The Prewar Japanese Automobile Industry and American Manufacturers

Masaru Udagawa

doi:10.5029/jrbh1984.2.81

Masaru Udagawa

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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1986 Volume 2 Pages 81-99

DOI https://doi.org/10.5029/jrbh1984.2.81

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Published: March 15, 1986 Received: - Available on J-STAGE: June 28, 2010 Accepted: - Advance online publication: - Revised: -
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Date of correction: June 28, 2010 Reason for correction: - Correction: CITATION Details: Right : 1)Nippon Jidosha Kogyokai,ed.,Nippon Jidosha Kogyo Shiko2(Outline of the History of the Japanese Automobile Industry,Vol.2)(Nippon Jidosha Kogyokai),1967,p.8 ff.
2)Kyoritsu Automobile Works was Chrysler's assembly facility.It was founded with capital invested jointly by Chrysler's four importing agents.I chose not to examine this company in this study because it was much smaller than both Japan Ford and Japan GM,and Chrysler left its management to the discretion of these licensed agents instead of bringing in company officers to implement the parent company's policies.
3)Nippon Jidosha Kogyokai,ed.,Nippon Jidosha2,pp.173-174.
4)Shokosho Komukyoku,ed.,“Honpo Jidosha Kogyo Seisaku no Ryakushi”(A Short History of the Japanese Government's Automobile Industry Policies)in“Jidosha Kogyo”(Unpublished papers held in the Archives of Tsusho Sangyo-sho[MITI].)
5)Nissan Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha,ed.,Nissan Jidosha Sanju Nenshi(A30Year History of Nissan Motor )(Nissan Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha),1965,p.26.
6)Shokosho Komukyoku,ed.,Jidosha Kogyo Kakuritsu Chosa Iinkai Keika Gaiyo(Outline of the History of the Investigation Committee to Establish an Automobile Industry)(Shokosho Komukyoku),1932,p.17.
7)Toyota Jidosha Hanbai Kabushiki Kaisha,ed.,Motarizeishon to Tomo ni(Along with Motorization)(Toyota Jidosha Hanbai Kabushiki Kaisha),1970,p.11.
8)Masaru Udagawa,“Historical Development of the Japanese Automobile Industry,1917-1971:Business and Development,”Keiei Shirin(The Hosei Journal of Business),Vol.19,no.4(January1983),p.35.
9)Matsuyoshi Iwasaki,Jidosha Kogyo no Kakuritsu(Establishment of the Automobile Industry)(Ito Shoten),1941,p.168.See also“Honpo Jidosha Kogyo.”
10)Jidosha Kogyo Shinkokai,ed.,Nippon Jidosha Kogyoshi Gyosei Kirokushu(The Sources of Japanese Automobile Industry Policies),(Jidosha Kogyo Shikokai),1979,p.17;Masaru Udagawa and Seishi Nakamura,“Japanese Business and Government in the Interwar Period:Heavy Industrialization and the Industrial Rationalization Movement”in Keiichiro Nakagawa,ed.,Government and Business(University of Tokyo Press),1976,pp.96-97.
11)Tsusho Sangyo-sho,ed.,Shoko Seisakushi 18:Kikai Kogyo1(The History of Commercial and Industrial Policies,Vol.18:The Machinery Industry,No1),(Shoko Seisakushi Kanko Enkai,1976,p.465.
12)For reference,it may be noted that Japan Ford's profits in1939and1940were\4,616,725and\1,045,880,respectively.See Okurasho,ed.Dai-Niji Taisen ni okeru Rengokoku Zaisan Shori1(Confiscated Assets of the Allied Powers During World War II,Vol.1)(Okurasho),1966,p.119.
13)Frederic G.Donner,The World-Wide Industrial Enterprise:Its Challenge and Promise(New York:McGraw-Hill),1967,pp.19-20.
14)General Motors Overseas Operations,The War Effort of the Overseas Division(New York:General Motors Overseas Operation),1944,p.88.
15)Ibid.,p.18.
16)Masahisa Ozaki Jidosha Nihonshi1(The History of Japanese Automobiles,Vol.1)(Jikensha),1955,p.331.
17)Nissan is one of the new zaibatsu that expanded very rapidly after the Manchurian Incident.By1937,it had developed into a busines combine ranking just below the Mitsui and Mitsubishi zaibatsu.For more information on Nissan,see Masaru Udagawa,Shinko Zaibatsu(The New Zaibatsu)(Nihon Keizai Shinbunsha),1984,
18)Jidosha Kogyo Shinkokai,ed.,Nippon Jidosha Kogyoshi Kojutsu Kirokushu(Recordings of Oral Interviews on the History of the Japanese Automobile Industry)(Jidosha Kogyo Shinkokai),1975,p.112.
19)For the foregoing discussion on the first Nissan-GM negotiations,I used“Nissan GM Dai-Ichiji Kosho Kankei”(The First Nissan-GM Negotiations)and“Zeneraru Motasu to no Teikei Keikaku”(The Plan for Cooperation with General Motors),both from the Aikawa Family Archives.For more information,see Masaru Uda-gawa,“Nissan Zaibatsu no Jidosha Sangyo Shinshutsu ni tsuite:Nissan to GM to no Teikei Kosho o Chushin nil,2”(The Development of the Automobile Industry of the Nissan Zaibatsu with Emphasis on the Nissan-GM Negotiations for Cooperation1,2),Keiei Shirin(The Hosei Journal of Business),Vol.13,no.4and Vol.14,no.1(January and April),1977.
20)Iwasaki,Jidosha Kogyo,p.170.
21)For the history of the second series of negotiations for Nissan-GM cooperation,I consulted“GM-Nissan Gappei Mondai”(The Problems of a GM-Nissan Merger)in the Aikawa Family Archives.
22)Jidosha Kogyo Shinkokai,ed.,Nippon Jidosha Kogyoshi Zadankai Kirokushu(Symposium on the History of the Japanese Automobile Industry)(Jidosha Kogyo Shinkokai),1973,p.62.
23)Mira Wilkins,“The Role of U.S.Business,”in Dorothy Borg and Shumpei Okamoto,eds.,Pearl Harbor as History:Japanese American Relations,1931-1941(New York:Columbia University Press),1973,p.361.
24)Mira Wilkins and Frank E.Hill,American Business Abroad:Ford on Six Continents(Detroit:Wayne State University Press),1964,p.253.
25)Nippon Jidosha Kogyokai,ed.,Nippon Jidosha Kogyo Shiko3(Outline of the History of the Japanese Automobile Industry,Vol.3)(Nippon Jidosha Kogyokai),1969,p.37.
26)Ibid.,p.38.
27)Ibid.,p.32.
28)Ryozo Yanagida,Jidosha Sanju Nenshi(A 30 Year History of Auto-mobiles)(Sansuisha),1944,p.354.
29)Nippon Jidosha Kogyokai,ed.,Nippon Jidosha 3,p.32.
30)Ozaki,Jidosha Nihonshi1,pp.383-384.
31)The Ford-related sources in“Jidosha Kogyo”in the Tsusho Sangyosho Archives.
32)Ibid.
33)Ozaki,Jidosha Nihonshi1,p.386.See also C.S.Chang,The Japanese Auto Industry and the U.S.Market(New York:Praeger Publishers),1981,p.24.
34)Jidosha Kogyo Shinkokai,ed.,Gyosei Kirokushu,p.23.
35)In August1937,the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works separated its automobile division and created an independent company,Toyota Motor.Note that the original company name,“Toyoda,”was modified to“Toyota”for the independent automobile company.In April1941,Tokyo Jidosha Kogyo(Tokyo Automobile Industries)was also issued a license.This was formerly known as Automobile Industries,and is the predecessor of Isuzu Jidosha(Isuzu Motors)and Hino Jidosha(Hino Motors).
36)Tusho Sangyo-sho,ed.,Shoko Seisakushi18,p.422.
37)Shotaro Kamiya,My Life with Toyota(Toyota Motors Sales Company),1967,p.71.
38)Incidentally,the labor problems that arose within Japan GM also contributed to GM's decision to withdraw.See Ozaki,Jidosha Nihonshi1,p.386.
39)Wilkins and Hill,American Business,p.255.
40)Nissan Jidosha,ed.,Nissan Jidosha,p.77-78.
41)Nippon Sangyo,which was the Nissan combine's holding company,moved to Shinkyo,the capital of Manchukuo,in November1937.At the same time,it adopted a new name,Manshu Jukogyo Kaihatsu(Manchuria Heavy Industry Development)and acquired monopoly rights for industrial development in Manchuria.Aikawa,the president of the company,tried to bring in American capital to develop Manchuria.For details,see Udagawa,Shinko Zaibatsu,pp.65-80and Yukio Cho,“Inquiry into the Problem of Importing American Capital into Manchuria:A Note on Japanese-American Relations,1931-1941”in Borg and Okamoto,eds.,Pearl Harbor as History,pp.388-391.
42)Chihiro Hosoya,Makoto Saito,Seiichi Imai,and Michio Royama,eds.,Nichi-Bei Kankeishi-Kaisen ni itaru Junen3:Gikai Seito to Minkan Dantai(The History of Japanese-American Relations:The Ten Years Before the War,vol.3:The Diet,Political Parties,and Private Groups)(University of Tokyo Press),1971,p.249.This is one of four volumes of the proceedings of the conference on Japanese-American Relations,1931-1941,which was held at Lake Kawaguchi,Japan,in July1969.The English edition of the Kawaguchi papers was published under the title Pearl Harbor as History,but did not contain the discussion on the papers presented at the conference that I cite here.The American gunboat Panay was sunk by the Japanese naval air force while it was patrolling the Yangtze River.
43)Jidosha Kogyo Shinkokai,ed.,Kojitsu Kirokushu,p.113.
44)Kamiya,My Life with Toyota,pp.71-72.

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