Japan in the Taisho Era Industria Electrica 0 2

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SAWAFUJI DENKI KOGYOSHO.(THE SAWAFUJI ELECTRIC ENGINEERING WORKS.)'

I ""HESE works manufacture telephone apparatus, induc-

-* tion coils, insulators, electric light appliances,

automatic gas burning appliances, high tension magnet

MR. C. SAWAFUJI.

generators, and so forth, and are managed by Mr. Chuzo

Sawafuji, at No. 52 Nishi-Goken-cho, Ushigome-ku,

Tokyo.

Mr. Sawafuji is an electric engineer of great ability

and has invented a large number of useful electric

apparatus, including telephone receivers for long distance

and "Sawafuji's high tension magnet igniters."

He was born on January Ist, 1878, at Fukuoka,

Niuohe-gun, Iwata prefecture. While a boy he studied

science in Tokyo and devoted himself to educational works.

He held the post of instructor at various middle sciiools, and

when the Russo-Japanese war broke out, and he was called

out to active service, he was an instructor of science at the

Tochigi Prefeetural Agricultural School.

He was with the late General Nogi's Army all through

the campaign in Manchuria, and several times distinguished

himself. On the conclusion of the war he was granted a

pension and a decoration. The experience he obtained

during the campaign in Manchuria induced him on his

release from military service to study electricity.

In 1912 the present works were established by

Mr. Sawafuji to produce his inventions, which numbered over

ten up to that date, under his own supervision. He was at

once the manager and the chief expert to the new works,

and his extraordinary genius as an engineer and business

organizer was fully displayed in the rapid development of

the enterprise.

In view of the fact that motors for automobiles and

flying machines were not made in this country, while they

are indispensable for military operations in the future, his

study was directed to the completion of important

THE SAWAFUJI ELECTRIC ENGINEERINGWORKS, TOKYO.

mechanical appliances. Already his study has produced

that important device known as "Sawafuji's high-tensiou

magnet igniter.''



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SHIBAURA SEISAKUSHO.(THE SHIBAURA ENGINEERING WORKS, LTD.)

THEShibaura Engineering Works are located on the

shores of Shibaura, Kanasugi Shinhama-cho, Shiba-

ku, Tokyo. The locality is a celebrated "moonviewing

"

resort, named Shibaura. The works were estabablished in

1875, being the oldest establishment of the kind in Japan.

The arrangements were on a very small scale at the outset,

but have been gradually enlarged since November, 1893,

when the works came into possession of the Mitsui family,

representative millionaires of Japan. At present the works

are known at home and abroad as the largest in the Orient.

At the time when the Mitsui family took over the works,

Mr. R. Fujiyama was the Manager of the works. He was

tlien attached to the Industrial Department of the Mitsui

family. He was succeeded by Mr. T. Ono as Manager in

May, 1896, and the latter was replaced by Mr. S. Wakayama

and the organization was changed to a joint-stock company,in which members of the Mitsui family became shareliolders.

The Company immediately started the building of a large

iron-framed workshop, several other shops, warehouses and

offices, in addition to the old premises. It also installed

various plants of the latest pattern. The construction work

was effected by December, 1909, after which the manufactur-

ing capacity remarkably increased.

In 1909, the capital was again increased to two million

yen. At the same time the works entered into an agreement

with the General Electric Company, the largest electrical

factory in the world, and thus obtained the exclusive right

to manufacture all the patent goods of that company.

In July, 1911, Mr. Otaguro, managing director, was

replaced by Messrs. K. Kishi and S. Kobayashi. Progress

THE SHIBAURA ENGINEERING WORKS, TOKYO.

in 1897. Upon the closing of the Mitsui Industrial Depart-ment in November, 1897, the works were put under the

control of the Mitsui Mining Co. as a branch of the

Company. In January, 1899, Mr. Wakayama died and

Mr. T. Nishimatsu was appointed Acting Manager, In

May of the same year, when Mr. Nishimatsu was transferred

to anotiier post, the post of Manager was abolished and the

works were brought under the direction of Mr. J. Otaguro.

Mr. Otaguro, soon after the assumption of his post, carried

out reforms and endeavoured to employ able men, while

extending the market of the articles manufactured by the

works, in consideration of the situation. It consequence of

his readjustments, business has been steadily developed. In

order to meet tiie increasing demand tiie capital of the works

was increased to one million yen (£100,000) in July, 1904,

has been steadily made, and in 1913 the capital was again

increased to iive million yen in order to extend the factory.

The works have become purely electrical mai:ufactures. In

August, 1913, the Ginza store was established for the purpose

of introducing the company's manufactures to the public.

In the next year, the extension works were completed, andwith the increased manufacturing capacity, the works have

made great strides.

The present organization is as follows :—

Secretary,

General Affairs Section, Accounts Section, Cash Section,

Engineering and Manufacturing Department, Commercial

Department.

The principal articles now being manufactured are :—

Generators, Motors, Transformers, Switchboards and their

accessories.



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SHIMOHA DE(THE SHIMOHA

THE HeadOffice of the

Shimoha Electric Co. is

located at No. 1, Sliinbori-cho, Shiba-ku, Tokyo.

A branch office stands at Hojo-maclii, Awa-gun, Chiba

prefecture and the works at No. 85, Kuruma-cho, Taka-

nawa Shiba-ku,

Tokyo. The Companyalso has the Porcelain

Works, at Gojo-Nishi-

gawa, Higashiyama-sen Shimokyo-ku,

Kyoto.

The company is

under the manage-

ment of Mr. Tora-

kichi Siiimoha and is

chiefly engaged in

the manufacture and

sale of electrical ap-

paratus. At the age

of 14, Mr. Shimoha,

the present proprietor,

came up to Tokyoand entered the ser- MR. T. SHIMOHA.

vice of the Tateoka Electrical Works, as an ordinary

workman.

NKI SHOKAi.ELECTRIC CO.)

In addition to working in the factory he found time to

attend the electrical class in the Industrial SupplementarySchool established by the Tokyo City. After finishing wiih

the school he established a factory for himself, and at the ageof 20 he manufactured an electrical foot-warmer and had it

registered as a utility model. Two years later lie invented

sockets for two and three lights and had tliera registered as

utility models. Later he named them the Shimoha ImprovedSockets and had them patented. As soon as they were puton the market there was a large demand for them. The

works are kept constantly busy executing orders from

electric light companies in China and Chosen as well as at

home. Later he invented a plug called the perpendicularcluster for two lights. Besides these, he has made six other

inventions for the patent rights for which he will shortly

apply to the Patent Bureau. This amply testifies to his

inventive fuculty. In February of 1913, Mr. Shimoha

made a tour of inspection of the electrical business in

Vladivostock, Manciiuria, Peking, Tientsin and Cliosen.

He greatly benefited by this trip and secured large orders

besides establishing many new connections. He now

contemplates promoting the Tokyo Electric Apparatus

Manufacturing Company Ltd. with a view to largely

manufacturing special and refined articles by means of the

patent rights obtainable.

TEIKOKU DENKYU KABUSHIKI KAISHA.(THE IMPERIAL ELECTRIC-LAMP BULB

THE Company was established in December, 1909, and

has for its object the manufacture and sale of bulbs

for electric-lamps. In 1903, the late Mr. Kawakatsu started

this business independently, and when it showed signs of

development he organized a company in partnership with

Mr. Zengo li, in May 1907. The business witnessed a steady

development, until in 1909 the present company was

established with a

capital

of

¥200,000. Every arrangementwas made to meet the requirements of the times by extending

the business, with Mr. Zengo li as Managing Director,

Messrs. Tomekichi Matsumoto, Eokuro Aoyama, Yujiro

Tachikawa, Yoshio Sliinjo, J. R. Geary and C. E. Randall

as Directors, and Messrs. Bunnosuke Fukuuaga and Kanji

Nakamura as Auditors. Recently, great improvements were

introduced in the factory and consequently tiie quality of

the goods produced has been much improved, to the high

approval of the general public.

CO.)

The company manufactures

tungsten and carbon bulbs, and

both are of very superior quality,

and have met with a warm recep-

MR. Z. II, THE IMPERIAL ELECTRIC BULB CO.



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tion from the general consumers, an extended market

being opened for the goods. The annual output is

some 2,000,000 pieces, the total value aggregating over

¥700,000. In 1913, the company conceived the idea of

makingtlie

tungsten,the

patent goods

of the General

Electric company, largest electrical factory in America,

and as the necessary agreement was entered into in

February, the same year, the goods are manufactured at

present in large quantities. The dividend of the companyat every business term is not less than 20 per cent. The

Head Office is at No. 53,Fujimi-cho,

Azabu-ku,

Tokyo.

TOKYO DENKi KABUSHIKI KAISHA.

(THE TOKYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.)

THE past history of the Tokyo Electric Company,

manufacturers of Mazda lamps in Japan, may be

said to typify the process of the development of this

industry in the country. In the year 188i Prof. I. Fujioka,now President of the concern, was despatched by the

Government to the United States, where he paid a visit to

the World's Fair, Chicago. There it was that his attention

was attracted by certain inventions of the famous Edison.

The idea of starting an electric industry must have flashed

upon him when he was scrutinising them, mingled in a

honour of being the pioneer of the industry in Japan.

Later, in 1890, the business was turned into a limited

partnership by enlisting the late Mr. Shoichi Miyoshi in

the enterprise. It was known by the name of theHakunetsu-sha. But owing to the rudimentary technique

and the smalluess of demand on the part of the public, their

concern was far from successful in the beginning. By

April 1896, however, it was reorganized into a joint-stock

company, with a capital of ¥150,000. In order, therefore,

to cope with ths situation more effectively, its management

THE TOKYO ELECTRIC CO., KAWASAKI.

crowd of curious visitors. Upon returning home, this

idea materialized. In 1888 he established a work-shop and

began the manufacture of electric utensils on a small scale.

In the same year, when the Imperial Household found it

advisable to g' t the Palace served with electricity. Prof.

Fujioka went over to England to study such matters at the

Swan Eltciric Lamp Works, After several months he

came buck to Japan ThereupDn he started the making of

iucandesotnt lamps at Minarai-Nabe-cho, Kyobashi-ku,

Tokyo, where he established a aiuall plant ; he deserves the

decided to introduce some improvements into the system of

their business. The change of its name to the present one,

in February, 1899, marked an epoch in tiie history of its

evolution. Still, its producing power was not sufficiently

large to drive away the German goods.

At present the Tokyo Electric Company maintains

three factories in and near Tokyo. Their sites and building

areas are as follows :—

Ohi factory (9,118 isubo), 48,538 sq. ft. ; Fukugawa fac-

tory (748 tsiAo) 27,266 sq. ft. and Kawasaki factory (28,363



( 165 )

tmho) 179,442 sq. ft. Altogether 113 engineers and 1,745

hands are employed. Tlie chief products are the G.E.

Mflzda lamps, the G.E. carbon filament lamps, the Mazda

nitrogen lamps, sockets and shades, attaching plugs X-niy

tubes, glass for lens, etc. Especially the "G.E. Mazda"and the "G.E. Nitrogen" are reputed to represent the

non plus ultra in lamp-making in Japan. The "G.E.

Nitrogen"

lamp, which is the latest invention of the

American Conipany, in especially adapted for lighting

parks, theatres, depots, stations and other public places,

where electric lamps of very high candle power are

preferably installed. Also, it is very suitable for use at

moving-picture theatres and photographic studios which are

open at night.

The Tokyo Electric company is now able to turn out in

a day 35,000" Mazda Lamps

"and 15,000

" Carbon

Lamps" and 75 per cent, of the total lamp business in

Japan is handled by this Company. In passing, it may be

added that Japan annually demands from 15 to 16 million

lamps, of which only 10 per cent, comes from abroad.

As for tlie marketing system, the Company has its own

stores at Owari-cho, Kyobashi, Tokyo, Awabori, Osaka and

Isezaki-cho, Yokohama. Messrs. Bagnall & Hilles, of

Yokohama, are its agents, and there are others at Tokyo,

Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, Moji, Dairen and

Otaru. At the last named place the Mitsui Bussan Kaishahas its own branch office and works tlie whole Hokkaido as

sales-agents for the Tokyo Electric Company.

The present directorate is composed of the following :—

L FujtOKA, Esq.

J. R. Geary, Esq

Auditors.

A. L. Bagnall, Esq.

C. E. Randall, Esq.

Y. ShinJO, Esq. ...

y. Kawasaki, Esq.

N. Nagatomi, Esq

Y. Tachikawa, Esq.

Mr,. Y. Shinjo controls the engineering and sales

department, and the remarkable success of the Companymust be partly attributed to this gentleman's untiring efibrts

President and

Managing Director.

Vice-President.

Director.

TOKYO DENTO KABUSHIKI KAISHA.

(THE TOKYO ELECTRIC LIGHT CO.. LTD.)

'T^HE c(»mpany was established in 1873 with a capital-*- of ¥200,000.

By amalgamatingother

companiesthe capital was increased to ¥1,000,000 in July, 1879, and

n January, 1880 amalgamation with the Nippon Electric

Electric Light Co. and established the Shiba Electric

Power House.

Againin

September,1905, the

companyamalgamated the Fukagawa Electro-Light Co., the capital

being increased to ¥7,150 000. In January, 1906, the

THE KOMABASHI POWER STATION.

Light Co. brought the capital to ¥1,300,000. In March,

1885, further increase was effected, bringing the capital to

¥2,000,000. The company then bought the Shinagawa

Hachioji Electric Light Co., Ltd., was purchased and tlu'

company obtained a monopoly of the electric lighting busi-

ness for the entire city of Tokyo and suburbs.



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The company then determined to construct hydro-

electric plants, and the capital was increased to

¥18,000,000. Various investigations were carried out, and

use was made of the river Katsura-gawa, in Yamanashi

Prefecture to generate 22,500 brake horse-power and the

company was enabled to entirely dispense with its former

steam power. Owing to the rapidly increasing demand for

electric lighting, the company has found even its present

large liydro-electric plant insufficient, and it has been

decided to secure a second source of hydro-electric power.

In consequence the company has again increased its capital

to ¥24,000,000. The additional work required three years

for completion, and the result yielded a further generating

capacity of 50,000 brake horse-power.

The officers of the company are :—

TamizoWakao, Esq

President.

Kyoichi Kanbe, Esq| Di3r".^

IwASABURO Nakahara, Esq Director.

Taohisaburo Koshiyama, Esq „

Shohachi Wakao, Esq „

The present subscribed capital of the company is

¥50,000,000, the amount paid up being ¥42.200,000.

TOKYO TANAKA SHOKAI.(H.

,S.

TAN^HS.

TANAKA & CO. engage in the direct import,

. manufacture and sale of electric and various

machines. The works are located at No. 12, 4-chome Ginza,

Kyobashi, Tokyo.

Tlie company is pre-

sided over by Mr.

Tsunesaburo Horiye.

It is one of the oldest

establishments of its

kind in Japan. Men-

tion must be made of

its

founders,the late

Messrs. HisashigeTanaka and his son.

Mr. Tanaka (Senior)

was gifted with me-

chanical skill, and

his genius was first

manifested when he

rendered great ser-

vices by fulfilling the

task of manufacturingarms for the Lord of

Saga, MarquisNabeshima, atthetimeof the visit of the Ame-

rican vessels to Uniga some seven decades ago, which gave

rise to a loud outcry throughout the nation on the pressing

necessity of providing for national defence. Guns then

placed in the fortresses at Shinagawa were of his production.

In 1873, Mr. Tanaka, accompanied by his eldest son, came

up to the Capital. There the father and son jointly manu-

factured the Morse telegraph instruments in response to the

order of the Government. The articles were admirable in

every way. This was the first record of the manufacture

MR. T. HORIYE.

KA & CO.)of electric machines for practical use in this country. Bythis the authorities were convinced of the fact that what was

possible for westerners was equally possible to the Japanese.

This also eventually led to the establishment of the Shibaura

Engineering Works, the largest manufacturers of electric

machinery in the Orient, and of H. S. Tanaka & Go. The

first electric light was seen in Japan when the company

placed some lights in its shop window in 1878. When the

Government decided, at the first conference of national

defence, to manufacture in the home land all the submarine

mines and fish torpedoes required the company undertook

thisonerous

task.

Since the death of the late Mr, Hisashige Tanaka

(Junior), the company has been presided over by Mr.

Tsunesaburo Horiye, who had been the Managing Director.

MR. H. TANAKA. MR. H. TANAKA.

(Senior). (Junior).

The company acts as'an agent by special contract for

the Shibaura Engineering Works referred to above.



C 167 )

TONE HATSUDEN KABUSHIKI KAISHA.

(THE TONE HYDRO-ELECTRIC CO., LTD.)

THETone Hydro-Electric Company, situated at No.

65, Horikawa-cho, Maebsshi, Gumma prefecture,

was founded in May, 1909, for the purpose of supplyingelectric light and electric power, running electric tramways,and supplying gas.

THE POWER HOUSE OF THE COMPANY,GUMMA PREFECTURE.

At present the company hns an authorized capital of

¥6,100,000 and is steadily increasing its business scope.The supply of power and light is not only maintained in

Gumma prefecture, but in Tokyo, Saitama, Tochigi,

Ibaraki, and Chiba prefectures as well, and the maximum

capacity of generating power at the different power stations

is brought up to 15,250 kilowatts.

The company has four power stations, the first of which

is situated at Iwamuro, Shirasawa-mura, Tone-gori, Gumma

prefecture, and can supply the maximum amount of power

at 2,400 kilowatts. The second station, which also has the

capacity of producing 2,400 kilowatts, is situated at

Kamikuya, Tone-gori, Gumma prefecture The third station

is the smallest of all, producing only 350 kiloWMtts. It is

situated at Takatsudo, Kawuuchi-mura, Yaraada-gori,Gumma prefecture. Tiie last one is situated at Fukuoka-

mura, Yamada-gori, Gumma prefecture, and generates 500

kilowatts of power.

The position of the company's transmission line is

almost ideal, being free from wind and water damages, and

there is practically no break-off in the supply of powerwhich is quite common in some electric undertakings. The

underground electric wire system has been adopted in a

large measure, and special provisions are made for cases of

emergency. Special telephone lines have also been con-

structed along the transmission line to add to the com-

munication facilities.

The company has established sub-branch oflSces, the

following being only a few of them :—

Numata Office, Numata, Gumma Prefecture; Ise-

zaki Office, Isezaki, Gumma Prefecture; Ota Office, Ota,

Gumma Profecture; Tatebayashi Office, Tatebayashi,

Gumma Prefecture; Kiryu Office, Kiryu, Gumma

Prefecture, Ashikaga Office, Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefec-ture ;

Sano Office, Siino, Tochigi Prefecture; Tochigi

Office, Tochigi, Tociiigi Prefecture; Oyama Office,

Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture ; Satte Office, Satte, Saitama

Prefecture ; Oji Office, Oji, Tokyo Prefecture.

The company is controlled by the following:—

Rizo Hazomi, Esq President.

SuoTARO KoBAYASHi, Esq Managing Director.

Sozo OsAWA, Esq „ „

TOYO DENKI SEISAKUSHO.(THE TOYO ELECTRICAL WORKS.)

WITHthe growth of electrical business in Japan the

manufacture of electrical machines is greatly

developing. But the manufacture of insulators has been

neglected, the imports amounting yearly to over

¥1,000,000. It was for the purpose of meeting this

lamentable situation and supplying the best possible

articles at the cheapest price that the Toyo Electrical

Works was established in December, 1912, by Mr. Tokuma

Tanaka The works were originally built at Sekigaliara

Oi-machi, Ebara-gun, near Tokyo, chiefly for the mHiiu-

facture of mica insulators. In January of the following

year the works applied to the Department of Communica-

tions for the examination of the manufactures. The result

was that the articles were proved far superior to the imports.



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As soon as they were put on sale the articles won a very

favourable opinion, and the demand steadily increased. In

order to meet a rapidly increasing demand, Mr. Tanaka

reorganized the company into of limited partnership in

November, 1914. Simultaneously with this a far larger

workshop was established at No. 161, Moto-machi,

Yanagishima Honjo-ku, Tokyo, to take the place of the old

one in the suburbs, and many new machines were installed

in addition to the old ones. Thanks to unsparing efforts

to improve the manufactures, the works are now favoured

with orders by army and naval arsenals, the Imperial

Government Railways, and such prominent private

establishments as the Mitsubishi Dockyani, Kawasaki

Dockyard, Siiibaura Engineering Works, etc. The business

is daily growing in prosperity.

The Company's partners are as follows :—

T. Tanaka, E?q Representative.

Viscount K. NrRE Partner.

8. Kawakami, Esq „

T. Sasaki, Esq „

UJIGAWA DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA.(THE UJIGAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.)

RECENTLY

hydro-electric enterprises have been started

in many places throughout the Empire, with the

progress of the lines of industry requiring electricity as

driving power. The Ujigawa Electric Company is one of

the most important of these. It was promoted by a group

of Osaka business men, with a capital of ¥4,500,000, with

the object of generating electric power by utilizing the water

of Lake Biwa, the largest of all lakes in Japan, and manu-

facturing and selling electric apparatus. At the same time

THE UJIGAWA POWER HOUSE OF THE COMPANY.two other companies were promoted in Tokyo and Shiga

prefecture. After prolonged negotiations the latter were

fused in the first-named concern, and the capital of the

company was increased to ¥12,500,000.

Tlie whole enterprise was divided into several stages,

and immediately after the foundation the realization of the

first pait was commenced. It was completed in July, 1913,

and the supply of power to Osaka and Kyoto was inaugurated.

At Ishiyama, Shiga prefecture, running water was drawn

from Lake Biwa at the rate of 2,000 cubic feet per second

and was conveyed to Ujimachi, eight miles from Kyoto, bymeans of open canals or tunnels, which liave a total length

of 36,486 feet with an incline of 1 in 2,000. At Uji-machi

a head of 205 feet is thus maintained, and at the power

station erected there it is employed to generate 48,600 horse

power, which is distributed to Kyoto and Osaka, the latter

of which is 22 miles from the station.

At the Uji power house a mill, having a capacity of

8,100 iiorse power, and six motors, each with a capacity of

5,400 kilowat amperes, are installed, and power thus

generated is distributed to Osaka and Kyoto by overhead

cables. The power conveyed to Osaka is transformed first

bythe

Noe Transformerand

suppliedto factories in the

vicinity, and then the remnant is conveyed to the Ebie and

the Dotombori Transformers underground, where it is

supplied to customers in the city. The power conveyed to

Kyoto is directly sent to the Transformer of the Kyoto

Electric Light Company, Higashi Kujo, a suburb of Kyoto,

and thence it is supplied to customers in the city.

Since the inauguration of business the public demands

on the company have increased with striking rapidity, and

according to the report made up at the end of March, 1916,

the supply of driving power has increased at the average

rate of 1064. 75 H.P. per month. With the increase tiius

achieved in the sale of power the total length of cables laid

has also increased. In the vicinity of Osaka there are

trunk lines to the number of six, and they reach even

Sakai, Amagasaki, and cities in Osaka Prefecture. At

present the mileage of the cables laid totals 776,972 miles.

The company lias its main office at 2-chome Sonezaki,

Kita-ku, Osaka, and a branch office at 2-chome Nishi-

Dotorabori-dori, Nishi-ku, Osaka. The affairs of the

company are controlled by Mr. Tokugoro Nakahaslii, ex-

President of the Osaka Shosen Kaisha, who is now the

president of the company.



( 169 )

MR. YAI SAKIZO.(INVENTOR AND MANUFACTURER.)

MR.YAI, SAKIZO, was born in 1863 in Nagaoka,

Ecliigo Province. He came up to the capital

when 22 years of age, and stulied for some time in the

School of Physics: English, mathematics and Chinese

Classics. In 1891 he succeeded iu inventing a dry battery,

but failed to take out a patent therefor until three years

later, or he might have achieved world-wide fame as the

originator of the dry battery. This battery proved of great

service to the Imperial army in the China-Japan war, and

from that time the fame of the " Yai Dry Battery"

spread

and the demand for it increased. In 1910 Mr. Yai built

the present shop at 1-chome Nishiki-cho, Kanda, and

established a large factory at Kamiyoshi-cho, Asakusa-ku.

Mr. Yai's own productions now enjoy a high reputation.

Not satisfied with this, however, he has long bent his

energies upon the invention of an air-tight dry battery.

Recently this was successfully accomplished, and he has

applied to the Governments of European countries and

America for patent rights. Mr. Yai has already patented

many articles of his own invention, the principal ones

being: dry battery, continuous electric light, electric

exchange connection, electric resistor, small size portable

electric light, induction coil, electric connector, electrical

measuring instrument, wireless telegraphy, battery terminal,

mechanical automatic machinery control, etc. The works

at Asakusa turn out annually over 500,000 dry batteries

and many other electrical apparatus. Chiefly owiug to the

war in Europe, the export of batteries and electric bulbs

has shown marked activity, large quantities of batteries

MR. SAKIZO YAI. MR. SABURO YAI.

THE OFFICE.

being sent to Russia, the bulbs going chiefly to GreatBritain. Tiiese goods are also exportcl to America, China

and other countries.

YOKOHAMA DENSEN SEIZO KABUSHIKI KAISHA.

(THE YOKOHAMA ELECTRIC WIRE WORKS.)

CABLE-MAKINGin Japan is one of the industries

in the country which have undergone a most

remarkable development and reached their present state

of perfection within a comparatively short period, a fact

which is explained by the existence in the country of an

abundant supply of water power, due to the natural

configuration, wliicii confers upon the island empire

peculiar advantages for electrical industries rarely met

with elsewhere.

Foremost among the cable makers of Japan stands the

Yokohama Electric Wire AVorks. It is established on a

strong financial basis, the management being placed under

the direct control of the Furukawa family, the copper King

of Japan. The factories of the Yokohama Electric Wire

Works have received almost yearly extensions since their

inception, comprising now the Main Works at Yokohama,

the Branch Works at Osaka, and the Paper Cable Works

at Yokohama, which last is equipped with the latest and

most advanced type of machinery.

The Yokohama Electric Wire Works counts among its

customers the Imperial Household Department, the Depart-

ments of Communications, the Imperial Army and Navy,

and the Board of Railways, and is supplying nearly the

whole of the light, traction, and power cables used in the



( 170 )

interior. Its products are now fast finding their way to

foreign markets. Paper cables for power and telephone

services, insulated cables for light, power and telephone

services, lead tubing and India rubber goods are among the

principal items of manufacture. Expert foreign service

has hitherto been freely availed of, and the Works' staff of

engineers is kept in close touch with the progress of the

industry in Europe and America by dispatching them

abroad. Cables of special construction made here have

The offices and factories of the Yokohama Electric

Wire Works are located as follows :—Head Office : No. 6,

Nichome Takashima-cho, Yokohama. Main Works ; Ura-

Takashima-cho, Yokohama. Cable Works : Nishi-

Hiranuma-cho, Yokohama. Osaka Branch Works :

Araagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture,

The Management comprises :—

Baron Kumakichi Nakashima, Esq.... President.

THE MAIN OFFICE,YOKOHAMA.

THE CABLE WORKS. OSAKA WORKS.

always attained most excellent results, a recent instance

being a submarine cable of great length which has con-

clusively established the Works' superiority in this class of

work. Until a short time ago Japan had to import annuallya considerable quantity of cables of all descriptions, and for

those of special construction was entirely dependent upon

foreign supply, but her wants are now filled by the

domestic industry—a matter for congratulation, for which

the Yokohama Electric Wire Works may justly claim a

very large measure of credit.

SuEKiCHi Nakagawa, Esq.

Kahei Otani, Esq

RiKisABURO KoNDo, Esq., Kogaku-Hakushi

KoKiCHi Sakurai, Esq

YuTAKA Kawai, Esq

Takayo.shi Nakata, Esq

RYOJiO HlRANUBfA, Esq

f Managing"I Director.

Director.

Auditor.

Documents

Japan in the Taisho Era Industria Electrica 0 2