Yamanaka Shinroku

Yamanaka Shinroku was the founder of the Konoike family, a large Osaka family of merchants founded in the village of Konoike.

Yamanaka established a sake brewery in Konoike but later he moved to Osaka and supplied Edo with sake, which he transported by boat. He made his sake from rice which he purchased from samurai, daimyo, and hatamoto. Yamamoto produced increasing quantities of sake and he became extremely wealthy. His family continued the brewing business but they also diversified into money-lending, banking, and insurance.