Hitachi Zosen Corporation
Encyclopedia
is a major Japanese industrial and engineering corporation. It produces waste treatment plants, industrial plants, precision machinery, industrial machinery, steel mill
process equipment, steel structures, construction machinery, tunneling machines, and power plants. Despite its name, Hitachi Shipbuilding no longer builds ships, having spun this business off in 2002.
to develop the Japanese steel-making and shipbuilding industry
. Hunter had come to Japan in 1865 and had established the Onohama Shipyard in Kobe
before moving to Osaka and establishing a new shipyard at the junction of the Nakatsu and Aki rivers which could construct ships of under 1000 tons displacement. His first vessel, the Hatsumaru was launched in 1882. Hunter intended to build a company which was completely self-sufficient, and also produced engines, boilers, bridges and irrigation equipment.
An additional facility was established downstream on the Aji river at Sakurajima in 1900 to handle construction of vessels larger than 1000 tons. The first oil tanker
built in Japan, the 531 ton Tora maru was launched in 1908, for Standard Oil Company.
Another shipyard was constructed at Innoshima, Hiroshima
in 1911. Hunter changed his name to "Hanta" in 1915 after marrying a Japanese woman, and after transforming the company into a joint stock company
, turned it over to his son, Ryutarō Hanta in 1915. The company continued to prosper, adding the Bingō Dockyard in 1919, Harada Shipbuilding Works in 1920, Hikojima Dockyard in 1924. Many of the iron bridges in Osaka and surrounding areas were designed and built by Osaka Iron Works. The company also began to expand into equipment for hydroelectric power plants in 1924.
The company was re-organized in 1934, coming under the overall control of the Nissan zaibatsu
, and was renamed as K.K. Nihon Sangyō Osaka Tekkoshō.
While most of the lucrative contracts for naval warships for the Imperial Japanese Navy
went to Osaka Iron Work’s competitors, the company did build a large number of smaller auxiliary vessels such as minesweepers
, landing craft
, transport submarine
s and was involved in the conversion of old merchant ships for military use. Hitachi Zōsen also built the Kumano maru
, a transport aircraft carrier
, at its Innoshima works in 1945. During World War II
, the Osaka Iron Works expanded by opening a new shipyard at Kanagawa and acquiring the existing Mukaishima shipyard in 1943. It also changed its name to Hitachi Zosen Corporation in 1943.
After the surrender of Japan
at the end of World War II, under the SCAP
's economic democratization policy (dissolution of the zaibatsu
and large business enterprises), the company was spun out from Hitachi, Ltd.
in 1947. Since then Hitachi Zōsen has been independent from Hitachi or the Nissan Group
although it is still a member of the Shunko-kai and Shunko Kowa-kai. Hitachi Zōsen quickly restarted operations as a builder of fishing vessel
s and coastal transports. By 1955, Hitachi Zōsen had emerged as one of the largest shipbuilders in Japan. The company also expanded into other markets. In 1957, as part of a technical cooperation with B&W Diesel in Denmark
, Hitachi built the world’s largest diesel engine
. It also completed its first turn-key overseas plant project with the completion of a chemical fertilizer plant for India
in 1964. In the shipbuilding field, Hitachi began to specialize in ever larger sizes of oil tankers, pioneering in methods for computer assisted design and modular, automated construction techniques. Hitachi acquired another shipyard, Maizuru Heavy Industries, in 1971 and opened a new shipyard at Ariake in Kyushu in 1973.
However, the global oil crisis of 1973 with its consequent reduction in ship demand resulted in financial difficulties for the company. Hitachi Zōsen, with over 50% of its revenues from ships was hard hit by the cancellation in orders for supertankers and attempted to survive by turning to oil rig
s, oil storage facilities, and steel structures, pipes and bridges. However, with rising material costs and losses due to fixed price contracts, high overhead and redundant facilities meant that the company had to restructure from the 1980s. By 1988, the company employed only 5,596 workers, down from 24,660 ten years earlier.
The company also made strong efforts to diversify away from the shipbuilding roots, expanding especially into industrial and municipal waste disposal facilities. However, its boldest move was in October 2002, when it sold its shipbuilding operations to a new joint venture with NKK Corporation (now JFE Holdings) called Universal Shipbuilding Corporation.
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
process equipment, steel structures, construction machinery, tunneling machines, and power plants. Despite its name, Hitachi Shipbuilding no longer builds ships, having spun this business off in 2002.
History
Hitachi Zōsen's origins go back to April 1, 1881, when British entrepreneur Edward H Hunter established in OsakaOsaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
to develop the Japanese steel-making and shipbuilding industry
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
. Hunter had come to Japan in 1865 and had established the Onohama Shipyard in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
before moving to Osaka and establishing a new shipyard at the junction of the Nakatsu and Aki rivers which could construct ships of under 1000 tons displacement. His first vessel, the Hatsumaru was launched in 1882. Hunter intended to build a company which was completely self-sufficient, and also produced engines, boilers, bridges and irrigation equipment.
An additional facility was established downstream on the Aji river at Sakurajima in 1900 to handle construction of vessels larger than 1000 tons. The first oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
built in Japan, the 531 ton Tora maru was launched in 1908, for Standard Oil Company.
Another shipyard was constructed at Innoshima, Hiroshima
Innoshima, Hiroshima
was a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.On January 10, 2006 Innoshima, along with the town of Setoda, from Toyota District, was merged into the expanded city of Onomichi....
in 1911. Hunter changed his name to "Hanta" in 1915 after marrying a Japanese woman, and after transforming the company into a joint stock company
Joint stock company
A joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
, turned it over to his son, Ryutarō Hanta in 1915. The company continued to prosper, adding the Bingō Dockyard in 1919, Harada Shipbuilding Works in 1920, Hikojima Dockyard in 1924. Many of the iron bridges in Osaka and surrounding areas were designed and built by Osaka Iron Works. The company also began to expand into equipment for hydroelectric power plants in 1924.
The company was re-organized in 1934, coming under the overall control of the Nissan zaibatsu
Zaibatsu
is a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed for control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period until the end of World War II.-Terminology:...
, and was renamed as K.K. Nihon Sangyō Osaka Tekkoshō.
While most of the lucrative contracts for naval warships for the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
went to Osaka Iron Work’s competitors, the company did build a large number of smaller auxiliary vessels such as minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
, landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
, transport submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s and was involved in the conversion of old merchant ships for military use. Hitachi Zōsen also built the Kumano maru
Kumano Maru
was a landing ship with flight deck built for the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Launched and completed in early 1945, the ship saw no significant action.-Construction:...
, a transport aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
, at its Innoshima works in 1945. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Osaka Iron Works expanded by opening a new shipyard at Kanagawa and acquiring the existing Mukaishima shipyard in 1943. It also changed its name to Hitachi Zosen Corporation in 1943.
After the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
at the end of World War II, under the SCAP
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
's economic democratization policy (dissolution of the zaibatsu
Zaibatsu
is a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed for control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period until the end of World War II.-Terminology:...
and large business enterprises), the company was spun out from Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi
Hitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...
in 1947. Since then Hitachi Zōsen has been independent from Hitachi or the Nissan Group
Nissan Group
Nissan Group , or formerly Nissan zaibatsu, is one of 15 of Japan's most powerful business groupings. Founded in 1928 by Yoshisuke Aikawa, the group was originally a holding company created as an offshoot of Kuhara Mining Co., which Aikawa had taken over as president of from his brother-in-law,...
although it is still a member of the Shunko-kai and Shunko Kowa-kai. Hitachi Zōsen quickly restarted operations as a builder of fishing vessel
Fishing vessel
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing....
s and coastal transports. By 1955, Hitachi Zōsen had emerged as one of the largest shipbuilders in Japan. The company also expanded into other markets. In 1957, as part of a technical cooperation with B&W Diesel in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Hitachi built the world’s largest diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
. It also completed its first turn-key overseas plant project with the completion of a chemical fertilizer plant for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1964. In the shipbuilding field, Hitachi began to specialize in ever larger sizes of oil tankers, pioneering in methods for computer assisted design and modular, automated construction techniques. Hitachi acquired another shipyard, Maizuru Heavy Industries, in 1971 and opened a new shipyard at Ariake in Kyushu in 1973.
However, the global oil crisis of 1973 with its consequent reduction in ship demand resulted in financial difficulties for the company. Hitachi Zōsen, with over 50% of its revenues from ships was hard hit by the cancellation in orders for supertankers and attempted to survive by turning to oil rig
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
s, oil storage facilities, and steel structures, pipes and bridges. However, with rising material costs and losses due to fixed price contracts, high overhead and redundant facilities meant that the company had to restructure from the 1980s. By 1988, the company employed only 5,596 workers, down from 24,660 ten years earlier.
The company also made strong efforts to diversify away from the shipbuilding roots, expanding especially into industrial and municipal waste disposal facilities. However, its boldest move was in October 2002, when it sold its shipbuilding operations to a new joint venture with NKK Corporation (now JFE Holdings) called Universal Shipbuilding Corporation.