Chikuhei Nakajima

A businessman and politician during the Taisho and Showa periods. Born in Gunma Prefecture. Graduated from the Naval Engineering School. After serving as the head of the airplane factory at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, he retired as a captain in 1917 (Taisho 6). In the same year, he founded the Aircraft Research Institute. The company was later renamed Nakajima Aircraft Company and developed into a major munitions company during the war. He became a member of the Diet in 1930 (Showa 5). Due to his financial strength, he was known as the money bag of the Seiyukai party to which he belonged. After serving as Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Commerce and Industry, he became Minister of Railways in the first Konoe Fumimaro cabinet. From 1938 onwards, he competed with Hatoyama Ichiro for the position of party president, and after the party split in April 1939, he became party president (Nakajima faction Seiyukai). He later served as a Cabinet Councillor and General Affairs Officer of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, and was Minister of Munitions in the Higashikuninomiya Naruhiko Cabinet immediately after Japan's defeat in the war. He was designated a Class A war criminal, but was released in 1947 (Showa 22).

[Kiyoshi Tatematsu]

"Takahashi Yasutaka, Nakajima Chikuhei - The man who lived three lives as a soldier, an airplane king, and a minister" (2003, Nihon Keizai Hyoronsha)" ▽ "Toyoda Yutaka, "Airplane King Nakajima Chikuhei" (Kodansha Bunko)" ▽ "Watanabe Kazuhide, "Japan's Airplane King Nakajima Chikuhei - The Life of a Great Pioneer in the Japanese Aviation Industry" (Kojinsha NF Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大正・昭和期の実業家、政治家。群馬県生まれ。海軍機関学校卒業。横須賀海軍工廠(こうしょう)内飛行機工場長を経て1917年（大正6）に大尉で退官。同年飛行機研究所創立。同所はのちに中島飛行機株式会社と改称し、戦時下に一大軍需会社として発展した。1930年（昭和5）より代議士。その資金力のために、所属する政友会の金袋ともいわれた。商工政務次官を経て第一次近衛文麿(このえふみまろ)内閣の鉄道相。1938年以降鳩山一郎(はとやまいちろう)と党総裁の地位を争い、翌1939年4月分裂後の党総裁（中島派政友会）となる。その後、内閣参議、大政翼賛会総務などを経て、敗戦直後、東久邇宮稔彦(ひがしくにのみやなるひこ)内閣の軍需相。A級戦犯に指定されたが1947年（昭和22）釈放。

［立松　潔］

『高橋泰隆著『中島知久平――軍人、飛行機王、大臣の三つの人生を生きた男』（2003・日本経済評論社）』▽『豊田穣著『飛行機王・中島知久平』（講談社文庫）』▽『渡部一英著『日本の飛行機王中島知久平――日本航空界の一大先覚者の生涯』（光人社NF文庫）』

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