Iida Shinshichi II

• Born: 1827
• Died: 1878/9/9
• Other Names: 上田直次郎 (Ueda Naojirou), 飯田新太郎 (Iida Shintarou)
• Japanese: 飯田新七 (Iida Shinshichi)

Iida Shinshichi II was the adaopted son (by marriage) of Iida Shinshichi I, the founder of Takashimaya, a Kyoto secondhand clothing shop which later developed into a major department store chain.

He was born and raised in Kyoto; his childhood name was Ueda Naojirô. In 1851, he married into the Iida family, taking the name Shintarô. He inherited the family business the following year, taking on his adopted father's name and becoming Iida Shinshichi II.

It is said that the business especially prospered under Shinshichi II, who adapted to the rapidly changing circumstances of the Meiji period, expanding the business, connecting up with suppliers and retailers in major cities across the country, hiring master embroiderers, purchasing additional real estate for the business to grow, and seeking high-end clients and foreign visitors. In addition to continuing to sell high-quality goods for low prices, he took part in art & industry exhibitions, and engaged in dealings in tapestries and other high-end textile art objects.

He had five sons. The eldest, Naojirô, took on the name Iida Shinshichi III, and oversaw operations of the family business with the help of his four brothers.

References

• Conant, Ellen. "Cut from Kyoto Cloth: Takeuchi Seihô and his Artistic Milieu." Impressions 33 (2012). pp75-76.
• "Iida Shinshichi (2-dai)." Asahi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten 朝日日本歴史人物事典. Asahi Shimbun.