Kōjirō Matsukata
Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons17

Kōjirō Matsukata

Japanese businessman

Kōjirō Matsukata (松方 幸次郎, Matsukata Kōjirō; January 17, 1865 – June 24, 1950) was a Japanese businessman who, in parallel to his professional activities, devoted his life and fortune to amassing a collection of Western art which, he hoped, would become the nucleus of a Japanese national museum focused particularly on masterworks of the Western art tradition. Although his plans were not realized in his lifetime, his vision is partly realized in Japan's National Museum of Western Art (NMWA) in Ueno Park, central Tokyo.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Kōjirō Matsukata (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Jan 17, 1865, died Jun 24, 1950.1

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedRutgers Preparatory School3
  • Date not recordedYale University3
  • Date not recordedRutgers University3
  • Date not recordedKōgyokujuku3
  • Date not recordedTokyo University3

Born in Satsuma, Kagoshima, Matsukata was the third son of the early Meiji period Finance Minister and genrō, Matsukata Masayoshi who was also Japan's fourth prime minister.

From Wikipedia’s article on Kōjirō Matsukata (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: businessperson, politician, entrepreneur, art collector.8

After being educated in the United States at Rutgers Preparatory School and studying at Rutgers University (where he was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity and a member of the freshman football team) Kōjirō Matsukata became president of Kawasaki Shipbuilding Company (Kawasaki Shōzō) in 1896. He then went on to become head of Kawasaki Dockyards from 1916 through 1923, which was the group's main company.

As such he led the expansion of shipbuilding activities, both commercial and military, and created various other businesses, including a major shipping line, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha also known as K Line.

These companies progressively evolved into a major global engineering and industrial conglomerate, which ultimately took the name of Kawasaki Heavy Industries in 1969.

The financial success he enjoyed in the early part of the century was later affected adversely by economic downturns in the 1920s and 1930s; but much of his art collection remained intact despite the collapse of his business interests.

From Wikipedia’s article on Kōjirō Matsukata (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornJan 17, 1865, Kagoshima9
  • DiedJun 24, 1950, Kamakura10
  • CitizenshipJapan11
  • SpouseYoshiko Kuki12

Awards

  • Date not recordedOrder of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd Class13

Sources

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