisha (Japan Sugar Refining Company) Establishes Fukaya Ginko (Fukaya Bank) [later Dai Hachiju-go Ginko (85th Bank)] Dai-Ichi Kokuritsu Ginko becomes Dai-Ichi Ginko (Dai-Ichi Bank) 1897 57 Founds Shibusawa Soko-bu (Shibusawa Warehouse Department, later Shibusawa Warehouse Company) 1900 60 Granted title of Baron 1901 61 Becomes auditor (later president) of the newly opened Nippon Joshi Daigakko (Japan Women's University) Moves main house to Asukayama, Tokyo 1902 62 Visits the United States and Europe and meets with President Theodore Roosevelt 1904 64 Long recovery period after complications from a bad cold 1906 66 Founds (later becomes advisor for) Keihan Denki-tetsudo Kaisha (Keihan Electric Railway Company) Founds (later becomes advisor for) Meiji Seito Kaisha (Meiji Sugar Manufacturing Company) 1907 67 Founds (later becomes chairman of) Teikoku Gekijo Kaisha (Imperial Theatre Company) 1908 68 Honorary Commercial Commissioners of the Chambers of Commerce of the Pacific Coast of the United States visit Japan 1909 69 Resigns from management of many companies and organizations Visits the United States as the head of the Honorary Commercial Commissioners of Japan and meets with President Taft 1910 70 Becomes vice-chairman for the newly established Seisan Chosa-kai (Production Investigation Committee) 1912 72 Becomes committee chairman emeritus for the New York Nippon Kyokai Kyosan Kai (New York Japan Society Cooperation Association) 1913 73 Becomes vice-president (later president) of the newly founded Nippon Kekkaku Yobo-kai (Japan Tuberculosis Prevention Association) Becomes president of the newly founded Nippon Jitsugyo Kyokai (Japan Business Association) 1914 74 Becomes advisor to the newly established Chu-Nichi Jitsugyo Kaisha (Sino-Japanese Corporation) and visits China to establish business alliances 1915 75 Travels to the Panama Canal Opening Exhibition Meets with President Wilson 1916 76 Resigns presidency of Dai-Ichi Ginko and other companies thereby removing himself from many business circles Nichi-Bei Kankei Iinkai (Japanese American Relations Standing Committee) organized 1917 77 Becomes vice-president emeritus of the newly founded Nichi-Bei Kyokai (Japan - U.S. Society) 1918 78 Writes and edits Tokugawa Yoshinobu Ko Den (A Biography of Lord Tokugawa Yoshinobu) 1919 79 Becomes vice-president of the newly founded Kyocho-kai (Cooperation Society), a society aiming for cooperation between capital and labor 1920 80 Becomes president of the newly founded Kokusai Remmei Kyokai (League of Nations Association of Japan) Becomes president of the newly founded Nikka Jitsugyo Kyokai (Sino-Japanese Business Association) Promoted to rank of Viscount 1921 81 Visits the United States to devise measures to quell anti-Japanese feeling and meets with President Harding 1922 82 Organizes a celebration for the 75th birthday of Thomas A. Edison 1923 83 Becomes vice-president of the newly founded Dai-Shinsai Zengo-kai (the Post-earthquake Reconstruction Association) 1925 85 Founds Nihon Musen Denshin Kaisha (Japan Wireless Telegraph Company) 1926 86 Becomes council chairman for the newly established Nippon Taiheiyo Mondai Chosa-kai (Japan Institute of Pacific Relations) Becomes advisor for the newly established Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) 1927 87 Founds and becomes president of the Nippon Kokusai Jido Shinzen-kai (Japan International Children's Friendship Society) 1928 88 Founds Nippon Koku Yuso Kaisha (Japan Airlines) 1929 89 Becomes chairman of the newly founded Chuo Mojin Fukushi Kyokai (Central Association for Welfare of the Blind) 1930 90 Becomes honorary member of the Nippon Keizai Remmei (Japan Economic Federation) 1931 91 Dies on November 11th, at his Asukayama residence, Tokyo back to top