It measured 90 cm by 50 cm. One day about 400 years ago, in an age when samurai still ruled Japan, Sumitomo Masatomo (1585-1652) must have had complex feelings as he hoisted the heavy sign up on the front of his new Chinese medicine shop. And how could he have imagined that the raising of that sign
would come to mark one of the earliest origins of an industrial group so vast that it would become symbolic of the nation it grew up in?
At the age of 12, with the strong encouragement of his parents, Masatomo set out on the path of the Buddhist priest. He then had the fortuitousness to encounter a great mentor, the Master Kugen, who spent his life establishing the Nehan School of Buddhism. Masatomo became a disciple of Kugen and through his diligence and erudite habits, he rose to the top, where he assisted his teacher with the day to day work of spreading the teachings of their school.
But then the government moved abruptly to bring religious organizations under its tight control. As an added blow to Masatomo, soon thereafter his master suddenly passed away.
Ostensibly to ban Christianity, the rulers had issued their first seclusion edict, closing the country to outsiders for the first time in 1633; their real objective was to strengthen the feudal system. With the previous atmosphere of freedom gradually eroding away, these times must have been deeply troubling to Masatomo, who had spent 30 years of his life wholeheartedly working to spread his faith.
Ostensibly to ban Christianity, the rulers had issued their first seclusion edict, closing the country to outsiders for the first time in 1633; their real objective was to strengthen the feudal system. With the previous atmosphere of freedom gradually eroding away, these times must have been deeply troubling to Masatomo, who had spent 30 years of his life wholeheartedly working to spread his faith.
These events forced difficult choices on a man who had dedicated his whole life to a religious path. Masatomo was determined to continue spreading the teachings of his late master to ordinary people, but he also needed to support himself. Of all the different types of businesses available, his strong desire to relieve the suffering of even one other person led him to choose selling medicine and publishing.
Also in Kyoto, and not long after Masatomo was setting out on the path of Buddhism, the 19-year-old Soga Riemon (1572-1636) opened his own small copper business. He was thoroughly absorbed in finding a better way to refine copper. After hearing from foreign traders of a way to separate silver from copper, Riemon experimented over and over until he finally hit on a process-called nanban-buki (a method of refining copper by separating silver from copper)-that would mark an important advance in the history of Japanese mining and industry. With his mastery of this outstanding new technique, Riemon's reputation grew among his peers in the copper trade.
Riemon became close to Masatomo first through a family connection-he married Masatomo's sister-and then through faith-he was also a follower of the same Buddhist teachings. Riemon's son, Tomomochi (1607-1662), later assumed the Sumitomo family name when he was adopted through marriage with Masatomo's daughter, bringing the two families together into one. Tomomochi is the man who built the House of Sumitomo into a major merchant house.
Philosophically Tomomochi was strongly influenced by Masatomo, and evidence he left of this includes a copy of the Lotus Sutra that he had hand-copied.
Masatomo spoke to all his employees, starting with Tomomochi, about the proper attitude and principles that should guide people in the conduct of business. His words have been passed down to us today in many forms, including letters that he wrote. One example is the Monju-in Shiigaki, which Masatomo wrote late in life. The list of five precepts begins with the words, "You may think this goes without saying, but every act of work should be performed whole-heartedly and with consideration for others." It cautions against running after immediate profit, extols the virtue of steadfastness, and remonstrates against such things as quarrelling with others. Behind every item lies the influence of the Nehan School teachings that Masatomo dedicated his life to.
As these stories show, the history of Sumitomo begins with Masatomo as the founder of the House of Sumitomo and Riemon as the initiator of its larger business ventures. Four centuries later, many reasons can be cited for Sumitomo's resilience in withstanding the trials and tribulations it has faced over time. Many are the elements that have supported its development; but there is little doubt that a major one is the way generation after generation of Sumitomo employees have followed the guiding business principles set out by Sumitomo Masatomo.
In the "Sumitomo business spirit," his teachings are still alive and well.
EN