BookTitleToyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Summary

Toyota Tsusho 70-Year History

ColumnThe Many Businessmen Who Supported thePredecessors of Toyota TsushoIn addition to Sakichi Toyoda and his son Kiichiro and the first president of ToyotaKinyu, Risaburo Toyoda, the husband of Sakichi’s daughter Aiko, there weremany businessmen who helped to support the predecessors of Toyota Tsusho.There was Shotaro Kamiya, who convinced Kiichiro on the necessity of a financecompany; Tojiro Okamoto, who introduced Kamiya and Kiichiro, was involved inthe management of the company from the Toyota Kinyu and Toyota Sangyo eras,and became the first president of their successor company, Nisshin Tsusho; andlast but not least Akiji Nishikawa, a distant relative of Sakichi’s wife, Asako.Nishikawa supported Sakichi as a close friend especially when he was inShanghai.Upon returning to Japan, Nishikawa worked for Nisshin Tsusho. In 1950, when thecompany increased its capital, he was able to sell assets and contribute 21 millionyen to Nisshin Tsusho. He served as an auditor of Toyota Tsusho and later as aconsultant.Akiji NishikawaToyoda Boshoku Sho, ShanghaiColumnNagoya Commercial Academy Produced Many TalentedGraduates: Tojiro Okamoto, Shoichi Ishikawa, andShotaro Kamiya among ThemIt is impossible to talk about the people who graced the founding of ToyotaTsusho without mentioning the Nagoya Commercial Academy. Founded in 1884as the Aichi Prefecture Nagoya Commercial Academy, it was later transferred bythe prefecture to Nagoya-shi, and in 1901 it became the Nagoya City NagoyaCommercial Academy. In addition to Tojiro Okamoto, Nisshin Tsusho’s firstpresident, the academy produced many entrepreneurs, including Shoichi Ishikawa,the founder of Kasho, which would later merge with Toyota Tsusho; ShotaroKamiya; and others. Saburo Shiroyama, said to be a leading author of Japanesenovels set in the business world, was also a graduate.It is said that the reason the academy was able to produce so many excellentbusinessmen was largely due to the educational policies of Yoshiki Ichimura,who was the principal of the academy from 1897. His three-point policy for theacademy was as follows:? Gratitude to your society, teachers and parents!? Show your commercial spirit!? Have broad horizons to the world!The third point in particular,“Have broad horizons to the world!”was held in commonby Okamoto, Ishikawa, and Kamiya, and their qualities of high ethical standards anda grateful heart were cultivated while at the Nagoya Commercial Academy. Ichimuradug a pond within the academy grounds and created a concrete map of the worldwithin it, calling the pond Sekaigaike (World Pond). This is said to have inevitablycreated a awareness of the third policy within the studentsThe Nunoike School Auditorium of the NagoyaCommercial Academy, photographed around1907The Nagoya Commercial AcademyEducational Policy, as quoted in the Kasho Co.employee magazine:“Have broad horizons to theworld!”History45