ABSTRACT
When the existing apparatus for controlling industry was dismantled during the early days of the Occupation, it created a power vacuum which new organizations rapidly sought to colonize. Even before Sanpo¯ was dissolved on 30 September 1945, a Joint Committee of Economic Organizations on Economic Policy (Keizai Dantai Rengo¯ Keizai Taisaku Iinkai) was established on 18 September (Nikkeiren 1981: 1). Within the framework provided by the Joint Committee, there were already moves by midFebruary 1946 to set up an employers’ organization specializing in labour problems, similar to the prewar Zensanren. One of the instigators of this initiative was Adachi Tadashi who was Director of O¯ji Paper Manufacturing Company and a protégé of Fujiwara Ginjiro¯, a former head of both Zensanren and O¯ji Paper (Keizai Do¯yu¯kai 1956: 17). Matsumoto Kenjiro¯, the Chairman of the Joint Committee, organized a roundtable discussion on labour problems at the Industry Club in central Tokyo on 22 February 1946 and among those who participated were several employers whom we have already encountered and/or who would later become key players in Nikkeiren. For example, Adachi Tadashi took part, along with Ishikawa Ichiro¯ (Chemical Engineering Control Association), Uemura Ko¯goro¯ (Coal Industry Control Association), Maeda Hajime (Hokkaido¯ Coal Steamers), Zen Keinosuke (formerly of Zensanren), Noda Nobuo¯ (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), Moroi Kan’ichi (Chichibu Cement) and others. Out of the roundtable discussion a decision emerged to form a central organization of employers and a small committee was appointed so as to prepare a detailed plan. This committee was comprised of Adachi Tadashi, Maeda Hajime, Zen Keinosuke, Moroi Kan’ichi and Nakata Kenji (Morita 1958: 331).
