was a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese businessman who founded the Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest maker of tire

Tire

A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...

s, in 1930 in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka

Fukuoka Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....

, Japan. Bridgestone was named after its founder: In the Japanese language

Japanese language

is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...

 ishi means a "stone" and bashi(/hashi) mean "bridge". hence the origin of the company's name in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

.

Ishibashi's daughter, Yasuko Hatoyama

Yasuko Hatoyama

is the widow of former Japanese Foreign Minister Iichirō Hatoyama and heir to the Bridgestone Corporation fortune. She is the mother of former Prime Minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama and Diet member Kunio Hatoyama.- Background and family :...

, became heir to Ishibashi's considerable fortune and has used the inheritance to fund her family's political causes. She married former Japanese Foreign Minister Iichirō Hatoyama

Iichirō Hatoyama

was a Japanese politician and diplomat. In 1976-1977, he was Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda.- Early years :Hatoyama was born in Tokyo to a high profile family. He studied at the University of Tsukuba....

. The couple had two sons, who are Ishibashi's grandchildren - politicians Kunio Hatoyama

Kunio Hatoyama

is a Japanese politician who served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications under Prime Minister Taro Aso until June 12, 2009.- Biography :Kunio Hatoyama was born in Tokyo in 1948...

, who served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Yukio Hatoyama

Yukio Hatoyama

is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between 16 September 2009 and 2 June 2010, and was the first ever Prime Minister from the modern Democratic Party of Japan....

, who was Prime Minister

Prime Minister of Japan

The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...

 from 16 September 2009 to 8 June 2010.

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

Bridgestone Museum of Art

Bridgestone Museum of Art is an art museum in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1952 by the founder of Bridgestone Tire Co., Ishibashi Shojiro . The museum's collections include Impressionists, Post-Impressionists and twentieth-century art by Japanese, European and American artists, as well as ceramic...

(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.