Takatoshi Mitsui(1622`1694)
Mitsukoshi and Sakura Bank.
Takatoshi Mitsui was a founder of present Mitsukoshi and Sakura Bank. He was a business magnate of the Edo era.

In the Edo era, the biggest merchandise was dry-goods. Dry-goods dealers brought their goods to the house of Bushi (warrior) or Daimyo (feudal lord) and sold them there. Dealers collected the money for goods only two times a year, Bon (the Buddhist All Souls' Day) and the year-end. Naturally there are considerable risks in this business. To cover these risks, high margin was added to the goods. However, Takatoshi Mitsui invented a new way of business in which goods, even waste pieces were sold for cash at reasonable prices.

He was born in Matsuzaka, Mie Prefecture. He went to Tokyo at the age of fourteen and worked at his brother's store. Then, he set up his own business and became an agent of Echigoya (famous dry-goods dealer in those days). He also started the financial business in Kyoto, Edo (Tokyo), and Osaka. He established the head office in Kyoto. By selling dry-goods at low price, "honest price for cash", he could rapidly expand the business. And at last, he could become a purveyor to the Shogunate in financial services.

He had a unique policy for business. He did not like to make undue profit nor make profit by taking advantage of people's weakness. He only took reasonable margin. He also considered an eternity and continuity of the company very important. He thought hard for his family business to continue forever. With his efforts, his family business, "Mitsui Echigoya" continued for fifteen or sixteen generations. And it became the origin of present



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