1849 He was adopted by Kishi family who was merchant for cloth of kimono whose address is Nagaoka Omoteichinomachi
1854 He changed his business from cloth for kimono to importing goods.
1869 Starting of the Lamp Association meeting at Kishi’s house.
1878 Founded Rice trading company with Tetsuzo Suzuki in September started a bank business at 69th Bank with Magozaemon Sekiya, as Vice General Manager.
1879 Founded Nagaoka business company with Kametaro Endo and General Manger.
1886 Founded Hokuetsu Immigration Company with Okuzjiro Mishima
1887 Founded the Chamber of Commerce and Industry with Kyohachiro Nomoto.
1888 Founded Nippon Oil Company with Kenzaburo Yamaguchi
1891 Founded Thread manufacturing factory with Rokumatsu Watanabe
1895 Founded Hokuetsu Railway Company with Kenzaburo Yamaguchi, as auditing director.
1898 The President of 69th Bank and founded Nagaoka Refinery Company, as president
1899 Founded Nagaoka Oil Transporting company, was President.
1910 October
9th – died
A leader in the Nagaoka industrial business world in the Meiji Era.
His son Kichimatsu went to Texas in USA and succeeded as a pioneer in Japanese immigration. When Ukichi was near death, he urged Kichimatsu, who was relucant to leave his father, it is said that he told him, "don't delay even a day to get back to Texas."
[Hometown: The People of Nagaoka, Nagaoka City]
What's the Lamp
Association meeting?
After the Hokuetsu Boshin War of 1868, people
got together by a lamp to talk about the economy and the future of Nagaoka.
The lamp was a symbol of the meeting. Ukichi imported the lamp from
Europe through Yokohoma.
It is said that when the oil refined from liquids of the Echigo area was used, the light was bright, and thus "this is the symbol of western culture. If we study under this light, we can revamp out industry." Thus, started the "Lamp Association."
Ukichi
Kishi (third from left on top row)
Born as the 4th son of HeizoYamamoto at Kami Ogawa-Mae-Dori, Niigata-cho,
on 1839. Given name was Bunzo. He was adopted at age 11 (1850)
into the Kishi Family, a clothing merchant of Nagaoka. After the
Seisen War, due to the turmoil, the business was changed from that of
a clothing merchant to a textile merchant. As a merchant representative,
he participated in the establishment of the 69th National Bank, and became
its fourth president. He then begain his contributions to the development
of the Nagaoka business industry. He also contributed his effort
to the opening of the Hokuetsu Railraod and development of Hokkaido. The
contribution he made to business in Nagaoka is monumental.
Torasaburo Kobayashi is second from right on top row. (Kome Hyappyo)
Okujiro MIshima is second from right on bottom row. He founded Hokuetsu Immigration Company with Ukichi Kishi. He was co-establisher of the 69th Bank (1878) and the third president of the bank.
Kome Hyappo (100 Sacks of Rice) The story of "100 Sacks of Rice" became well known after it was mentioned by Prime minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2001.
Return to Kishi in Japan