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Shōjirō Ishibashi

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Nationality
  
Japanese

Role
  
Businessman

Organizations founded
  
Bridgestone

Name
  
Shojiro Ishibashi

Children
  
Yasuko Hatoyama


Born
  
February 1, 1889 (
1889-02-01
)
Kurume, Japan

Occupation
  
Founder of Bridgestone Corporation

Relatives
  
Kunio Hatoyama (grandson) Yukio Hatoyama (grandson)

Died
  
September 11, 1976, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Grandchildren
  
Yukio Hatoyama, Kunio Hatoyama

Great grandchildren
  
Kiichiro Hatoyama, Jiro Hatoyama, Hanako Hatoyama, Taro Hatoyama

Similar People
  
Yasuko Hatoyama, Kunio Hatoyama, Yukio Hatoyama, Ichiro Hatoyama

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, in 1930 in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. Bridgestone was named after its founder: In the Japanese language ishi means "stone" and bashi(/hashi) means "bridge". hence the origin of the company's name in English.

Ishibashi's daughter, Yasuko Hatoyama, 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. 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 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 (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.

The owner of the Prince Motor Company

Ishibashi made sure of birth and the end of the Prince Motor Company.

  • 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 the 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

    Shōjirō Ishibashi Wikipedia