Otohiko Hara

Otohiko Hara (原乙彦, Hara Otohiko, January 1, 1925 – April 9, 2018) was a Japanese corporate executive.Formerly Otohiko Yabashi, which family has the known pediree record dating back to Saga Genji, branch line of Emperor Saga . Former Chief Executive Officer of Unitika Trading (UNITIKA TSUSHO LTD.). One of the first Japanesebusinesspersons who lead Nichibo (later Unitika) to the first overseas expansion of Japanese corporations after World War Ⅱ.

Otohiko Hara [ja] was born in Akasaka-juku (Nakasendō), Gifu as the third son of Jiro and Kinu Yabashi, a distinguished family that Emperor Shōwa officially visited in 1946. Jiro Yabashi was Audit & Supervisory Board Member of Juroku Bank (See also Tom and Jerry#Outside the United States to know Juroku Bank) and Kinu Yabashi (née, Yasui) is the older sister of Kizo Yasui.

Otohiko Hara graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University. While in the University, he joined the seminar of professor Rintaro Aoki  [ja], leading figure of Japan Accounting Association [ja].

Under the conscription system for university-students during World War Ⅱ called Gakuto shutsujin (学徒出陣), he joined Imperial Japanese Navy, following Vice-Admiral Minoru Tayui [ja], called "Head like a Hammer",who was from the same Akasaka-juku (Nakasendō) as Otohiko Hara was and graduated from the Naval Academy summa cum laude (See List of Imperial Japanese Navy admirals, 5th Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)#Commanders of the IJN 5th Fleet and Maizuru Naval District#List of Commanders to know Vice-Admiral Minoru Tayui). During the War Otohiko Hara was in Manchuria and the War ended when he was lieutenant of Imperial Japanese Navy.

Due to the long-term relationship with the Koderas, family of Karō of Finance at Ōgaki Domain since before Meiji Restoration, especially Seizo Kodera [ja], head of the Koderas who later became Audit & Supervisory Board Member ofAmagasaki Spinners (later Nichibo, Unitika), Yoshikazu Kodera [ja], professor at Kwansei Gakuin University, known for his house designed in a Spanish style by William Merrell Vories, and Gengo Kodera [ja], former president of Nichibo, he came to marry Yuhiko Hara and became the adopted child of 8th Jin-no-jo Hara  [ja] by changing his family name, who was also involved in the management of cotton spinning company like Seizo and Gengo Kodera for a long time.

After the special procurement boom in Japan brought by Korean War coming after World War Ⅱ, he was appointed overseas representative ofNichibo. Then it was the age of Propeller (aeronautics). He had to fly to Brazil by making international connections in many cities at that time and to start from scratch, residing in São Paulo with his wife, Yuhiko Hara, and his son, Hideroku Hara [ja], to lay the foundation for Nichibo (Unitika)'s starting up activities overseas ahead of other Japanese corporations, for instance, by joining Club Athletico Paulistano, the oldest sports and social club in Brazil, for building up a network of connections. In 1958 Nichibo Brazil was established as the first overseas expansion of Japanese corporations after World War Ⅱ with the financial support of The Sumitomo Bank when Kichihei Hara [ja], who promoted volleyball actively at Nichibo's Kaizuka factory, which influenced the sports policy of Kaizuka City, and was later awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure in June, 1975 for long-term distinguished service was the president of Nichibo then.

In 1960 when Otohiko Hara resided in Brazil, All-Japan Women's Volleyball National Team whose members were mostly Nichibo volleyball team players doing clerical work at Nichibo from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., called Witches of the Orient [ja] led by Hirobumi Daimatsu [ja] who was also working for Nichibo then after graduating from Kwansei Gakuin University , became politician later, and still remains in the people's minds as "Demon Daimatsu", participated in FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship held in Brazil, visited him and encouraged each other. Then Japan won second place. The first place was Soviet Union.

On October 1, 1969 Nichibo and Nippon Rayon merged and Unitika Co., Ltd.was formed. Later he became the president of Unitika Trading.

He died in April 9, 2018.

• grandfather - Keikichi Yabashi (born in Akasaka-juku (Nakasendō), Landed property owner, director of Akasaka Bank〈later Juroku Bank〉)
• grandfather - Kizo Yasui (born in Hikone, Shiga, entrepreneur in Meiji Era, nicknamed Kōshō Chōchō［Commercial College Town Mayor］because he was elected Town Mayor of Hikone Town against his will while he was in Tokyo to negotiate the establishment of Hikone Commercial College〈now, the Faculty of Economics, Shiga University〉and resigned his post of the Town Mayor of Hikone when he saw new-facility construction of Hikone Commercial College)
• father - Jiro Yabashi (born in Akasaka-juku (Nakasendō), Audit & Supervisory Board Member of Juroku Bank (See also Tom and Jerry#Outside the United States to know Gifu-based Juroku Bank)))
• mother - Kinu Yabashi (formerly Kinu Yasui, born in Hikone, Shiga, sister of Kizo Yasui)
• adoptive father - 8th Jin-no-jo Hara  [ja] (born in Osaka, Absentee business owner, Landed property owner, director of Ise Shrine Revered Board)
• spouse - Yuhiko Hara (born in Osaka, second daughter of 8th Jin-no-jo Hara  [ja])
• uncle - Kizo Yasui (born in Hikone, Shiga, Chairman of Toray Industries, vice-chairman of Nihon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), 4th chairman of audit committee of Japanese National Railways, general manager of Tokyo Metropolis of Ise Shrine Revered Board)
• relative - Kenkichi Yabashi  [ja] (born in Akasaka-juku (Nakasendō), architect, bureaucrat ofMinistry of Finance, known for the construction of National Diet Building. See List of Japanese architects#Pre Meiji period,Meiji period (1868–1911),Taisho Period (1912–1925),Showa Period (1926–1945) to know him)
• distant relative - Ikutaro Tokoro (born in Akasaka-juku (Nakasendō), formerly Ikutaro Yabashi, a doctor practicing Western medicine and also a patriot in the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate, well-known as the doctor who saved the life of Inoue Kaoru severely wounded by the attack of the assassins and the staff officer of Takasugi Shinsaku)