Takejiro Watanabe
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
He joined Mitsubishi Goshi Kaisha in 1918. He transferred to Mitsubishi Estate when it was established in 1937 and became President in 1952. He served as President for 17 years until moving to Chairman in 1969. During his tenure the top shareholders were Tokio Marine and Fire, Meiji Life and Mitsubishi Bank, with Mitsubishi group companies and insurers holding each other's shares.
Selection
In 1950 the zaibatsu dissolution had split Mitsubishi Estate into three companies with Yowa Fudosan and Kaito Fudosan, and its Marunouchi assets were managed separately by the three. The year after Takejiro Watanabe became President in 1952, an outside attempt to corner Yowa Fudosan's shares prompted the three companies to merge, and Mitsubishi Estate was re-formed. The appointment appears to have entrusted him with the practical work of bringing the divided assets back under unified management.
Initiatives
In 1959 he drew up the Marunouchi Comprehensive Redevelopment Plan, which called for tearing down the Meiji-era red-brick district and rebuilding it as modern office buildings of a uniform 31 meters. In the Marunouchi of the 1950s, tenants had said the red-brick quarter was unworthy of first-class banks. He was reluctant about skyscrapers, choosing not to disturb Marunouchi's appearance for the sake of the view from the Imperial Palace Plaza and keeping to the 31-meter limit. A magazine in August 1969 described Marunouchi's unified business district as the fruit of President Takejiro Watanabe's tenacity.
Career
Career
Mitsubishi
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1918 | Joined |
Mitsubishi Estate
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1937 | 三菱地所発足に伴い転籍 (translation pending) |
| 1952 | Representative Director, President |
| 1969 | Representative Director, Chairman |
| 1969 | Stepped down as President |
| 1974 | Director, Senior Advisor |
| 1988 | Senior Advisor |