Kongō Gumi facts for kids
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Romanized name
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Kongō Gumi |
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| Subsidiary (since 2006) | |
| Industry | Construction |
| Founded | 578 |
| Founder | Shigemitsu Kongō |
| Headquarters | , |
| Parent | Takamatsu Construction Group (2006–present) |
Kongō Gumi Co., Ltd. (also known as 株式会社金剛組) is a very old Japanese construction company. It is thought to have started way back in 578 AD! This makes it the oldest company we know about in the world.
For a long time, Kongō Gumi built, fixed, and restored important buildings. These included Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, Japanese castles, and other cultural heritage sites. The company was known for its traditional building skills.
However, as other big construction companies started using more modern materials like concrete, Kongō Gumi faced new challenges. In 2006, it became part of a larger company called the Takamatsu Construction Group.
Contents
History of Kongō Gumi
Kongō Gumi was a family-owned business for over 1,400 years. Its main office was in Osaka, Japan. A special scroll from the 1600s shows how the company was passed down through 40 generations.
Building Ancient Japan
The company's founder, Shigemitsu Kongō, was a skilled carpenter. He was invited from the ancient kingdom of Baekje (now part of Korea) to Japan. In 578 AD, he helped build the famous Shitennō-ji temple. This temple was completed in 593 AD. Kongō Gumi continued to be the main builder for Shitennō-ji for centuries.
Over its long history, Kongō Gumi helped build many famous structures. This includes the impressive Osaka Castle in the 1500s. The company also helped rebuild Shitennō-ji many times. This was necessary because the temple was destroyed by wars or natural disasters.
After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan changed a lot. Kongō Gumi was one of the first construction companies to use concrete with wood. This was new for building temples. They also started using computer-aided design (CAD) for their temple projects.
Family Traditions and Challenges
One reason Kongō Gumi lasted so long was its family tradition. If a family had no sons, a son-in-law would join the family business. He would then take the Kongō family name. This helped keep the company name and traditions going through the generations.
Building Buddhist temples was a steady business for the company. Millions of people in Japan follow Buddhism, so there was always work.
However, the company faced tough times. In 1868, Shitennō-ji temple lost its land and could no longer pay Kongō Gumi regularly. In 1934, a big typhoon destroyed the five-story pagoda at Shitennō-ji. Kongō Gumi rebuilt it. This project was led by Yoshie Kongō, who was the first woman to become the head carpenter for the company.
Modern Changes and New Beginnings
In 1955, Kongō Gumi officially became a company. But by the early 2000s, it was struggling financially. In 2005, the company had about 100 employees. Its yearly earnings were around 70 million US dollars. The last president from the Kongō family was Masakazu Kongō, the 40th leader.
In January 2006, Kongō Gumi faced serious financial problems. Its business was taken over by a new company called Shin-Kongo Construction. This new company was part of the Takamatsu Construction Group. Most of Kongō Gumi's employees moved to the new company. The old Kongō Gumi company only kept its real estate business. It changed its name to KJ Construction Co., Ltd. This meant the Kongō family's direct management of the building business ended after over 1,400 years.
In July 2006, KJ Construction went bankrupt. It owed about 4 billion Japanese yen.
However, the Kongō Gumi name and its building traditions continue. As of 2023, Kongō Gumi still operates as a part of the Takamatsu Construction Group. They continue to specialize in building and repairing traditional Japanese structures.
See also
- List of oldest companies
