Read the history
Hardships
1914–1932
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1914
Construction of stock boats in short time
Due to the outbreak of the World War I in 1914, orders for military supplies and daily necessities flooded in, creating an economic boom. The shipbuilding industry was also booming, and Kawasaki found itself building ships such as destroyers and submarines one after another. Merchant ships were also doing well, and the company produced large numbers of 5,000-ton stock boats. Of these, Raifukumaru was completed within just thirty days from the commencement of work, breaking the world record for the shortest construction time.
*Stock boats are identical types of ships continuously constructed in anticipation, enabling construction costs to be lowered.
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1918
Establishment of Aircraft Department at Hyogo Works
Kojiro Matsukata, who was in London at the time, paid attention to the use of aircraft in World War I and established an aircraft department at Hyogo Works in 1918. It was just a short fifteen years since the Wright brothers’ first flight. Manufacture of aircraft started at a time when planes were still being made from wood and cloth, and could only fly for short distances.
Since then, the company established a new aircraft factory and completed Japan's first metal aircraft, laying the groundwork for today. To establish a flexible order acceptance system, the aircraft division was spun off and incorporated as Kawasaki Aircraft Co., Ltd. in 1937.
Completion of our first airplane
(Type Otsu 1 Surveillance Airplane) -
1919
Establishment of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and introduction of the eight-hour workday system
When World War I ended in 1918, the shipbuilding industry lost the export market, and a large number of ships constructed as stock boats had been stocked up. Kojiro Matsukata thought that, for the development of Japan, they should not sell their shipbuilding assets abroad, but instead keep them within Japan and establish new shipping companies to operate them. He was determined to establish Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. and advance into the shipping business.
At the time, there were labor disputes happening across all regions, and workers demanded wage increases at our company as well. Kojiro Matsukata had studied labor conditions in western countries early on, and was the first in Japan to introduce the eight-hour workday system while maintaining the same wages as before.
Kawasaki Kisen head office
Monument to the birthplace
of the eight-hour workday system -
1928
Financial crisis and reorganization
Due to factors such as the financial crisis following World War I, Kawasaki faced its first management crisis since its foundation. We set a target to rebuild through cutting executive compensation and reducing the salaries of senior officials. Kawasaki Rolling Stock Manufacturing Co., Ltd. was incorporated in 1928 as a condition for receiving a loan.
After that, President Matsukata resigned, and Fusajiro Kajima took over as president. He made some major organizational reforms and personnel changes, but the company was faced with another financial crisis when the Great Depression occurred.
The company filed for a settlement with the Kobe Ward Court as restructuring-type bankruptcy proceedings. President Kajima died suddenly on July 29 the following year. Hachisaburo Hirao was appointed as the third company president and completed the proceedings associated with the approval of the settlement.