Birthplace of Iwasaki Yataro

Iwasaki Yataro was the founder of the Mitsubishi group and a successful businessman with a samurai background.
He was born on December 11, 1835, the son of an Jikaronin (former lower-ranked, rural samurai) class in in Ichinomiya, Inokuchi Village, Aki-gun, Tosa Province. His birthplace has been restored and is now open to the public.

This house was built around 1795 by Yataro's great-grandfather, Yajiemon, who as a samurai sold his shares in the township. The “Sangai-bishi” on the onigawara (decorative ridge-end roof tile) represents the Iwasaki family crest and can be seen on the storehouses stand on the west and rear sides of the house. This mark is said to be the origin for the current Mitsubishi mark, known as the "three diamonds."

Also, notice the stone arrangements in the courtyard surrounded by bamboo fences.
It is said that Yataro in his youth arranged these stones to represent his ambitious global dreams by imitating the shape of the Japanese archipelago.

The bronze statue of Iwasaki Yataro stands majestically to the east of his birthplace. The statue was built in 1985 marking the 150th anniversary of Yataro's birth and was moved to its current location in March 2015. His 3.3-meters-tall statue stands on a 1.64-meter-tall base.