Osamu Ebihara belongs to the older generation of Japan's Wnancial executives, not yet an endangered species list, but maybe heading that way within a generation as the Wnancial revolution begins to bite. He is one of the breed of bright Wnancial executives who joined a company for life, literally. After graduating from the elite Tokyo University, Ebihara joined Mitsubishi Corporation, where he rose to be the finance director with a seat on the main board. Now 64, he "retired" from the board a few years ago but is still very much a company man.
He keeps an office in the trading company's Tokyo headquarters in Marunouchi. More important, he continues to collect a regular director's pay cheque from Mitsubishi and will do so until he is 70.
He is actually far from retired. Besides his Mitsubishi office, he has two others he uses regularly. He is administrator of Nippon Asset Management, which took over what was left of the bankrupt Japan Leasing Corporation when GECC bought the leasing business and name. He is adviser to Japan Tobacco and also advises foreign companies, including Phoenix Securities and Simon Murray. Whatever money he earns from his other work is handed over to Mitsubishi.