Fusanosuke Kuhara

Entrepreneur and politician. Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The fourth son of Kuhara Shozaburo, the second elder brother of Fujita Denzaburo, founder of Fujita-gumi. After graduating from Keio University, he worked for Morimura-gumi, but at the request of his uncle Denzaburo, he moved to Fujita-gumi and worked to revamp the management of Kosaka Mine. In 1905 (Meiji 38), he left Fujita-gumi and acquired Akazawa Mine in Ibaraki Prefecture, renaming it Hitachi Mine and becoming independent. In 1912, using the mine as a base, he established Kuhara Mining Company, and made huge profits during the boom of World War I, intending to form the Kuhara Zaibatsu. However, after the war, the company fell into a slump due to the slump in the copper mining business and the collapse of Kuhara Shoji, so he commissioned his brother-in-law Aikawa Yoshisuke to rebuild the business and entered politics. He became a member of the House of Representatives and was appointed Minister of Communications in the Tanaka Giichi Cabinet, and subsequently served as Secretary General and President of the Seiyukai Party, Cabinet Councillor, etc. After World War II, he was banned from holding public office, but after the ban was lifted, he was elected to the House of Representatives once, and also served as Chairman of the National Conference for the Restoration of Relations between Japan and the Soviet Union and Japan and China, working to restore relations with both countries.

[Masaru Udagawa]

"Kuhara Fusanosuke Biography Editorial Committee, edited and published "Kuhara Fusanosuke" (1970)" ▽ "Furukawa Kaoru, "The Planet Goes -- The Life of Kuhara Fusanosuke" (2004, Nikkei BP)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

企業家、政治家。山口県生まれ。藤田組の創始者藤田伝三郎の次兄久原庄三郎(しょうざぶろう)の四男。慶応義塾卒業後いったん森村組に勤務するが、叔父伝三郎の要請により藤田組に転じ、小坂鉱山の経営刷新に努めた。1905年（明治38）藤田組を辞し、茨城県下の赤沢鉱山を買収、これを日立鉱山と改称して独立した。1912年同鉱山を基盤に久原鉱業所を設立、第一次世界大戦のブームで巨利を得て、久原財閥の形成を意図した。しかし大戦後、産銅事業の不振と久原商事の破綻(はたん)によって不振に陥り、経営再建を義兄の鮎川義介(あいかわよしすけ)に委嘱、政界入りした。衆議院議員となり田中義一内閣の逓信(ていしん)大臣に就任したのを皮切りに、政友会幹事長・総裁、内閣参議などを歴任した。第二次世界大戦後は公職追放となり、解除後、衆議院議員に一度当選し、また、日ソ・日中国交回復国民会議議長に就任し、両国との関係回復に努めた。

［宇田川勝］

『久原房之助翁伝記編纂会編・刊『久原房之助』（1970）』▽『古川薫著『惑星が行く――久原房之助伝』（2004・日経BP社）』

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