After opening ports at the end of Edo period, trading between foreign countries was developing through Treaty Port Trade that foreign merchants had the initiative of commercial trade. They handled both import and export business. It meant that foreign currency earned by trade or even those obtained from Japanese products flowed out to overseas. Ichitaro Morimura (Ichizaemon Ⅵ) felt doubts about the exchange rate of Japanese gold, silver, and foreign currency. He made a resolution to start overseas trading by himself aiming to regain the wealth of Japan which had flowed out to overseas.

1876

Ichizaemon Morimura VI and his brother Toyo founded "Morimura Gumi" at Ginza 4-chome, Tokyo.

On March 10, Toyo sailed from Yokohama for America by the Oceanic.

In November, Toyo, Momotaro Sato and Chushichi Date established the retail store "Hinode Shokai" in a partnership at 6th Street, New York.

Left:Ichizaemon Morimura(left),IchizaemonⅤ(center),Toyo(right)
Right:Six people on the Oceanic.

Started the miscellaneous-goods retail trade which sold antiques, pottery, fans, and dolls, etc.

1878

Toyo started his own business and established "Hinode Shokai Morimura Brothers".

Exported Japanese antiques and miscellaneous goods.

1879

Yasukata Murai joined "Hinode Shokai Morimura Brothers" and worked as Toyo's right hand.

Morimrua Brothers(N.Y.)

In 1880(Meiji 13), the New York branch and London branch office of Yokohama Specie Bank, Ltd. started to deal with the documentary bills of exchange. Established basic structure of export-trade in Japan.

1881

Altered the corporate name "Hinode Shokai Morimura Brothers" to "Morimura Brothers".

Left:Morimura Gumi in Tokyo
Right:Record from the Meiji period, Kobe delivery order of exprot

Found out possibilities to export pottery and porcelainware, and shifted from retail to wholesale. Made improvements in materials and its elaborate decorations.

1882

Converted into wholesale from retail.

1885

Started Import Order (Orders were taken with samples and goods were directly delivered to a customer after six months or a year )

Left:Ichizaemon and Toyo
Right:Boxing work

Increased the sales share of pottery and porcelainware, which had one third share of those exported from Japan. Aimed at manufacturing of white high quality porcelain.

1892

Opened Sales Office in Nagoya which was the center of pottery industry.

Ichizaemon supported the establishment of Institute of Infectious Diseases by Shibasaburo Kitasato.

1895

Established Design Department in Morimura Bros.( Worked on design improvements of pottery and porcelainware.)

1896

Factories decorating pottery and porcelainware in Tokyo and Kyoto were collected to Nagoya (Completed in 1898).

1897

Established Morimura Bank (renamed Morimura Bank K.K. in 1924.)

1899

Established the institute in Nagoya office, and started manufacturing research of white hard porcelain.

Toyo Morimura died.

Left:Decorating work
Right:Design Catalogue

Morimrua Bank