title: Hokuriku Tales vol.3

Summary

A book of five stories about Fukui, Ishikawa and Toyama with useful data vol.3

The wealth Kitamaebune accumulated helpedbuild a modern JapanFather of Fushiki Port Modernization: Nozo FujiiThe huge capital that was formed through Kitamaebuneled to the founding of Western-style businesses and themodernization of the Japanese economy.Nozo Fujii (1846 ? 1913) is called the“Father of FushikiPort Modernization,”because he built the Fushiki PrimarySchool and Fushiki Weather Station and promoted themodernization of the Port of Fushiki. Born the first son of ashipping magnate family called“Notoya”in Etchu (presently,Fushiki district, Takaoka city), he sensed the advent of anew age when he visited Kobe in his early twenties andsaw the port bustling with many steam ships from foreigncountries. Fushiki Port in those days, though still important as a favorite port ofcall for Kitamaebune, was shallow and there were many grounding accidents.Working together with his fellow countrymen, Fujii completed the portimprovement project and approached Yataro Iwasaki, President of MitsubishiKisen, the biggest maritime transport company in Japan at the time. Hesucceeded in negotiations, and Mitsubishi steamships started to serve FushikiPort in 1875 (the 8 th year of Meiji). In 1883 (the 16 th year of Meiji), Fujii used hisown money to construct the Fushiki Weather Station in an effort to prevent thewreckage of incoming and outgoing ships. The weather station is still in activeservice today, though it has been relocated twice and renamed the“TakaokaFushiki Weather Museum.”Fushiki Weather Station, is Japan’sfirst private weather station. Thepresent building (now called theTakaoka Fushiki Weather Museum)was built in 1909 (the 42 nd year ofMeiji).Chapter I History of Hokuriku Kitamaebune --- the coasters that moved Nippon forwardFinancial King: Zenjiro YasudaSince the beginning of the Meiji Era, Toyama has produced a number ofJapan’s business leaders including the founders of new companies. They maywell have inherited the DNA of Kitamaebune ship owners/merchants, inventorsand travelling salesmen of medicine and other entrepreneurial ancestors. Oneoutstanding figure is Zenjiro Yasuda (1838 ? 1921) who founded the Yasudazaibatsu, one of the Big Four business conglomerates in pre-WWII Japan alongwith Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo. Yasuda is sometimes referred to as a“financial king”because he founded the Yasuda Bank (present-day MizuhoFinancial Group) and life and non-life insurance companies.Born a son of a low-rank samurai of the Toyama Domain, Yasuda made hisway up first as a money exchange shop owner and built the giant Yasudazaibatsu in his lifetime. Although he was committed to austerity and humbleness,he was not hesitant to invest huge amounts of money in the persons and projectshe was convinced of.The Yasuda Auditorium, a monumental building on the main campus of theUniversity of Tokyo today, was donated by Zenjiro Yasuda. Until his death,however, this and other donations he made were not publicly known, becauseYasuda believed that contributions must be an act of discreet virtue, not an actto win praise or fame.A statue of Zenjiro Yasuda at theentrance of Meiji Yasuda LifeInsurance Toyama Building infront of Toyama railway station.On the second floor is a ZenjiroYasuda Memorial Library where hismemorabilia is on display.Hokuriku Tales vol.3 7