Abstract:
Between 1899 and 1904, Durham native Edward James Parrish lived in Japan as a representative for James B. Duke's American Tobacco Company. Parrish worked closely with the Murai Brothers Company Ltd., to improve production, financing, and marketing techniques for the tobacco company. In 1904, the Japanese Diet introduced and passed legislation that began government ownership of all tobacco manufacturing, Parrish was influential in the company receiving a good settlement with the government.