Fusanosuke Kuhara (久原 房之助 1869–1965)

Father of the Japanese mining Industry and heavy contributor to the exploitation of Japanese natural resources.

Fusanosuke Kuhara.

Hitachi Chimney Stack

Kuhara rebuilt the Kosaka mines in Akita prefecture, saving them on the verge of complete closure. Leaving Kosaka in 1904, he purchased the copper mines of Akazaka and started his business after renaming them “Hitachi Mines.” While the production output of copper increases greatly, the smoke emitted from the smelter starts to cause weathering on crops forests in the mountain, causing then extensive damage within a wide perimeter. A bold counter-measure to this problem was the erection of a chimney stack in 1914. At the time of its construction, the chimney stack was considered the best way in the world to solve smoke pollution problems of this kind. Within barely seven years of activity Kuhara was able to define the structure of the Hitachi Mines and paved the way for the development of Hitachi as a prominent mining and industrial city in all Japan. Kuhara turned into the world of politics when entering the Shouwa Era (1926) and became of member of the Lower House in 1928. He took part in the Giichi Tanaka Cabinet as Communications Minister (April 1927 ? July 1929) and was also briefly president of the Friends of Constitutional Government party (Rikken Seiyuukai or 立憲政友会.)

Japanese version of this article available here.