Jirō Kanamori

Jiro Kanamori (born October 31, 1889 – August 14, 1983) was a Japanese businessman and former president of Tokyo Optical Machinery. He was the second son of religious leader Michiyuki Kanamori, and was raised in Kyoto City by his father, who was a pastor from Kumamoto Prefecture.

His career began with his graduation from First High School in 1912, followed by completion of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Tokyo Imperial University in 1915. After graduation, he joined Yokohama Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd., where he started working as an engineer. In 1929, as an engineer at Yokohama Shipbuilding, he traveled to Denmark for inspection related to the construction of the Chichibu Maru, and in 1930, he accompanied the vessel on a test voyage to the United States as chief engineer.

In 1939, he was appointed managing director and chief engineer of Tokyo Optical Machinery, a company founded in 1932. In 1944, he served as president and chairman of Okaya Optical Machinery, and also held positions as director of New Shin Alloys, senior managing director, chief engineer, and president of Tokyo Fire. After World War II, in 1945, he established the Itabashi Industrial Club and served as its chairman. Later, this organization was renamed the Itabashi Industry Association and the Itabashi Industrial Federation, with Kanamori acting as the first chairman until 1952.

Furthermore, in 1948, he became a director at Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical (now Astellas Pharma), while also serving as president of Tokyo Optical Machinery, chairman of the Itabashi Industry Association, and director of the Engineering Precision Machinery Industry Association. In 1953, he was appointed managing director of Nippon Industries. His grave is located at Tamaa Reien Cemetery.

In his personal life, he was a Christian. His father was Michiyuki Kanamori. His wife, Kishiko, was the eldest daughter of Yoshijiro Ueno, president of Yokohama Electric. Kishiko's sisters' spouses included Naoji Ooshima and Tanemon Hayakawa. His brother's father-in-law was Tetsukichi Kuraachi, and his family included his eldest son, Akira (a graduate of Kyushu Middle School), his eldest daughter, Hatsue (a graduate of Eizen Girls' School), and his second daughter, Chizuko. He also had a brother named Taro Kanamori, and his nephew was Jiro Ishiba, with Shigeru Ishiba being his grandson.

Through his extensive career, Jiro Kanamori contributed significantly to technological development and industrial promotion across various fields.