Table of Contents
Matazaemon NakanoMatazaemon Nakano

Matazaemon Nakano VI

Entrepreneur Who Persevered
Through Turbulent Times

1888-1960 (Aged 72)

INTRODUCTION

Matazaemon VI incorporated Nakano Sumise and became its first president. With an indomitable spirit and proactive stance, he persevered through turbulent times, including the Great Depression, the Great Kanto Earthquake, World War II, and its chaotic aftermath.

1888-1960
Matazaemon Nakano VI
Table of ContentsEntrepreneur Who Persevered Through Turbulent Times
CHAPTER 01 Establishing Nakano Sumise Co., Ltd.

When Matazaemon V passed away in 1919, his son Kozo became the head of the family at the age of 31. As a boy, Kozo would spend time at the vinegar shop, performing odd jobs such as mopping the floor alongside new hires who stayed at the main residence. This reflected Matazaemon V's educational policy, which was to ensure his successor had a firsthand understanding of the hard work performed by the staff.

After studying at Keio University, Kozo returned to Handa in 1911 and took on a management role in the Nakano family business. At the time, many major businesses were reorganizing into modern corporations. Nakano Sumise, which had begun to expand nationwide, could no longer remain an unincorporated business. In 1923, it became Nakano Sumise Co., Ltd. This marked an end to the traditional management style and the beginning of the company’s transformation into a modern organization.

CHAPTER 02 Recovering from the Great Kanto Earthquake

However, the early days of the newly incorporated Nakano Sumise were anything but smooth. Just two months after the incorporation, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck the greater Tokyo region on September 1, 1923. It destroyed the Marusu Limited Partnership plant, the company's production base in the region. Many customers were also left devastated, including Nakai Shoten, the exclusive distributor for the area. However, the company recovered quickly, and the following year, the Marusu Limited Partnership plant was reopened as the Nakano Sumise Oshima Branch Plant. The Tokyo branch was set up in the city center as a base for the new authorized dealer system, and the whole company came together to develop new routes into the Tokyo and Kanto markets. Meanwhile, the main store in Handa also suffered damage from a fire at Handa Plant 1 in December 1923. The crisis was overcome by operating Handa Plants 2 and 3 and the Amagasaki Plant at full capacity.

Head office at the end of the Taisho period (1920s)
CHAPTER 03 Resuming production quickly after WWII

In the Showa era (1926-1989), Matazaemon VI strengthened sales in the Kansai region and beyond, using the Osaka Branch as a base. He also expanded sales channels to Taiwan, Korea, and mainland China.

In 1941, Japan entered the Pacific War. Due to the tightening of wartime controls, sake lees (a by-product of sake brewing necessary for brewing sake lees vinegar) became difficult to obtain. So, in 1942, Matazaemon VI established the Nakano Biochemical Research Institute to develop new raw materials. Although Japan took heavy damage during World War II, the main factories in Handa and Amagasaki managed to escape destruction. This enabled production to resume quickly. Just ten days after the war ended, Nakano Sumise began hiring new employees. The company swiftly navigated the post-war turbulence by adhering to a people-centric management policy, which included rehiring all former employees who returned from military service.

Matazaemon VI lived through a truly turbulent period in Japan’s history. However, his tenacity was not the only reason he was able to endure such challenging times. The colleagues who used to clean the shop with him in his childhood also shared his drive to rebuild and support Nakano Sumise.

Left: Mizkan vinegar labeled as a purveyor to
the Imperial Household Agency
Right: Promotional poster (1930s)