Sumitomo Masatomo (住友政友)
Masatomo SUMITOMO (December 31, 1585 - 1652) was a merchant in the Edo period. He was the first head of the Sumitomo family. He was a son of Masayuki SUMITOMO. The SUMITOMO family considers Masatomo who established the SUMITOMO merchants as the founder of the family, and Riemon SOGA who developed the copper-refining technique, Nanban-buki as the founder of the business.
Masatomo, the founder of the family. Kojiro Masatomo SUMITOMO, the family's founder, was born in Maruoka, Echizen Province, and became a Buddhist priest at the age of 12. Masatomo's father was originally a vassal to Katsuie SHIBATA, but became a ronin (masterless samurai) following his lord Katsuie's death at Kitanosho-jo Castle in Echizen Province due to lost battle against Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI. Masatomo then parted from his father who lived a secluded life, and went to Kyoto with his mother and older sister, where he became a Buddhist priest of a new sect called Nehanshu, recieving teachings from the founder Kugen Shonin. Having entered the Buddhist priesthood, Masatomo helped the founder of the sect and became one of his high disciples. However, due to the Tokugawa shogunate's religious interference, the Nehanshu was oppressed, and Monjuin Kuzen (Buddhist name of Masatomo after entering the priesthood) was exiled to Sakura City in Chiba Prefecture. Several years later, Masatomo returned to Kyoto after the death of Kugen Shonin, only to find the sect was already extinguished by being absorbed into a group of the Tendaishu sect. Finding it impossible to convert to the Tendaishu sect, Masatomo became a common citizen; he changed his name to 'Kakyu FUJIYA', and opened a shop of medicines and books called 'Fujiya' in Kyoto. However, he kept the spirit of priesthood, and warned his descendants to run the business honestly and carefully, avoiding chasing easy money or being careless.
Masatomo explained these principles of merchants in his book "Monjuin Shiigaki" (Warnings by Monjuin), whose teachings became the Sumitomo family's precepts and have been handed down to the present day as 'the Sumitomo Spirits.'
In 1882, "Sumitomo Kaho" (Precepts of Sumitomo) consisting of 19 parts and 196 articles was established, and the third article of the first part, Family Precepts, says as follows.
"The business should be run securely, adjusted in accordance with the changing circumstances and financial state, and should never be run carelessly by chasing easy money."