yaz

The Mitsui Memorial Museum Exhibition "Takatoshi Mitsui and Echigo-ya"
(From August 28, 2023)

Since Mitsui Echigoya opened in 1673 (1673), it has been 350 years since 2023 (2023). To commemorate this, the Mitsui Bunko and Mitsui Memorial Museum holds the special exhibition "Takatoshi Mitsui and Echigoya - Business and Culture during the foundation of the Mitsui family" from June 28 to August 31, 2023. (This exhibition was introduced by the blog name "Zurushi" on July 5th, but the viewpoint of interest is different from me, and the exhibition period remains less than a month, so I will introduce it again.)

Takatoshi Mitsui (Takatoshi Mitsui) (1622-94), the founder of the Mitsui Group. At the age of 52, he opened a kimono shop "Echigo-ya" and overturned the business customs at that time with the commercial law of "no cash value". Takatoshi and children have succeeded in various groundbreaking commercial laws and developed their business. The exhibition introduces a part of this epoch-making commercial law.

The Mitsui family collected a lot of tea utensils because they were focusing on cultural activities such as tea ceremony as well as the development of their business, but they were exhibited at this exhibition.

In addition, historical materials that you do not usually see, such as Mitsui's House Law "Sousujiku Archives Sochikusho" and thick management books, are also exhibited, and businesses, culture, and religions from the founding period to the growth period are displayed in an easy-to-understand manner.

 

 

The main drawing of the Edo Main Store "Echigo-ya"

Exhibition "Takatoshi Mitsui and Echigo-ya" at the Mitsui Memorial Museum Exhibition "Takatoshi Mitsui and Echigo-ya" (held until August 28, 2023) of the Edo Main Store "Echigo-ya"

A picture of Edo Honten, a kimono shop in Edo of Echigo-ya. It is a three-dimensional model that is called a wake-up picture. It introduces rare materials that show the layout of departments inside the building and the partial appearance at the same time. The Edo Main Store gradually expanded its site, and the floor plan was renovated, and gradually shaped.

 

Excerpts near Echigo-ya from "Edonoshita Town Restoration Map"

Excerpts near Echigo-ya from "Edonoshita Town Restoration Map" Mitsui Memorial Museum Exhibition "Takatoshi Mitsui and Echigo-ya" (held until August 28, 2023)

I purchased a book "Takatoshi Mitsui and Echigo-ya" printed on the exhibits at this exhibition. Among them, I would like to introduce the most interesting "Edo Main Store Honbu Drawing Map".

The Echigoya Edo Honten had a frontage of 36 (approximately 65m) during the Tenpo era (1831-1845), and there were only a few kimono shops of the same size, such as Daimaru and Masuya Iwaki in Kojimachi. In the revised "Edo-noshita-cho Restoration Map" published by the National Museum of History and Folklore in April 1989, the B-2 part (Chuo-ku History Map Nihonbashi Edition P/118) shows Echigo-ya, so it will be attached. In the center of the figure, there is an area surrounded by the "Echigoya Range", but beside it is marked with names such as Hachiro Echigoya and Hachirobei Echigoya, so you can know the size of the store .

[References]

1)“Edo Head Office Main drawing” 1832 (1832):　Published in 2023 by Takatoshi Mitsui and Echigoya, Mitsui Memorial Museum

2)　Edo-noshita-cho restoration figure Kaei 7 (1854):　Excerpt from Chuo-ku history map collection