Hirano Matajuro
| Birth Place | Kakezuka, Ryuyo-cho |
|---|---|
| Birth | December 17, 1853 |
| Death | March 8, 1928 |
Overview
Hirano Matajyūrō expanded the savings association he established in 1879, Dōshin Enryōkō, into one of the most important bank in Enshū area, Enshu Bank, in 1920.
Biography
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 1853 | On December 17, he was born as the sixth son of Hayashi Bunkichi who ran a shipping agency in Kakezuka, Ryuyo-cho. |
| 1869 | He went to studied under Okamura Yoshimasa, the governor of Hyogo then. |
| 1874 | He worked at the Kobe branch of Onogumi, a major merchant house at the time, as a bookkeeper. |
| 1875 | He returned to his hometown. |
| 1877 | He was adopted by Hirano House. |
| 1879 | Establishment of Dōshin Enryōkō. It didn't only handle savings but also researches and spiritual trainings. |
| 1883 | Establishment of Eisei Shakai in Kibune. |
| 1884 | Foundation of a trading company in Maisaka called Maisaka Seien Shōsha. |
| 1885 | A bank in Denma-cho, Seien Ginkō, was established with Hirano as the president. |
| 1892 | An association with him, Kinpara Meizen, and more as a member established a freight company, Tenryu Unyu. He became its director. |
| 1896 | Being inspired by Kinpara, he undertook afforestation in the northern mountain in Hamamatsu |
| 1902 | He established a company called Hirano Shadan. |
| 1909 | Hamamatsu Saihō Jogakkō (a private girls' school which is now Gakugei HS) was established with Nakamura Mitsuko as the principal by his donation. |
| 1913 | Seien Bank merged with Hamamatsu Bank, the bank ran by Nakamura Seiichi. |
| 1920 | The bank merged with Shisan Bank and became Enshu Bank. |
| 1926 | Enshu Bank expanded large as it merged with Tōtōmi Bank and Hamamatsu Bank. |
| 1928 | He passed away on March 8. |
Personality
He had a wife, two sons and two daughters.
He handled social or public service quietly and never tried to seek for publicity.
He despised alcohols and parties.
He liked Japanese poems (waka and haiku), paintings, Japanese Archery, gō (a Japanese board game), and reading historical stories.
He walked around Gosha Shrine every morning for health.
He also liked to play the fue (Japanese bamboo flute) and was especially good at playing the songs for festivals in Kakezuka.
He learned how to drive car when he was almost 50 and recommended his family to do so too.
He asked for his workers to value everything including a paper and a pen. When there were miswriting or miscalculations, they had to research until they figured it out why it happened.
His wife, Ishiko, was a philanthropist.
Reference
"Enshū Ijinden Daiikkan" (Stories of Great Figures of Enshū vol.1)