Item number: X22

Year: AD 1945-1989

Material: Steel

Size: Box 165.0 x 80.0 x 97.0 / Key 45.1 x 16.3 mm

Weight: Box 561.85 / Key 5.3 g

Provenance: Private Collector, Japan, 2024

Based on the seller’s description, this steel savings box was a promotional gift provided to clients by Yamaichi Securities, one of Japan’s four major securities firms during the post-war Shōwa era. Yamaichi Securities ceased operations voluntarily in AD 1997.

This rectangular box features an elegant black paint finish, with gold-trimmed edges adorned with rivets on both sides. The top of the box includes a slot for inserting coins and bills, while the front prominently displays the business name “山一證券 M.I.クラブ” in Japanese kanji and katakana. The back side features the English text “M.I. CLUB MILLION DOLLARS,” symbolising the aspiration for clients to save up to one million.

On the bottom, there is a gold-coloured oval plate engraved with the box’s serial number, “80339.” The side of the box includes a keyhole, which can be unlocked with a small gold key to retrieve the savings stored inside.

In 1897, Koike Kunizo, an entrepreneur from Yamanashi Prefecture, founded a securities trading company named “Yamaichi” (山一), drawing inspiration from the family crest of his most admired local predecessor, Wakao Ippeita. Guided by the motto “Trust first, dedicated service, and shared prosperity with clients,” Yamaichi Securities provided financial services rooted in these principles. However, following the collapse of Japan’s economic bubble in 1989, Yamaichi Securities encountered substantial unrealised losses in its transactions during this period. To conceal these losses, the company established shell corporations and even engaged in covert “loss compensation” practises, whereby it used its own funds to cover stock price losses incurred by specific corporate clients.

In December 1996, Toyo Keizai Weekly journalist Kimura Shuya received insider information revealing the scale of the scandal. Investigations uncovered that Yamaichi had concealed losses amounting to an astonishing ¥260 billion, prompting intervention by Japan’s Ministry of Finance. On November 24, 1997, coinciding with the company’s centennial anniversary, Yamaichi Securities abruptly announced its voluntary closure, shocking the financial industry. The company was formally dissolved in 2005 after undergoing prolonged liquidation.

Subsequently, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) produced a documentary addressing this incident, delving into its causes and consequences. Additionally, in 2013, a novel depicting the experiences of Yamaichi Securities’ frontline employees following the company’s bankruptcy was adapted into a film titled The Last Stand. The story highlights the employees’ continued efforts to assist clients in resolving their financial issues despite the firm’s collapse, offering a human perspective on the aftermath of corporate failure.

物件編號: X22

年代: 公元 1945-1989 年

材質: 鋼

尺寸: 箱子 165.0 x 80.0 x 97.0 / 鑰匙 45.1 x 16.3 mm

重量: 箱子 561.85 / 鑰匙 5.3 g

來源: 日本私人收藏 2024

根據賣家描述，這一口鋼製儲蓄箱是日本戰後的昭和年間，於公元1997年宣告自主關閉的日本四大證券商之一「山一證券」提供給客戶的禮品。

這一口長方形的箱子以典雅的黑色彩繪，左右兩側各有一條帶有鉚釘的金邊。箱子頂部有一個供人投入零錢和鈔票的縫口，前側以日本漢字和片假名陳列商號「山一證券 M.I.クラブ」，後側則是英文「M.I.CLUB MILLION DOLLARS」期許存戶能存到一百萬這個目標。箱子底部有一個金色的橢圓形圓盤，上面打印這口箱子的發行編號為「80339」。箱子的側邊有一個鑰匙孔，能用一支金色的小鑰匙打開，從側邊倒出儲蓄在裡面的金錢。

公元1897年，出身於山梨縣的企業家小池國三，以他最為崇拜的同鄉前輩若尾一平家徽為靈感，將創立的證券交易公司命名為「山一」，並且以「信譽第一、竭誠服務、與客戶共享繁榮」為格言提供服務。然而在公元1989年，日本經濟狂飆的泡沫經濟破滅後，山一證券發現這段時間的交易出現浮虧問題，為了隱瞞相關的虧損，山一證券還成立空頭公司甚至私下幫特定法人客戶進行「損失補償」，即證券公司主動填補客戶的股價損失以隱瞞實情。最終在公元1996年12月，《東洋經濟》周刊記者木村秀哉收到內幕人士消息曝光整起事件，發現公司隱瞞的損失高達2600億日圓，促成日本掌管財政的大藏省介入調查。公元1997年11月24日，時值創業滿一百周年之際，山一證券無預警對外宣告自主關閉，並且於公元2005年正式解散。

後續「日本放送協會」(NHK) 針對這起事件拍攝相關的紀錄片，另外還有公元2013年，描述山一證券的基層員工如何在公司宣布破產後，仍嘗試幫忙客戶解決問題的小說改編影視作品《殿軍》。