Omura Hikotaro was the founder of Shirokiya, a lumber, textiles, sundries, and dry goods store which survives today as a modern department store.
Background
He was left an orphan at the death of his father, Magoemon, in his infancy. When his uncle, Michisuke Miwa, became the sales agent for Lord Kanamori of the Hida Clan of lumber in his domain, Hikotaro sold lumber in the Kyoto-Osaka area for his uncle and amassed a fortune.
Education
After the death of his father Doyo, he and his brother Saburô were raised within their mother's family, but by the age of 17 or 18, Hikotarô was already running a lumber store in Kyoto. In addition to lumber, he sold a number of other goods, including brocade fabrics, he called his shop "Shirokiya" (lit. "white wood shop") and as a result, came to be known himself as Shirokiya Hikotaro.
Career
In 1662, Hikotaro opened a sundries store on Nihonbashi-dori in Edo. For about 20 years, he worked to ensure the financial security of his children, heirs to his business, by expanding the business. He began dealing more in fabrics and garments, becoming a "dry goods" store.
Hikotaro died in 1689, but his business lived on, eventually developing into a major modern department store chain in Japan.