Owada Shoshichi II was born as Yamamoto Kamejiro. “Shoshichi” was the name given to him by the Owada family after they adopted him.Kamejiro was born in 1857 in a pharmacist’s family. As he suffered from weak health, he did not attend elementary school. However, he studied mathematics by himself and wished to be a mathematician. He was able to attend school for the first time when he was 15 years old in 1872.

The opportunity to change his life came in 1878. Kamejiro got married to Masuko the daughter of Owada Shoshichi I, and in 1887, Kamejiro got the name of Shoshichi. Later, he became Owada Shoshichi II. Shoshichi established the Owada Bank in 1892. At the same time, Tsuruga began to develop as a modern port town, and in 1884, the railway started operating in Tsuruga. Later, in 1899, the port was designated as an international trading facility.

The policies of Owada Bank made it attractive to customers. The bank loaned money to its customers at a lower interest rate compared to other local banks in the Hokuriku area. It installed a telephone system ahead of other banks to speed up work, and the bank was known for being kind to customers. Owada Bank opened branch offices in Osaka and Kanazawa, and in 1918 it changed into a joint-stock bank.

In 1927, Shoshichi inaugurated the second main office, which currently houses the Tsuruga Municipal Museum. While the building was damaged in a bomb in attack 1945, it was not destroyed completely. Just after World War II, the office was commandeered by the US Army. After Owada Bank was merged into another bank, the office building was used by other local banks, such as Sanwa Bank and Fukui Bank.

Shoshichi contributed not only to Owada Bank but also to the local economy of Tsuruga. He helped in establishing the Tsuruga Chamber of Commerce and Industry to boost the rope and straw mat sector.

Shoshichi spent his later life in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, and he passed away in 1947.