Tanaka Seisakusho
Encyclopedia
was the first company established by Hisashige Tanaka
, one of the most original and productive inventor-engineers during the Tokugawa / Edo Period
. Established in 1875, it was the first Japanese company to manufacture telegraph equipment. It also manufactured switches, and miscellaneous electrical and communications equipment.
The company was inherited by Tanaka's adopted son, and later became half of the present Toshiba
company. Several people who worked at Tanaka Seisakusho or who received Tanaka's guidance at a Kubusho (Ministry of Industries) factory later became pioneers themselves. These included Miyoshi Shoichi who helped Fujioka
make the first power generator in Japan and to establish a company, Hakunetsusha
to make bulbs; Kibataro Oki, the founder of the present Oki Denki (Oki Electric Industry
); and Ishiguro Keizaburo, a co-founder of the present Anritsu
.
After the demise of the founder in 1881 Tanaka Seisakusho became partly owned by General Electric
and expanded into the production of torpedoes and mines
at the request of the Imperial Japanese Navy
, to become on the largest manufacturing companeis of the time. however, as the Navy started to use competitive bids and then build its own works, the demand decreased substantially and the company started to lose money. The main creditor to the company, Mitsui
Bank, took over the insolvent company in 1893 and renamed it Shibaura Seisakusho
(Shibaura Engineering Works).
Hisashige Tanaka
was a Japanese engineer and inventor during the late Edo and Meiji period Japan. He is one of the founders of what later became Toshiba Corporation. He has been called the "Thomas Edison of Japan" or Karakuri Giemon....
, one of the most original and productive inventor-engineers during the Tokugawa / Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. Established in 1875, it was the first Japanese company to manufacture telegraph equipment. It also manufactured switches, and miscellaneous electrical and communications equipment.
The company was inherited by Tanaka's adopted son, and later became half of the present Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
company. Several people who worked at Tanaka Seisakusho or who received Tanaka's guidance at a Kubusho (Ministry of Industries) factory later became pioneers themselves. These included Miyoshi Shoichi who helped Fujioka
Fujioka
Fujioka may refer to:*Fujioka, Aichi, a former town located in Nishikamo District, Aichi, Japan*Fujioka, Gunma, a city in Gunma, Japan*Fujioka, Tochigi, a former town located in Shimotsuga District, Tochigi, Japan-People with the surname Fujioka:...
make the first power generator in Japan and to establish a company, Hakunetsusha
Hakunetsusha
was a company established by Shoichi Miyoshi and Fujioka Ichisuke, two of Japan's industrial pioneers during the Tokugawa / Edo Period. It specialized in the manufacture of light bulbs....
to make bulbs; Kibataro Oki, the founder of the present Oki Denki (Oki Electric Industry
Oki Electric Industry
, commonly referred to as OKI, OKI Electric or the OKI Group, is a Japanese company manufacturing and selling info-telecom and printer products. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, OKI operates in over 120 countries around the world....
); and Ishiguro Keizaburo, a co-founder of the present Anritsu
Anritsu
is a Japanese corporation that is in the test and measurement market. Products include microwave, RF, and optical signal generators , spectrum analyzers, and network analyzers. It was formed with the merger of two companies, the Annaka Corporation and Kyoritsu Electric in Japan in 1931. In 1990...
.
After the demise of the founder in 1881 Tanaka Seisakusho became partly owned by General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and expanded into the production of torpedoes and mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
at the request of 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...
, to become on the largest manufacturing companeis of the time. however, as the Navy started to use competitive bids and then build its own works, the demand decreased substantially and the company started to lose money. The main creditor to the company, Mitsui
Mitsui
is one of the largest corporate conglomerates in Japan and one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world.-History:Founded by Mitsui Takatoshi , who was the fourth son of a shopkeeper in Matsusaka, in what is now today's Mie prefecture...
Bank, took over the insolvent company in 1893 and renamed it Shibaura Seisakusho
Shibaura Seisakusho
was the new name given to the company Tanaka Seisakusho , after it was declared insolvent in 1893 and taken over by Mitsui Bank....
(Shibaura Engineering Works).