Establishment of Tokio Marine’s New York Branch

Year: 1911

Tokio Marine, Japan’s first non-life insurance company, was founded in 1879. The company quickly expanded overseas and established business operations in New York, London, and Paris in 1880. In 1911, the company opened a branch in New York City on 3 South William Street (pictured). The following year, Tokio Marine opened sub-agencies in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Dallas, and New Orleans. Continued growth in the U.S. market allowed the company to start underwriting fire and auto insurance via its U.S. subsidiary “Standard Insurance Company of New York” (1922). In 1931, company chairman Kenkichi Kagami (1869-1939) was featured on the cover of Time magazine’s May issue (pictured). He was the first Japanese businessman on the cover of Time magazine and only the third Japanese citizen, following Marshal-Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō (1848-1934) in 1926 and Emperor Shōwa (1901-1989) in 1928.

Source: Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.
Added Date: 06/26/2022