Aizō Sōma
Aizō Sōma | |
|---|---|
Azumino, Nagano, Japan | |
| Died | February 14, 1954 (aged 83) Tokyo, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, philanthropist, entrepreneur, social activist |
| Known for | Founding Nakamuraya Co., Ltd. |
| Spouse | Kokkō Sōma |
| Relatives | Rash Behari Bose (son-in-law) |
Aizō Sōma (相馬愛蔵, Sōma Aizō, November 8, 1870 – February 14, 1954) was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, patron of the arts, and advocate of Pan-Asianism in the Empire of Japan. He is known as the founder of Nakamura-ya, a noted bakery in Tokyo.
Biography
Sōma was born in a wealthy farming family in what is now
Azumino, Nagano. He came to Tokyo at the age of 17 in order to enter Waseda University in 1886, entering the Tokyo Professional College which had just been founded. His professors included Tsubouchi Shōyō and Tameyuki Amano. Later, he studied with Sokichi Tsuda, a Japanese historian who became a professor at Waseda University. During this time, he was also converted to Christianity by Uchimura Kanzō, and became friends with Taguchi Ukichi.[1]
He graduated in 1890, and travelled to
silkworms. He also founded a temperance movement in Azumino, which drew the wrath of locals for its aggressive approach against drinking and brothels.[1]
He also met with foreign missionaries, and established a local orphanage.
In 1898, married
Tokyo Imperial University.[1] He is credited with inventing the kurimu-pan, a bun with custard inside.[2] In 1909, he moved the shop to Shinjuku. He often hired foreigners or consulted with foreign residents in Japan for ideas on new products or new condiments to use in his bakery items.[3]
He also established a school to teach commercial morality and to improve on the service standards of his employees. The shop flourished, and he added a café and restaurant as well.
Sōma became a patron of the arts and literature by organizing a
Tsune Nakamura, and sculptor Rokuzan Ogiwara.[1]
Sōma also provided support to the pan-Asian movement, and his salon provided a convenient and confidential meeting place for politicians, including
Viceroy of India and attempts to organize an uprising against the British Raj
. Bose married Sōma’s daughter Toshiko in 1918.
Sōma died in 1954.
References
- ^ ISBN 3447040149. page 115-117
- ISBN 9780415323130. page 26
- ^ Nathan, Richard (12 March 2021). "Changing Nations: The Japanese Girl With a Book". Red Circle Authors. Archived from the original on 2021-03-12. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
External links
- [1] Aizo Sōma: Founder of Nakamuraya and a Great Shopkeeper
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