From the Seas to the Skies ~A Manga Telling the Story of Sojitz’s Aircraft Business~ (episode 2)

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Following the war, Takahata sought out Suzuki’s former business partners and reopened steel trading with India’s Tata Group. Nissho resumed business as a private enterprise for the first time and re-opened its New York office.

Nissho exported foods from the West Coast to address the food shortage in Japan following the war. Nissho’s Seattle and Portland offices have handled high volumes of grain and wood products since the time of Suzuki & Co..

こSeattle was a manufacturing site for B29 aircrafts. However, it would take some time before handling planes would become a business for Japan’s private sector. One reason for this delay was a post-war ban following Japan’s defeat that extended to everything including aircraft research.

While sensing the possible potential of the aircraft business, Takahata decided to set his sights on shipbuilding. He made an effort to rebuild the country’s shipbuilding industry after Japan lost their arms after the war. Thanks to Takahata’s connections and network in the U.S., Japan’s shipbuilding industry received a high volume of shipbuilding orders.

Nissho handled 20% of ship exports in Japan following the war. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Nissho’s history is itself a history of　Japan’s ship building industry. In 1956, Japan became the world’s number one ship-manufacturing country.

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