Tanaka Hisashige Founder of Toshiba
Biography of Tanaka Hisashige
Early Life
Tanaka Hisashige founder of Toshiba, was born on 16th October, 1799 in Kurume, Chikugo province, today which is called as Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. He was a Japanese inventor and engineer. For his achievements he is also known as the “Thomas Edison of Japan”.
His father was a skillful craftsman of tortoise shell. His father used to make ornaments and other attractive items from tortoise shells. He also developed interest in his father’s work when he was eight years old.
Skillful Artisan
He was naturally gifted with art. At the age of just fourteen years, he had mastered his work and made a loop. After that, when he was twenty years old, he invented hydraulic power dolls with the name “Karakuri”. These dolls were autonomous with some complex activity’s capabilities. At that time Japan’s social system was dominated by the classes, like aristocrats, daimyos (land lords), and Shogunates (warriors). His invention of Karakuri dolls created large demand in these classes. So, the success started for him.
At the age of twenty one, he constructed mechanical dolls, and went on for the shows at various festivals throughout Japan.
Entry into big machines construction
In 1834, he went to Osaka; there he made several experiments in the fields of hydraulics, pneumatics and different forms of light. But soon he shifted to Kyoto for his studies of “Rangaku”, which is the study of western literature, and also studied astronomy. In 1951 he invented Myriad year clock which is still reserved today by the government of Japan as “Important Cultural Property”. In the same time revolt occurred against the western technology, in Japan and he was limited in experiments there. Therefore, he moved out to Saga Domain in Kyushu, where he was warmly welcomed.
In Saga, he designed his first big machine out of his previous domain. That machine was a steam warship and steam locomotive. He learnt the way of making it from a reference book of Dutch and he also seen its demonstration by a Russian diplomat at Nagasaki in 1853. And after that for some time being he was involved in making modern weaponry.
Founder of Toshiba
At the age of 74 years, in 1873, he was invited by the industrial ministry “Kubusho” for making telegraphs at small level. After two years in 1875, he moved to Ginza district and made a workshop on the second floor of a temple which he opened on rent. That workshop was later on became his first company, “Tanaka Seisakusho” means Tanaka Engineering Works. This company had the title of first telegraph items manufacturer in Japan. Today it is famous with the name of Toshiba.
Toshiba Corporation
It is a multinational conglomerate company of Japan. It’s headquarter is in Tokyo, Japan. This company makes specialized products and services in the field of IT, communication equipment, electronic material, household electronic appliances, lighting, power systems, and logistics.
Death
At the age of 82 years, he died in 1881. After his death his son took over the control of his company. He changed its name in 1904. In 1939 he merged it with Tokyo Denki and then it was renamed as Toshiba.
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