Happy Women's Map 兵庫県 日本初芸能プロダクション創業者 吉本 せい 女史
「笑わせなあきまへんで」
"Let's make them laugh"
吉本 せい 女史
Ms. Sei Yoshimoto
1889 - 1950
兵庫県 明石市 生誕
Born in Akashi-city, Hyogo-ken
吉本せい女史は吉本興業（現・吉本興業ホールディングス）創業者。大坂はじめ京都・名古屋・東京に「笑い」をもたらした女性。
MS. Sei Yoshimoto is the founder of Yoshimoto Kogyo (now Yoshimoto Kogyo Holdings), who brought laugh to Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, and Tokyo.
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「花と咲きほこるか、月と陰るか、全てを賭けて」
せいは兵庫県明石市東本町で太物屋（木綿と麻の織物商）の12兄弟の次女して生まれます。せいが幼い頃に一家で大阪に移り米穀商をはじめると、せいの愛嬌と気転の利いた店番で大繁盛します。彼女は米升に親指を突っ込んで計量して客に渡す米を減らして一握り元に戻しながら「これはおまけね」。小学校を卒業するとせいは12歳から商売名人の米穀仲買人・島徳蔵宅のもとで女中奉公しながら、花嫁修業はじめ商売について学びます。22歳のとき両親の進めで荒物問屋（家庭用の雑貨店）主人・吉本吉兵衛（泰三）と結婚します。夫の泰三は家業をほったらかしでひいきの芸人に入れあげて金を浪費、自分でも芝居や剣舞に凝って舞台に上がったり地方巡業に加わったり、多大な借金を抱えて店は倒産します。「そないに芸事がお好きやったら、ふたりでコヤを持ちまへんか？」そんな中で夫の泰三は経営不振で倒れた寄席を購入する話をつけてきます。せいはあちこちを奔走してお金をかき集めますが、舞台に上がる落語家は一人も見つかりません。すると泰三は「浪花落語反対派」を主催する岡田政太郎と提携、ものまね・音曲・剣舞・曲芸・講談・軽口・怪力・琵琶・義太夫など無名の大道芸人を集めて舞台に上げます。入場料は他の寄席の半額以下、さらにせいの愛嬌と機転の利いた店番で大繁盛、泰三は次々に経営不振の寄席を買収していきます。
「女今太閤」
１９１３年日本で最古の芸能プロダクション「吉本興業部」を設立します。せいは芸歴問わず芸人発掘に努め、公衆便所にまで待ち伏せして人気のある真打を獲得。火事や水害が起きると芸人をボランティアに送り出し宣伝に努め「ヨシモトが来ましたで」、関東大震災では焼け野原を探し歩いて東京の芸人を慰問して大阪の舞台に呼びます。大阪・京都・名古屋・横浜・東京に寄席小屋を広げる中、夫・泰三が愛人宅で急死、35歳のせいは実弟の正之助に経営を執らせます。せいは山口組興行部・山口登の仲介で浅草の浪花家興行社・浪花家金蔵と交渉、二代目広沢虎造の興行権・映画出演権を獲得します。続いてせいは大阪府議会議長・辻阪信次朗の協力を要請、アメリカの「マーカス・ショー」を招聘します。さらにせいは阪急電鉄・小林十三の「P・C・L映画製作所」「東宝映画配給株式会社」と提携、映画制作に乗り出します。安来節、漫才、ラジオ、映画、雑誌、ショーでファンを開拓していきます。46歳の時に辻阪信次朗が脱税汚職容疑で逮捕されると、彼に多額の寄付をしていたせいも逮捕されます。信次朗の獄中死により事件が終結すると、以後せいは経営から身を引いて慈善事業また経営不振の大阪のシンボル・通天閣の買収にお金を投じます。せいが後継者として溺愛して育てていた息子・穎右が亡くなるとせいも3年後に死去します。
``Bloom with the flowers, or shade with the moon? I'll bet everything.''
Sei Yoshimoto was born as the second daughter of a textile merchant specializing in cotton and hemp fabrics in Higashihonmachi, Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture. When Sei's family moved to Osaka and began a rice and grain business, her cheerful personality and quick thinking as a shopkeeper led to great success. "This is a bonus" she said, sticking her thumb into the rice measurer and measuring out less rice to give to the customer, then adding back a handful. After finishing elementary school, she started working as a maid at the home of a skilled rice merchant named Tokuzo Shima, where she learned about business and also underwent training for her future role as a bride. At the age of 22, Sei married Yoshimoto Kichibei (Taizaburo), the owner of a general store. However, her husband's fondness for supporting entertainers and wasteful spending led to financial difficulties and the eventual bankruptcy of their shop. "So, since you like performing arts, why don't we own a Koya (Playhouse) ?" Despite these challenges, Sei worked tirelessly to recover their fortunes. She played a key role in the establishment of the "Kōdōkai" entertainment group, where she collaborated with Osamu Okada, the organizer of the "Naniwa Rakugo Opponents' Association," to gather various lesser-known street performers and create successful shows. With Sei's charm and business acumen, these performances became highly popular, and her husband Kichibei started acquiring struggling theaters one after another.
"the most Powerful Women"
In 1913, she co-founded "Yoshimoto Kōgyōbu," Japan's oldest entertainment production company. Sei actively scouted for comedians regardless of their artistic background, "A comedian who costs money is not necessarily a master". Sei strives to discover comedians regardless of their background, and even ambushes them in public toilets to acquire popular Shinuchi. When a fire or flood occurs, Sei dispatches comedians as volunteers to promote, ``Yoshimoto is here.'' After the Great Kanto Earthquake, Sei walks through the burnt-out Tokyo to visit entertainers and invite them to perform on stage in Osaka. As the company expanded its theaters in Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Yokohama, and Tokyo, Sei's husband Kichibei passed away suddenly due to his extramarital affairs. At the age of 35, Sei handed over management to her younger brother, Seinosuke. Sei, through the mediation of Yamaguchi-gumi's Entertainment Division and Yamaguchi To, negotiated with Naniwaka Kogyosha and Naniwaya Kinzo in Asakusa, acquiring the performing rights and film appearance rights of the second-Hirosawa Torazo. Furthermore, Sei collaborated with Hankyu Railway's Kobayashi Juusan to form partnerships with "P.C.L Film Production Company" and "Toho Film Distribution Co., Ltd.", venturing into film production. She also brought various entertainments like Yasukibushi, manzai (comic dialogue), radio, movies, magazines, and shows to broaden her fan base. At the age of 46, when Tsujibana Shinjirō, the chairman of the Osaka Prefectural Assembly, was arrested for tax evasion and corruption, Sei, who had been contributing large donations, was also arrested. After Shinjjiro's death in prison, the incident came to an end. Following this, Sei stepped back from business operations and began to invest in philanthropic activities and the acquisition of the financially struggling symbol of Osaka, the Tsutenkaku Tower. When her beloved son Eiichi, whom she had nurtured as her successor, passed away, Sei herself passed away three years later.
-吉本興業 Yoshimoto.co.jp
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