March 1, 1912. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



283 



The Rubber Industry of Japan. 



By Our Regular CorresfondcnI. 



'J'he 1'"l'jikura Insulated Wire axd Rubber Co., Limiteh, Tokyo. 



THIS company owed its first beginning to the manufacture at 

 Kanda in 1882, of silk and cotton Hexible lamp cord by 

 the late Mr. Zenpachi Fujikura, who had previously been 

 engaged in making cotton braids with a machine of his own 

 invention. In 1886 he removed his plant to Shinjiku, where 

 he added weatherproof wire to his product, using the motive 

 power of a watermill. 



From the beginning of his career. Mr. Fujikura had fore- 

 seen the growing importance of rubber as an insulating 

 medium. Seeing that the Japanese rubber industry of that 

 time was deficient in expert knowledge he got Dr. J. 

 Shimomura and Dr. K. Uyeno, professors at the Tokyo Im- 

 perial University, to make systematic analyses of the article, 

 and took considerable pains in developing the industry. 



In these efforts he was ably seconded by his younger 

 brother, Mr. Tomekichi Matsumoto, who had been several 

 years in the United States and had returned to Japan in 1887. 

 In getting up tlie subject at the Imperial Library, Uyeno 

 Park, Tokyo, the last-named gentleman had an opportunity 







Factory of Thi-: Fujikura Insulated Wire and Rubber Co. 



of realizing that, although books gave information about 

 qualities and sources of rubber, they failed to deal with rubber 

 manufacturing methods. Experiments continued at the 

 Fujikura works, aided by the advice of experts. Finally, in 

 1892, the factory succeeded in making a rubber-like compound, 

 for the production of which the concern had for some time 

 been making unsuccessful efforts. From 1893 to 1900 their 

 normal manufactures were continued, operations being facili- 

 tated by the erection of an enlarged factory at Tokyo. 



In September, 1907, the premises were destroyed by a 

 cyclone, being afterwards rebuilt on an enlarged scale. One 

 half of the buildings are now being again rebuilt and will 

 be ready by July next for operation as a factory of marked 

 completeness. 



Further technical progress was largely due to the study of 

 American methods by Mr. Kenzo Okada, a nephew of the 

 partners already referred to, who went to the LTnited States for 

 that purpose in 1894. LTpon his return to Japan in 1899, he in- 

 stalled a good deal of machinery of foreign make, and with the 

 aid of improved ingredients and preparations, finally accom- 

 plished the manufacture of rubber-covered wire. 



Upon the oicasi; n of his visiting the United States, Mr. Okada 

 was enabled, through the assistance of Mr. Henry C. Pearson, 

 editor of The India Rubber World, to obtain introductions to 

 several important .^n-erican rubber manufacturing companies. 



Tomekichi Matsumoto. 



On the death of Mr. lujikura, in ISOl, the business reverted to 

 Mr. T. Matsumoto (alre.dy referred to), who converted it into 

 a liinited partnership, with a capital of $25,000; the members 

 being Messrs. T. Matsumoto, K. Okada, U. Fujikura, and the late 

 Mr. J. Hyodo. The style of the new concern was the Fujikura 

 Insulated Wire and Rubber Co.. t'. e name cf the original founder 



Ivenzo 0kad.\. 



being thus perpetuated. The various increases of capital indi- 

 cate the progressive development of the partnership's business, 

 the figures having been: 1904, $25,000; 1905, $50,000; 1907, 

 $100,000; 1909, $250,000. In September. 1911, the concern became 



