Ichizō Kobayashi
Aside from theatrical activities, Kobayashi oversaw a number of creative entrepreneurial projects centered on the railway business that targeted ordinary consumers. He expanded the focus of his business from simply taking passengers from one point to another to include development of housing along the railway route and introduced Japan’s first mortgage system. He also opened the Hankyū Department Store at the railway’s Umeda terminal building in Osaka, with an affordable café on the top floor selling popular dishes like curry rice.