This article examines international transactions related to steam locomotives at the beginning of the twentieth century while focusing on Japanese trading companies. In particular, it considers in detail how Japanese trading companies acquired the knowledge and know-how of locomotive trading to carry out their business transactions through a case study of Okura & Co.'s New York branch office. The analysis highlights the following three factors that supported Okura's locomotive trade in New York: first, the company took advantage of business opportunities by collecting information through networks of Japanese contacts in New York and local experts; second, it utilised social and technological infrastructure, including international communication lines, transportation, and financial systems, as key fundamentals of its overseas activities; third, a former oyatoi (hired foreigner) played a critical role as its consulting engineer. In particular, the overseas activities of Japanese trading companies drew heavily on formerly hired foreign engineers, whose technological knowledge and networks became an essential route of knowledge transfer in cross-regional commercial management. These will contribute to the evolution of history related to the starting points of global activities of Japanese trading companies.

中文翻译：

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美国和日本之间的贸易机车：二十世纪初的大仓公司

本文考察了 20 世纪初与蒸汽机车相关的国际交易，重点关注日本贸易公司。特别是，通过对大仓工业株式会社纽约分公司的案例研究，详细探讨了日本商社如何获得机车贸易的知识和技术来开展业务。分析强调了以下三个因素支持了大仓在纽约的机车贸易：第一，该公司通过日本在纽约的联系人网络和当地专家收集信息来利用商机；其次，它利用社会和技术基础设施，包括国际通信线路、交通和金融系统，作为其海外活动的关键基础；第三，前任亲人（聘请的外国人）作为其咨询工程师发挥了关键作用。特别是，日本商社的海外活动大量依赖以前聘用的外国工程师，他们的技术知识和网络成为跨地区商业管理知识转移的重要途径。这些都将为日本商社全球活动的起点相关的历史演变做出贡献。