Conglomerates and Corporations: The Industrial Legacy of Meiji Japan

In conjunction with the MFAH exhibition 'Meiji Modern: Fifty Years of New Japan'

Unknown Artist, 'Kamon Album,' 1872, Stencil print in colors with gouache, mounted in an accordion book with brocade covered hardcover Museum purchase funded by the Director’s Accessions Endowment, 2021.10, Courtesy of Sumin Park

Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Schedule

Thursday, August 29, 2024
6 p.m. Reception
7 p.m. Discussion

The Meiji Era (1868–1912) saw rapid modernization efforts in every aspect of Japanese life, with the Meiji government heavily investing in industries that led to the creation of conglomerates or "zaibatsu" that would go on to lead the Japanese economy. During this time, industrialist Iwasaki Yatarō founded a shipping firm that set the foundation for Mitsubishi Corporation. Today, Mitsubishi Corporation is a global integrated business enterprise that has expanded far beyond its traditional trading operations to include project development, production, and manufacturing operations. It is the largest comprehensive trading company in Japan, with global business operations contributing to industry growth in Texas and the United States.

Join the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Japan-America Society of Houston, and Asia Society Texas in exploring the historical importance and continued economic impact of zaibatsu and the Meiji Era. Former Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas) and Mitsubishi International Corporation President, CEO, and current Managing Director of the Toyo Bunko Museum Yasuyuki Sugiura will be joined in conversation by Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's Asian Art Curator Dr. Bradley Bailey.

About the Moderator

Dr. Bradley Bailey has served as the inaugural Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Curator of Asian Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston since 2017. He has earned his B.A., M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in art history, as well as his M.B.A., with emphasis on nonprofit management and museums from Yale University. In addition to Meiji Modern, his current projects included an exhibition of Zen paintings form the Gitter-Yelen Collection (co-curated with Professor Yukio Lippit, Harvard University) that ran at the Japan Society in New York from March 8 to June 16, 2024.

About the Speaker

Mr. Sugiura Yasuyuki has been serving as Managing Director of Toyo Bunko (The Oriental Library) since June 2017. After graduating from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo, he joined Mitsubishi Corporation in 1978. He began his career in the steel related business and then served as the General Manager of the company’s Washington D.C. office from 1998 to 2003. He later assumed the position of President and CEO of Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas) from 2013 to 2016. He now serves as an advisor to the company. During his time at Mitsubishi Corporation, he worked for a total of 15 years in the U.S. with three stints in New York as well as one in Springfield, OH, and one in Washington D.C. In 2016, he was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University’s Asia Center for one year and now is a member of its International Advisory Board. He also serves as one of the panelists for the United States-Japan Conference on Cultural & Educational Interchange (CULCON). He is one of the panelists for the final selection of the Tsinghua University’s Schwarzman Scholars MBA Program. He also sits on the boards of several listed companies in Japan.

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Asia Society Texas Business & Policy Programs are endowed by the Huffington Foundation.

Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Bank of America, Muffet Blake, and ExxonMobil. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, The Brown Foundation, Inc., and Houston Endowment Inc. Generous funding provided by bp America, Inc, Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Regions Bank, and Stephanie and Frank Tsuru. Additional support is provided by the Friends of Asia Society, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.

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About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.