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In the third installment of this series, we discussed how Osaka was known as “Japan’s kitchen” for its role in supplying essentials to the capital, Edo (now Tokyo), during Japan’s feudal Edo Period (1603–1867). Osaka, at the center of the Japanese economy, had developed the infrastructure—including essential financing and commercial capital and a solid transport network—to support the next stage of economic growth. In 1867, a unified government emerged that made it possible to establish companies organized on capitalist principles. A mint and an arms factory were built in Osaka and as more-modern currency and financial systems were established, private-sector capital began to infuse new energy into commerce. A major spinning industry developed, particularly in Osaka, based on imported spinning machinery and steam engines.
Cotton-yarn and knitted-goods factories had to operate through the night to fill their orders. Fire safety concerns led many of these factories to replace oil lamps with electric light bulbs, which spurred demand for electrical power and machinery. Moreover, improvements to Osaka Bay in 1906 facilitated trade with China and Korea, making materials purchasing easier. More and more factories went up along the coast. With its growing industrial concentration, Osaka entered a new era in its role as the commercial heart of Japan.
As part of this movement, in 1897 Sumitomo built on its roots in the Besshi copper mine to establish Sumitomo Copper Rolling Works, the predecessor of Sumitomo Metal Industries, Sumitomo Electric Industries, and Sumitomo Light Metal Industries. The concern initially concentrated on manufacturing copper plates for ship hulls and copper building materials for roofs and eaves, but with the movement of the times found expanding opportunities in copper wire for electrical and communications lines. Among the results of the company’s copper rolling technology were Sumitomo’s awards at the Paris Exposition 1900.
On this foundation, Japan’s heavy and chemical industries put down roots in the Osaka area as the century of industry progressed, making Osaka the country’s largest industrial zone. Today, the smokestacks of Sumitomo Chemical, Sumitomo Metal Industries, and Sumitomo Electric Industries are visible from where the Ajikawa River empties into Osaka Bay. As the future unfolds, Osaka will see Sumitomo group companies onward through yet-to-be-written chapters of history.
Preparation of this article was overseen and photos provided by the Sumitomo Shi-ryo-kan. |
