Kawanishi Seibe (川西清兵衛)
Seibe KAWANISHI (September 7, 1865 – November 19, 1947) was a Japanese industrialist. He was the founder of the Kawanishi combine.
Personal Profile
In 1865, he was born in Osaka. In 1896, he established the Japan Wool Textile along with 27 other industrialists from Kobe city. In 1899, he built a factory along the coast of Kako River and began manufacturing blankets. He gained an enormous profit due to war economy by selling blankets to the military. In 1907, Hyogo Electric Railway (later known as Sanyo Electric Railway) was established by him and opened up the electric railroad to connecting Kobe, Akashi and Himeji. In 1913, he founded the Japan Worsted Spinning, and it was merged with the Japan Wool Textile in 1918. He established various related companies such as the Showa Worsted Spinning, the Kyoritsu Muslin, the Sanyo Leather, and the Kobe municipal Raw Silk which led to the formation of the Kawanishi combine. In 1931, he began manufacturing airplanes with Chikuhei NAKAJIMA and established the Kawanishi Machinery Manufacture in 1934. The airplane department was later reestablished as the Kawanishi Aircraft Company. He worked as the chairman for the Japan Wool Industry and the Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry.