Kanebo Co., Ltd. - Kanebo

Japanese: 鐘紡[株] - かねぼう

This prestigious textile manufacturer is promoting diversification of its business, with textiles at its core, into cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, housing, and more. It was founded in 1887 when its predecessor, Tokyo Cotton Trading Company (founded in 1886 for the purpose of regular trading of raw cotton), began construction of a spinning factory in Kanegafuchi on the Sumida River. The company name changed from Tokyo Cotton Trading Company to Kanegafuchi Spinning Company, Ltd. in 1888, and to Kanegafuchi Spinning Co., Ltd. in 1889. Although it was initially in a slump, it grew thanks to the support of the former Mitsui zaibatsu and the skills of successive managers such as Nakagamigawa Hikojiro, Muto Sanji, and Tsuda Shingo, and during this time it merged and acquired many spinning companies and factories, taking advantage of the depression following the Sino-Japanese War, and grew to become the largest of the ten major spinning companies.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

名門繊維メーカーで，繊維を軸に化粧品，医薬品，食品，住宅など多角経営を推進している。1887年に前身である東京綿商社(綿花の定期取引を目的として1886年創立)が隅田川河畔の鐘ヶ淵に紡績工場の建設に着手したのが設立の端緒である。社名は東京綿商社から88年有限責任鐘淵紡績会社，89年鐘淵紡績(株)となった。当初は不振であったが，旧三井財閥の支援や，中上川彦次郎，武藤山治，津田信吾ら歴代経営者の手腕で発展，この間，日清戦争後の恐慌を契機に多くの紡績会社･工場を合併･買収し，十大紡中でも最大にまで成長した。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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