Shōjirō Ishibashi (石橋 正二郎, Ishibashi Shōjirō, February 1, 1889 – September 11, 1976) was a Japanese businessman who founded the Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest maker of tires,[1] in 1931 in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. the company was named after its founder: in the Japanese language, ishi means "stone" and hashi (here voiced to bashi) means "bridge",[1] whence the origin of the company's name in English.[1]
Shōjirō Ishibashi | |
|---|---|
| 石橋 正二郎 | |
 Shōjirō Ishibashi in 1952 | |
| Born | February 1, 1889 |
| Died | September 11, 1976 (aged 87) Kyoto, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation | Founder of Bridgestone Corporation |
| Relatives | Kunio Hatoyama (grandson) Yukio Hatoyama (grandson) |
After the end of the Second World War and the subsequent occupation of Japan, Ishibashi became extensively embroiled in Japanese politics. Ishibashi was close to Ichiro Hatoyama, who was a rival to prime minister Shigeru Yoshida.[2] Ishibashi became an advisor to Hatoyama on Japan's post-war economic development, expressing his views on the economic policy of the parties of Hatoyama's political affiliation.[3]
Ishibashi's daughter, Yasuko Hatoyama, became heir to Ishibashi's considerable fortune and has used the inheritance to fund her family's political causes.[1] She married former Japanese Foreign Minister Iichirō Hatoyama.[1] The couple had two sons, who are Ishibashi's grandchildren – politicians Kunio Hatoyama, who served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Yukio Hatoyama, who was Prime Minister from September 16, 2009, to June 8, 2010.[1][4]
Ishibashi's motto for Bridgestone was to "serve society with products of superior quality". He founded Ishibashi Cultural Center and the Bridgestone Museum of Art (also located at 10 Kyobashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104) and was a major benefactor of the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, having also constructed the building in which it is housed.
Prince Motor Company
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Ishibashi made sure of birth and the end of the Prince Motor Company.[5][6]
- February 1949 – Ishibashi financed the Tokyo Electric Car Company (one of the successors of the Tachikawa Aircraft Company) and became the Chairperson of the Board.
- November 1949 – Tokyo Electric Car changed its name to Tama Electric Car Company.
- November 1950 – Tama Electric Car ordered the new gasoline engine from the Fuji Precision Industries (one of the successors of the disbanded Nakajima Aircraft Company).
- April 1951 – Ishibashi bought most of the stock of the Fuji Precision Industries and became the Chairperson of the Board. At this time, Ishibashi owned both Tokyo Electric Car and Fuji Precision.
- November 1951 – Tama Electric Car changed its name to the Tama Motor Company.
- November 1952 – Tama Motor Company changed its name to the Prince Motor Company.
- April 1954 – Prince Motor Company was merged into Fuji Precision. (Prior to this, two of them were owned by Ishibashi.)
- February 1961 – Fuji Precision returned its name to Prince Motor Company again.
- May 1965 – Ishibashi (the owner of Prince), Hidehiko Ogawa (the president of Prince) and Katsuji Kawamata (the president of Nissan) signed a merger memorandum.
- August 1966 – Prince was merged into Nissan.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Takahashi, Kosuke (August 29, 2009). "Japan on the brink of a new era". Asia Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Saunavaara, Juha (2011). "Triangle of Power, Relations between the Occupation Authorities, Conservative Politicians and Behind-the-Scenes Financiers in Postwar Japan". Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies.
- ^ Saunavaara, Juha (2011). "Triangle of Power, Relations between the Occupation Authorities, Conservative Politicians and Behind-the-Scenes Financiers in Postwar Japan". Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies.
- ^ "Japan's PM Yukio Hatoyama resigns". BBC News. June 2, 2010.
- ^ 『プリンス自動車の光芒』 桂木洋二著 グランプリ出版 22 October 2003 KATSURAGI, Yoji (2003), "The Beam of Light of the Prince Motor Company", Grand Prix Book Publishing Co., Ltd., (Japanese) ISBN 4-87687-251-1
- ^ 『「プリンス」荻窪の思い出 II』荻友会編 私家版 16 November 1997 "Prince – Memories of Ogikubo" Private press by Tekiyukai Association, November 16, 1997 (Japanese)