1930-1950: From rubber soled footwear to rubber tyres
 |
|
|
| Every company has a beginning. And every company has a founder. But there are few companies in which its founder was clearer about his purpose than Bridgestone. Even before his venture into the world of tyres, Shojiro Ishibashi proved he was quite an entrepreneur. In 1925, he pioneered the mass production of Tabi; a traditional Japanese footwear in Kurume City in the southern island of Kyushu. Spurred by Japan's rapid industrialisation, he conducted research in the tyre market and made his first tyre in 1930. In 1931, Ishibashi's realised his dream of becoming the first Japanese tyre manufacturer when he established the Bridgestone Tire Co. Ltd. |
 |
The first Bridgestone tyre
|
|
|
|
|
| What's in a name? |
|
|
|
 Everything. And Ishibashi kept this in mind when he came up with his company's name. At the time, British and American products were in high demand and he decided to capitalise on this international aspect. In fact, Bridgestone is a literal English translation of his last name “Ishibashi” which means “Stone Bridge”. He liked the sound of it better when he reversed the words to Bridge Stone.
Shojiro Ishibashi (1889-1976)
Founder of Bridgestone Corporation |
|
|
|
| From tyres to golf balls to rubber hoses |
|
|
|
| Expansion summed up the company's activities through the 1930-40s as full-scale tyre production began at the newly completed plant in Kurume in 1934. A year later, they entered the leisure market with the mass production of golf balls, which continues to experience phenomenal success. To supply the growing demand in the capital, Ishibashi moved his headquarters to Tokyo in 1937 where he continued expansion into new sectors like V-belts, rubber hoses, vibration isolating components and synthetic rubber. He even changed the company name to Nippon Tire Co. Ltd. |
 |
| Headquarters offices in Tokyo |
|
|
|
|
|
