Hiroichiro Ishihara

Businessman. Born into a farming family on the outskirts of Kyoto City. After graduating from the law department of Ritsumeikan University, he went to the Malay Peninsula to try to run a rubber plantation, but failed, and then turned to developing iron mines. In 1920 (Taisho 9), he founded the Nanyo Mining Company (later Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha), and successfully began mining and selling iron ore and manganese ore. He then expanded his business to include shipping, domestic mine development, and the establishment of a smelting plant, and diversified his operations with Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha at the center. In addition to these business activities, he actively advocated the theory of advancing southward, and after the Manchurian Incident, he became involved in nationalist movements such as the Jinmu-kai led by Okawa Shumei and the Meirin-kai led by Tanaka Kunishige, becoming a powerful supporter of these movements. For this reason, he was banned from public office after World War II, but later returned and led the reconstruction of Ishihara Sangyo Kai, which had lost its overseas assets.

[Takao Shiba]

"My Resume: Businessmen 8" (1980, Nihon Keizai Shimbun)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

実業家。京都市郊外の農家に生まれる。立命館大学法科専門部卒業後、マレー半島に渡ってゴム園の経営を企てたが失敗し、鉄鉱山の開発に転じた。1920年（大正9）南洋鉱業公司(コンス)（のち石原産業（株））を設立、鉄鉱石、マンガン鉱の採掘、販売を開始して成功した。その後、海運業、国内の鉱山開発、精錬工場の設立と事業を拡大し、石原産業を中心として多角的に経営を展開した。こうした事業活動のほか、南進論を積極的に唱道すると同時に、満州事変以後は大川周明らの神武会や田中国重らの明倫会などの国家主義運動に関係し、その有力な後援者となった。そのため第二次世界大戦後は公職追放になったが、のち復帰し、在外資産を失った石原産業の再建を指導した。

［柴　孝夫］

『『私の履歴書　経済人8』（1980・日本経済新聞社）』

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