中島知久平と中島飛行機そしてスバル

Nakajima Aircraft Co., Subaru and Nakajima Chikuhei

近代的企業とは何か？家族企業は近代的企業か？本稿では中島飛行機(株)とその後継企業のスバル(富士重工業)の事例により考察する。中島知久平は1884年自作農の家に生まれ、海軍軍人になった。近代日本で職業軍人は高い社会的評価を得ており、中島自身と家族にとり誇りであった。中島は海軍で飛行機開発の中心的役割を演じたが、1916年にその軍人を辞め、航空機会社を起業した。中島は軍人同様の愛国心を発揮するために、民間企業の利益より社会性を主張した。中島飛行機は中島知久平と兄弟が所有し経営する家族企業であり、第二次世界大戦中に最も有力な航空機会社であった。 アメリカ占領軍は財閥解体政策により三井、三菱らの財閥を解体し、新興財閥の中島飛行機は解体された。米軍が推進したのは会社の｢所有と経営｣の分離であり、もって会社の近代化、民主化を図った。スバル(富士重工業)は分割した会社が再結集し、中島飛行機の従業員を再雇用して、トップに専門経営者である日本興業銀行出身者を据えてスタートした。スバルは近代的企業になった。事業の中心たる自動車製作で力を発揮したのは旧航空機技術者である。彼らがスバルのトップになることはなく、かわりに興銀のような主要な株主組織出身の専門経営者がスバルを支配した。スバルは戦後の再スタートから1980年代半ばまでは、日本経済の成長とモータリゼーションの進展により右肩上がりの成長を遂げた。その後今日までスバルは長く低迷している。その理由は近代的企業それ自身の｢所有と経営｣の分離にあるというのが結論である。では近代的企業の展望はないのか、というとそうではない。中島飛行機の家族経営を擬すれば良い。迅速な決断とリスクを取る経営及び、創業者の魂の堅持であろう。

What is a modern company? The transformation from Nakajima Aircraft Co.(NA) to Subaru I mentioned below, is one of the examples. Nakajima Chikuhei was born into a farmer family in 1884, and later he became a navy officer. In modern Japan, the soldier sat in the highest position in society, which was connected to Bushido. The dream came true to him and his family. In 1916 he quit the navy to set up the air craft venture, which was Nakajima Aircraft Co.(NA). He had devoted his life to the navy before, then to the aircraft business after he quit. There was no difference among his patriotism before and after he left the navy. Although NA was a private company, it pursued the national interest . It was the founder’s will. NA was the biggest company in modern Japan. There were many NA branches and subsidiaries in eastern Japan. NA was run and owned by the Nakajima family, with no other share holders. After the World War Ⅱ, GHQ broke NA into small parts (Zaibatsu disorganization) and exiled the Nakajima family from the top management. In 1954 Fuji Heavy Industry (Fuji Jyukougyou, Subaru) was established. At the starting period of Subaru, the Nakajima family was one of the top ten share holders and occupied one of the top management position. Many members of NA belonged to Subaru. Some of them developed a small car, Subaru 360, which was one of the bestselling cars in the 1960’s. Subaru 360 was made by using aircraft technology. It was not only a pioneer of the people’s car but also grew the Subaru company. The name who made the Subaru 360 and the Subaru 1000 was Momose Shinroku. He graduated from Tokyo Univ. and worked for NA during the World　War Ⅱ. He devoted his life to the car manufacturing in Subaru but did not become CEO. Instead some bankers from Nihon Kougyou Ginkou (Kougin) and members of Nissan became the CEO of Subaru. Subaru became a modern company which is run by a professional managers. After these CEOs came into power, Subaru’s main goal was profit, but they couldn’t achieve this goal. Therefore Subaru couldn’t expand.