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Chapter 04. As Manager |
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Chubei Kobayashi not only took every opportunity
to participate in a wide range of business activities, undertaking
numerous business ventures, but also made both tangible and intangible
efforts in order to contribute to the business world as a whole.
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records remain of the businesses in which Chubei was involved, including
chrysanthemum cultivation, printing press management, publication
of the newspaper and advertisement vehicle "Eisei Seidai Shimbun (Grand
Health News)" and publication of "Aitei Tushin", a philanthropic journal.
Those records have been scattered, and the only certain ventures are
businesses such as contemporary hotel management.
Initial editing of the "Eisei Seidai Shimbun" was by Mr. Kitao, a
journalist at the time with the "Nagoya Shimbun", by Fusagoro, and
by Mr. Tokuzo Hayakawa, of the cosmetics shop in Oosu Monzen cho.
Regarding "Aitei Tushin", the initial and final date of publication
of "Aitei Tushin" as well as the facts surrounding its publishing
house, the Aitei Tushinsha (Aitei Tushin Co.) are unclear, and only
two issues of the magazine have survived, those published in November
1926 and January 1927.
Aitei Tushinsha was located at 2-32 Kyo-machi Hori, Nishi-ku, Osaka.This
was the location where Kobayashi Daiyakubou was to later relocate
from Hiranomachi. Articles in the January 1927 issue of the "Aitei
Tushin" included, among others:
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The pros and cons of establishing a license
system for the list price of nonprescription medicine, a major
contemporary issue in the nonprescription medicine industry
(a conversion with Kichitaro Kobayashi, president of Kobayashi
Daiyakubou) |
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Health issues (by Dr. Keijiro Yamamoto, professor
in the department of dentistry at Nihon University) |
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The opinions of individuals in the nonprescription
medicine industry with respect to contemporary issues in the
nonprescription medicine industry (including Mr. Jiro Sakagami,
the young master of Kioumaru Hompo, Mr. Asajiro Kaminishi, the
master of Okinamaru Hompo, and others) |
It is evident from a look at the contents that
this magazine was not intended as a promotional or advertising vehicle
for Kobayashi Daiyakubou.It provided public disclosure of the ingredients
of medical goods with a substantial impact on the vicissitudes of
the industry. It dealt honestly with list price licensing systems,
provided light reading material and industry gossip, and also discretely
provided information on Kobayashi Daiyakubou events.
In an age preceding the mass media, surely it was a rare thing from the standpoint of societal and philanthropic activities for a magazine to be published either independently by volunteers or through discussion with peers. Yet, Chubei was a businessman, not a philanthropist.
It was a tender period, when Japanese society as a whole was still
young. Most likely there was a feeling that the totality of Chubei's
thinking and intent were not being conveyed simply through establishing
dialogue with society via the medium of business activity.Data is
scant and it is impossible to avoid speculation. It seems true however
that the magazine was the embodiment of Chubei Kobayashi's inherent
knowledge and sensibility, and his attempt to contribute to the development
of the business world.There was undoubtedly a sense of righteous indignation
at the disregard and unfair treatment in the opinions and requests
of those in the pharmaceutical industry. |
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