Background
Businessman. Founder of the Nozawa Gumi Company. Son of Unokichi (Usai), a retainer of the Yoshida Clan in Mikawa Province (Aichi Prefecture) government planned to replace the feudal clans with prefectural government, determined to become a merchant. In 1871, he opened a store dealing in Western goods at Kyobashi in downtown 'l'okyo and later engaged in foreign trade.
At the time, Japanese merchants, ignorant of frading procedures, were at tbe mercy of foreign traders and had to give a large part of their profits to intervening brokers. Genjiro negotiated with foreign. traders and abolished the evil custom and established the No zawa-Gumi Company.
