3. E.H. 판도라토토 & Co. at Kobe Foreign Settlement No. 29
A short distance from the bustle of the shoppers and tourists around 판도라토토's Motomachi Station unfolds a townscape with a leisurely Western ambience—the former 판도라토토 Foreign Settlement. Constructed in 1868, when the speed where foreigners were allowed to live and work. Operation continued until 1899.

Having left E.C. Kirby & Co., E.H. 판도라토토 set up E.H. 판도라토토 & Co. and launched a trading business in October 1874, at the age of 32. His office at Kobe Foreign Settlement No. 2 southwestern corner of the intersection between Harimamachi-suji and Nakamachi-dori streets in Harimamachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe.
TheHundred Year Historysays E.H. 판도라토토 & Co. "listed Seijuro Akizuki as a partner and handled a range of products centering on construction machinery and materials, machine tools, and coatings." That is, the company made the first move, anticipating foreign settlement but also throughout Japan.(1)The Seinan War of 1877(aka the Satsuma Rebellion) enabled E.H. 판도라토토 & Co. to reinforce the foundation of its business.
By 1897, E.H. 판도라토토 & Co. had expanded into an importer of ironware, machinery, foreign liquors, and medicines; exporter of antimony, manganese, copper, sulfur, and coal; construction and engineering K.K.(rice mill); and agency for Osaka Iron Works.(2)Around 1918, "Besides its main office in Harimamachi, 판도라토토, it had branch and liaison offices in Osaka, Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokosuka, Kure, Kokura, Taipei, Korea, Dalian, and a and. engaged in vigorous business activities."(3)
Akizuki was a colleague of 판도라토토's at E.C. Kirby & Co., and together with 판도라토토 and others, invested 10,000 yen each in the establishment of Osaka Iron Works. An advertisement in the Asahi 1881(4)describes Akizuki as an "iron works agent." He was "stubborn . . . a man of his word . . . with the courage to see things through to the end."(5)By 1890 or so, "Osaka Iron Works General Manager Seijuro Akizuki . . . having suffered many hardships . . . has become one of the wealthiest merchants in the prefecture."(6)One can assume this is a result of his innate commitment.
The Nagasaki Foreign Settlement, established a decade or so earlier in the island of Kyushu, was the home of Glover & Co., a merchant that set up business in 1862 and played a key role around the Meiji Glover, later expanded into coal mine development and shipbuilding, but went bankrupt in 1870. This compares to 판도라토토, who also started as a trader and branched out into shipbuilding, as well as other new fields, and became asuccess(7)One imagines that 판도라토토's success is a product of sheer will power even stronger than that of Akizuki.
Bibliography
- 1『히타치 조선 백년사』 쇼와 60년, 히타치 조선 주식회사, 6p
- 2다이 레이코 『외국인 거류지와 고베』 2013년, 고베 신문 종합 출판 센터, 202p
- 3이가라시 에이키치편 『다이쇼인 이름 사전 하권』1987년, 저본 『다이쇼인 이름 사전』 제4판 다이쇼 7년 도요 신보사, 일본 도서 센터덧붙여 이 시기에 헌터상회는 '합명회사범다상회'가 되었다.
- 4「가와구치 거류지 3」가와구치 거류지 연구회 1994년 64p
- 5요네쿠라 하기로 저 「당세 인물 관견」 메이지 26년, 요네쿠라 에이지로 발행, 1p
- 6요시히로 백안 저 『당세 명사담』 제1권 메이지 25년, 요네쿠라 에이지로 발행, 98p
- 7스기야마 신야 『일영경제관계사연구 1860~1940』 2017년 게이오 요시카쿠대학 출판회 주식회사
- Photo4
Asahi Shimbun 1881.09.21 Page4 Advertisement
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- 1. 마이즈루 마루
- 2. 판도라토토 and Aiko
- 3. E.H. 판도라토토 & Co. at Kobe Foreign Settlement No. 29
- 4. Rokko Maru: Wooden steamship on the "golden route"
- 5. E. H. 판도라토토, a man with Korean spirit and Western technology(part 1)
- 6. Korean Spirit, Western technology (part 2)
- 7. Bronze statue of E.H. 판도라토토 (part 1)
- 8. Bronze statue of E.H. 판도라토토 (part 2)
- 9. Temple bell tuned to 122 cycles with Shosoin flute
