, was a Japanese businessman, naval engineer,

naval officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...

, and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who was most notable for having founded

Nakajima Aircraft Company The was a prominent Japanese aircraft manufacturer and aviation engine manufacturer throughout World War II. It continues as the car and aircraft manufacturer Subaru Corporation, Subaru. History The Nakajima Aircraft company was Japan's first ...

in 1917, a major supplier of airplanes in the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

. He also served as a cabinet minister.

Biography

Nakajima was born in Nitta District, Gunma, (currently part of Ōta city), where his father was a farmer. Nakajima attended the Imperial Japanese Naval Engineering School, graduating from the 15th class in 1907"Chikuhei Nakajima's Episodes" (in Japanese)
/ref> and was promoted to

Ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

in 1908. On October 27, 1911, he piloted Japan’s first

airship An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat (lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying powered aircraft, under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the ...

. He was also commissioned as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...

in 1911. After graduating from the Naval Staff College in 1912, he was sent for further studies to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, where he became the 3rd Japanese to receive a pilot’s license upon graduation from a flight school established by

Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early a ...

. In 1915, he drafted the first paper advocating for the bombing of civilians to crush a nation's resistance/morale, this is also known as

terror bombing Strategic bombing is a systematically organized and executed military attack from the air which can utilize strategic bombers, long- or medium-range missiles, or nuclear-armed fighter-bomber aircraft to attack targets deemed vital to the enemy' ...

. On his return to Japan, he designed an improved version of the Farman float plane for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Nakajima was dispatched as a

military attaché A military attaché or defence attaché (DA),Defence Attachés
''Geneva C ...

to Europe in 1916, to observe first-hand the use of aircraft in combat. On his return to Japan in 1917, he resigned from the military as a Lieutenant, and opened a company to produce aircraft in Japan in his hometown of Ōta in

Gunma Prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of . Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fuk ...

. Nakajima received financial support from fellow engineer Seibei Kawanishi, and the company was called ''Nihon Hikoki Seisakusho KK'' (Japanese Aeroplane Manufacturing Work Co. Ltd). This company became the

after the partners split in 1919, and the same year, the new company received its first order for 20 aircraft from the Japanese military. Nakajima first ran for public office during the 1930 General Election, when he was elected to the

Lower House A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

with the support of the ''

Rikken Seiyūkai The was one of the main political party, political parties in the pre-war Empire of Japan. It was also known simply as the ''Seiyūkai''. Founded on September 15, 1900, by Itō Hirobumi,David S. Spencer, "Some Thoughts on the Political Devel ...

'' political party. He turned control of Nakajima Aircraft over to his brother in 1931 in order to devote his efforts to politics full-time, and was subsequently re-elected four times from the Gunma No. 1 Electoral District. From June 1937 through January 1939, Nakajima served as Railway Minister under the Konoe administration. Nakajima also headed an influential political faction within the ''Rikken Seiyūkai''. He was awarded with the

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese Order (distinction), order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six c ...

, 2nd class. Nakajima was highly critical of the decision by Japan to declare war on the United States, and warned of the dangers posed by America’s industrial strength and production capabilities and growing air power. He was outraged by the decision of the Japanese military to abandon his project for a long-range bomber capable of striking at targets in North America. Although Nakajima was forced to join the '' Taisei Yokusankai'', he was vocally critical of the new political organization. While recognizing the advantages of a

one-party system A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a governance structure in which only a single political party controls the ruling system. In a one-party state, all opposition parties are either outlawed or en ...

, he accused it of being unconstitutional and of attempting to create a new

shogunate , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

. After the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Higashikuni asked Nakajima to accept the cabinet posts of

Minister of Munitions The Minister of Munitions was a British government position created during the First World War to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort. The position was created in response to the Shell Crisis o ...

(which he held for a week until it was abolished) and Minister of Commerce and Industry (which he held for just over a month). Afterwards, he was arrested along with all other members of the former Japanese government by the

Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (), or SCAP, was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) ...

and was held in

Sugamo Prison Sugamo Prison (''Sugamo Kōchi-sho'', Kyūjitai: , Shinjitai: ) was a prison in Tokyo, Japan. It was located in the district of Ikebukuro, which is now part of the Toshima 23 special wards, ward of Tokyo, Japan. History Sugamo Prison was orig ...

for trial for

war crime A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostage ...

s. Nakajima was released on parole before his trial came to court in 1947. In 1949, while at his home in

Mitaka, Tokyo file:井之頭恩賜公園 (16016034730).jpg, 260px, Inokashira Park in Mitaka is a Cities of Japan, city in the Western Tokyo region of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 190,403, and a population density of 12,00 ...

, he died of an

intracranial hemorrhage Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) refers to any form of Hemorrhage, bleeding Internal bleeding, within the Human skull, skull. It can result from trauma, vascular abnormalities, hypertension, or other medical conditions. ICH is broadly categorized ...

. His grave is at the

Tama Cemetery in Tokyo is the largest municipal cemetery in Japan. It is split between the cities of Fuchū, Tokyo, Fuchu and Koganei, Tokyo, Koganei within the Tokyo Metropolis. First established in April 1923 as , it was redesignated Tama Cemetery in 1935. ...

Fuchū, Tokyo file:FuchuCityHall2023091.jpg, 260px, Fuchū City Hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in the western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. Fuchū serves as a regional commercial center and a commuter town for workers in cent ...

References

*Gunston, Bill. ''World encyclopaedia of aircraft manufacturers: from the pioneers to the present day''. Naval Institute Press (1993) *Mikesh Robert C. ''Japanese aircraft 1910-1941''. Putnam Aeronautical Books, University of Michigan (1990) * Nicolaou, Stephane. ''Flying Boats and Seaplanes: A History from 1905''. MBI (1998)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nakajima, Chikuhei 1884 births 1949 deaths 20th-century Japanese businesspeople Businesspeople in shipping Government ministers of Japan Imperial Japanese Navy officers Imperial Rule Assistance Association politicians Japanese founders of automobile manufacturers Japanese naval architects Members of the House of Representatives (Empire of Japan) Politicians from Gunma Prefecture Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure Rikken Seiyūkai politicians

Biography

See also

References

External links