Keita Goto

Japanese: 五島慶太 - ごとうけいた

Born: April 18, 1882 in Nagano
Died: August 14, 1959. A businessman from the Taisho and Showa periods in Tokyo. Founder of the Tokyu Concern. Born as the second son of a farmer in Nagano Prefecture. After graduating from the Faculty of Law of Tokyo Imperial University in 1911, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce before joining the Ministry of Railways. In 1920, he left for the private sector and became managing director of Musashi Electric Railroad (later Tokyo Yokohama Electric Railway). He was very active in business, and in 1922 he founded Meguro-Kamata Electric Railway. He later merged Ikegami Electric Railroad, Tokyo Yokohama Electric Railway, Tamagawa Electric Railway, Odakyu Electric Railway, Keihin Electric Railroad, and Keio Electric Tramway to form Tokyu Corporation in 1942, streamlining management and strengthening the company. While transportation was his main business, he expanded into ancillary businesses such as land, housing, and department stores, and built the so-called Tokyu Concern. In 1944, he became Minister of Transport and Communications in the Hideki Tojo Cabinet. After World War II, he was banned from holding public office, and when the zaibatsu were dissolved, Toyoko Department Store (→Tokyu Department Store), Odakyu Electric Railway, Keio Teito Electric Railway (→Keio Electric Railway), and Keikyu Corporation were separated and became independent companies. However, when the ban was lifted in 1951, he returned as chairman of Tokyu Corporation. He regained control of the separated companies, rebuilt Toei, acquired Shirokiya, and worked on land development and the tourism development of Izu and Hakone, forming the Tokyu Group. Known as a "business demon," his skill and spirit made him a unique figure in the Japanese business world. He was involved in cultural projects such as establishing the Gotoh Scholarship Foundation and the Gotoh Museum of Art, and managing Asia University.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

[生]1882.4.18. 長野
[没]1959.8.14. 東京
大正・昭和期の実業家。東急コンツェルンの創設者。長野県の農家の二男に生まれる。1911年東京帝国大学法科大学卒業後，農商務省を経て鉄道院に勤務。1920年民間に下り，武蔵電気鉄道（のち東京横浜電鉄）の常務取締役となる。旺盛な事業活動を展開し，1922年に目黒蒲田電鉄を設立，以後，池上電気鉄道，東京横浜電鉄，玉川電鉄，小田急電鉄，京浜電気鉄道，京王電気軌道の各社を合併して 1942年東京急行電鉄に統合，経営合理化，体質強化をはかった。交通事業を主軸にしながら，土地，住宅，百貨店など付帯事業も次々と拡大，いわゆる東急コンツェルンを築いた。1944年東条英機内閣の運輸通信大臣に就任。第2次世界大戦後は公職追放となり，また財閥解体によって傘下から東横百貨店（→東急百貨店），小田急電鉄，京王帝都電鉄（→京王電鉄），京浜急行電鉄の各社が分離独立したが，1951年追放解除とともに東京急行電鉄会長に復帰。分離した各社を再び支配下に収め，東映の再建，白木屋の買収，土地開発や伊豆箱根の観光開発などを手がけ，東急グループを形成した。「事業の鬼」と呼ばれる手腕と覇気に富んだ人物像は，日本の実業界でも異色の存在であった。文化事業として五島育英会，五島美術館の設立，亜細亜大学の経営などを行なった。

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