日野の夢（ロマン）：コンテッサに託して
Una Tragedia Della Contessa（イタリア語。「悲劇の伯爵夫人」の意）
2.1 原点、星子イズム
エッフェルタワーより巴里市を望む
若き日の星子 勇 （1921年５月９日、フランス、パリにて）
(In Working)
日野の社歴をたどると、その創業は1942年（昭和17年）５月１日に設立された日野重工業(株)にさかのぼる。更にその母体は1910年（明治43年）創業の東京瓦斯電気工業(株)となる。創業当時の社名は東京瓦斯工業で、ガス、電気とエネルギー黎明期にガス需要家のためにマントルなどを製造・販売していた。その後、電灯のエネルギーの主力が電気になると東京瓦斯電気工業と改称した。この辺のいきさつはいささか目的を異とするので別の機会に譲るとして、東京瓦斯電気工業（通称：ガス電）と云う名のもと早くも1917年（大正７年）に自動車部を設立した。そこで日野の車造りに後世、大きく影響を与えた星子 勇を紹介しておこう。
ルノー４CV及びコンテッサの開発・生産の総師であった家本 潔は1932年（昭和７年）東京瓦斯電気工業に入社した。ある日、家本は上司等に連れられて福沢一族の福沢 駒吉邸を訪問した。深い森林に囲まれた大邸宅に入ると遥か彼方から”ウォーン、ウォーン”とエンジンをレーシングする音がこだましていた。近づくと当時の高級スポーツカー ”デューセンバーク” であった。当主の福沢氏は「昨日はこの車で名古屋まで松茸を喰いに行って来た」とのことで車の話に花が咲いた。
福沢氏は家本の上司達に盛んにデューセンバークの様な車を造るべきだと勧めていたのだ。ガス電は少数ながら陸軍向けの乗用車を手がけており、将来の日本の乗用車の発展を目論んでいたのである。そんな中、ただムッツリと無言の内に話を聞いていた人物がいた。
この男こそ当時、日本の自動車界で鬼才と云われていた星子 勇であった。「星子さんはデューセンバークのようないい車を造りなさいとけしかけられるものの、そんなものはやったって駄目だと、星子さんの理想は大衆車を造ることだった。日本が豊かになるにはその当時の日本の農業人口を60%から15%程度にして、工業国家にしなければとならないと、そのためには大衆車によって自動車工業をちゃんとしなければならないと云うのが星子さんの強い考えだった」と家本は語る。星子の夢は単に自動車を造ることではなく工業国家を目指した壮大なものであった。
当時、ヨーロッパではAフォード、オペルなど気のきいた乗用車が出て来てきており、総合自動車メーカーを目指すには大衆車でなければと確固たる考え方が星子の胸の中にあったのだ。結局、この考え方そのもの、すなわち "星子イズム" となって、戦後の日野の復興期の立役者、中興の祖と云われた大久保 正二に大きな影響を与えたのである。
ここで星子自身に若干触れておこう。星子は1911年（明治44年）熊本高工を卒業後、住友鋳銅所他を経て日本自動車合資会社に奉職した。その間の農商務省の実業練習生としてイギリス及び米国にて自動車並びに飛行機の技術を研修し、若くして当時の日本に自動車技術界の頂点を究めていた。その薫陶を受けた人々には橋本 増治郎（快進社、ダット号）、蒔田 鉄次（白楊社、オートモ号）等が含まれている。錚々たるものである。
ガス電が自動車部を設立し自動車の製造を着手する際、その適任者を探し求めた際、当初、国産第一号蒸気自動車を完成させた岡山市の山羽 虎夫を技術顧問にと試みた。しかし、地元に於いて更なる発明に打ち込む意向のため成功しなかった。
そこで、当時33歳の働き盛りの星子に白羽の矢が立ったのだ。「日本合資自動車と云うのは外車のデーラーだったんです。星子さんはその当時、髀肉の嘆（持っている技術など生かせないで困っていることなどの比喩）をかこっていた。それが社長の松方（五郎）さんの招弊に応じてガス電にこられた。ガス電の自動車部は星子さんが来られて本物になった」と家本は語る。
その後、ガス電は松方と星子のもとに数多くの軍用車の開発・製造、航空機エンジンを手がけ、更に小中旅客機に手が及んだ。特筆すべきことは1938年（昭和13年）５月に世界航続距離記録を樹立した航研機の設計・製造であろう。
しかしながら、星子は日野重工業の専務と云う要職にあった1944年（昭和19年）１月に激務がたたり卒然と他界してしまった。本格的国産車及び自動車工業に挑戦したパイオニアの死でもあった。星子は創業者松方五郎と共にその二人の頭文字をとり星松会として、日野では今日でも崇められている。
日野が他社に無い大型自動車と大衆車クラスの小型乗用車を製造することで待望の総合自動車メーカーを目指した原点がここにあったのである。星子の起用に見られるように、日野には技術に関し最高の人物に求め、また恵まれ、その思想を尊み、夢を実現して行くことが脈々と生き続けて伝統となっている。また、それがパイオニア精神とも言うべきガス電気質を形成したと云えよう。
(SE、2011.3.10 - Renewal Version (Originai 1993年))
The Origin, Hoshiko-ism
New - Hino's Dream、Entrusting to Contessa
2.1 The Origin - Hoshiko-ism
Seeing the city of Paris from the Eiffel tower
Isamu HOSHIKO on younf dar (May 9, 1921, at Paris, FRANCE）
The establishment of a business goes back in Hino heavy industry Ltd. established on May 1, 1942 in tracing the company background of Hino. In addition, the base of organization becomes Tokyo Gas Electric Industry Co., Ltd. established in 1910. The name of the company at the establishment era was Tokyo Gas Industry Co., Ltd. industry and the company manufactured and sold mantle etc. for the gas energy customer at the gas, electricity, and the energy dawn. Afterwards, as the main force of the energy of the light became electricity, it was changed the title as Tokyo Gas Electric Industry Co., Ltd. It should be done that it transferred it at another chance, and they have been established Automotive Division in 1917 under the name called Tokyo Gas Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (Simply and widely called as "Gas-Den" in Japan). Then, it is needed to introduce and describe Mr. Isamu Hoshiko who has had a significant influence on future generations to the automotive business and manufacturing at Hino.
Mr. Kiyoshi Yamoto who totally managed the development and the production of Renault 4CV and Contessa programs as general manager joined Tokyo Gas Electric IndustryCo., Ltd. in 1932. One day, Yamoto was taken by the superior visited the residence of Komakichi Fukuzawa of famous Fukuzawa's clan. Once Yamato entered into a big residence surrounded by a deep forest, the sound in which "Warne, Warne,..." echoed and engines were racing. It was Duesenberg, a luxury car in those days, when he was approached. Mr. Fukuzawa, the present head of a family, described "Yestartday, we traveled to Nagoya area in order to enjoy cooked a matsutake mushroom with this car", then the conversation grew livelier with automotive related matter.
Mr. Fukuzawa was recommending that it was necessary to manufacture the automotive such as Duesenberg to Yamoto's superiors actively. Gas-Den handled the passenger car for the army even with small number, and they have been intended the development of the passenger car of Japan of the future. However, a man who heard the conversation in a sullen silence was in there.
The man was Isamu Hoshiko who was called a person of genius in the automotive society in Japan. "As for Hoshiko, these kind of things are useless though are set even if it does that manufacture a good car like Duesenberg, then Hoshiko's ideal was to have made the economy car for a people. In order to become Japan a rich country, it is necessary to change the farm population of Japan at that time from 60% into about 15% , and to develop to the person of the industrialized country, and it is needed to make the automobile engineering certain for that by manufacturing the economy car.", Yamoto describes. The dream of Hoshiko only did not manufacture the car and was grand, that is, having aimed the industrialized country.
At that time, a attentive passenger car such as A Ford, Opel and so on was emerging in Europe, and it was in Hoshiko's himself as an economy car is a must if aiming comprehensive automotive manufacturer as a firm idea. After all, it eventually became this idea, that is, "Hoshiko-ism", and it had a big influence on Shoji Ohkubo who had been called key mover in Hino of postwar days in the restoration age.
Here, let touch somewhat about HIshiko. Hishiko served to Nihon Jidosha Goshi Kaisha (Nihon Automobile Company Limited) through Sumitomo Casting & Copper Works and others after he had graduated from the Kumamoto Koto-Kogyo (Currently Kumamoto University) in 1911. Meanwhile, he trained the technology of the automobile and the airplane as a business trainee of the agriculture & Commerce affairs in Britain and the United States, and had mastered the top of the technology about the automobile field thoroughly in Japan at that time, in spite of young age. Masujiro Hashitom (Kaishin-sha, DAT CARS), Tetsuji Makita (Hakuyo-sha, Ohtomo Cars), and other are people who have had his tutelage. They are the leading figures of the automotive world.
As Gas-Den starts manufacturing the car with establishing Automotive Division, they sought for the eligible, then initially expected Torao Yamaha who completed first domestic production steam car for the technical advisor. However, it did not succeed because of the intention that he wanted to focus on a further invention in local region.
Then, Hoshiko of 33 year old in the prime of life was chosen at that time. "", Yamoto continued. Nihon Jidosha Goshi Kaisha was a dealer for an imported car. In that time, Mr. Hoshiko was to fret from forced idleness (Hiniku-no-Tan: It is the metaphor that means that the technology or engineering that have it cannot make the best use and are embarrassed with him). It is a reason why he was able to come to Gas-Den according to president's Matsukata (Goro). Automotive Division of Gas-Den became the real thing with Mr. Hoshiko who decided to join the company.
Afterwards, Gas-Den handled many of development and manufacturing of army vehicles with Matsukata and Hoshiko, then moved to aircraft engines, and extended to medium and small passenger plane. What should make a special mention might be working for designing and manufacturing for Kokenki aircraft that established the world record of the cruising range in May, 1938.
However, Hoshiko of the important position as the executive director of the Hino heavy industry has died suddenly by hard work in January, 1944. It was a death of the pioneer who had challenged a real domestic car and the automobile engineering and industry. Hoshiko can be worshiped and respected in Hino even today as "SEI-SHO-KAI" that means the association (KAI) with two people, namely Hoashiko (SEI) and founder Matsukata (SHO).
This is the starting point - the origin that Hino aimed a long-awaited comprehensive automotive manufacturer with manufacturing both a large size car and a popularly-priced car that is not in the other companies. As shown in the appointment of Hoshiko, in Hino, requesting the technology from the highest person, favored with it, honoring its thought, and achieving the dream is a tradition. Moreover, it can be said that Gas-Den spirit that had to be called it is a pioneer spirit was formed.
(SE、2011.3.12- Renewal Version (Originai 1993))
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