Shozo Kawasaki, the founder opens Kawasaki Tsukiji Shipyard to build Western-type oceangoing steel ships in Tokyo. In 1886, the scale of the enterprise expands with the founding of the Kawasaki Dockyard in Kobe.
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The Founder, Shozo Kawasaki | ||
Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Ltd. is incorporated. Kojiro Matsukata is appointed as the first president of the new company.
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The First President, Kojiro Matsukata | ||
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1897 | Launches Cargo-Passenger Ship Iyomaru | ||
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1902 | Completes Dry Dock | ||
The newly opened Hyogo Works begins fabrication of locomotives, freight and passenger cars and bridge girders. This is also the year that Kawasaki begins production of marine steam turbines at its dockyard.
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1906 | Builds the First Submarine in Japan | |
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1911 | Completes the First Kawasaki-made Locomotive |
The Aircraft Department is established at Hyogo Works, a short 15 years after the Wright brothers' historic flight when airplanes were still made from wood and cloth and could only travel short distances. In 1922, the Company begins manufacturing aircraft and establishes a new aircraft plant.Kawasaki went on to build Japan's first metal aircraft, which laid the groundwork for the technological innovations of today.
| 1919 | Shipping division is spun off and incorporated as Kawasaki Kisen Kaisya Ltd. (K-line). |
| 1928 | Hyogo Works is spun off and incorporated as Kawasaki Rolling Stock Manufacturing Co., Ltd. |
| 1937 | Aircraft division is spun off and incorporated as Kawasaki Aircraft Co., Ltd. |
| 1950 | Steelmaking division is spun off and Kawasaki Steel Corporation is incorporated. As the Company expands, its rolling stock, aircraft and steelmaking divisions are divested to pave the way for steady growth in each of these fields. The shipbuilding, rolling stock, aircraft, industrial and construction machinery and steel structure businesses each play an important role during the period of postwar restoration and economic expansion. The Company achieves remarkable growth as Japan sets its sights on becoming a world leader of industry. |
| 1966 | Merges with Yokoyama Kogyo Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of boilers, grinders and conveyors. |
Kawasaki Dockyard, Kawasaki Rolling Stock Manufacturing and Kawasaki Aircraft merge to become Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. With the capacity to handle projects on land, at sea and in the air, Kawasaki strengthens its foundation as a comprehensive systems engineering company.
| 1972 | Merges with Kisha Seizo Co., Ltd., becoming Japan’s leader in the rolling stock industry. Operations also expand into the field of municipal refuse incineration. The 20th century ushers in incredible technological advances. Kawasaki foresees the need to apply advanced technologies and engineering expertise to large-scale projects worldwide. |
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1969 | Develops Kawasaki-Unimate 2000, the first Japan-made industrial robot | |
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1972 | Unveils Z1 motorcycle |
Starts production of motorcycles in the U.S. ahead of all other Japanese motor vehicle producers. The Company expands U.S. production to rolling stock in 1986 and construction machinery in 1988.
| 1989 | Receives orders for construction work on the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, then the longest suspension bridge in the world, which opens in 1998; Kawasaki’s work includes construction of one of the bridge’s two main towers. |
| 1991 | Two Kawasaki tunnel boring machines succeed, eight months ahead of schedule, in finishing excavation work on the Channel Tunnel connecting the U.K. and France. |
Introduces an internal company system and an executive officer system.
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2001 | Builds rolling stock factory in the U.S. |
| 2002 | Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation and Kawasaki Precision Machinery Ltd. are established as wholly owned subsidiaries. |
| 2005 | Kawasaki Plant Systems, Ltd. (K Plant) is established as a wholly owned subsidiary. |
| 2006 | Kawasaki Environmental Engineering, Ltd. (KEE) is established as a wholly owned subsidiray. |
| 2007 | On April 1, K Plant and KEE merge to form new K Plant. |
