Kenichiro Komai
This foundation was established by Kenichiro Komai, Hitachi’s third president. During Komai’s presidency, which coincided with a period of rapid national economic growth, he focused on expanding both operations as well as research and development, to meet the needs of the time. This was when Hitachi grew from being a manufacturer of heavy electrical machinery to one of the world’s leading general manufacturers of electrical and electronic products.
After Komai retired, he was struck by the growing incidence of neuroses among school children subjected to the intense pressures of school and university entrance examinations, by the increased number of domestic violence cases, and by other similar problems that were placing a strain on the social fabric. His response was to promote education by establishing the Odaira Memorial Foundation, the forerunner to the Odaira Memorial Hitachi Education Foundation, and serving as the foundation’s first chairman. Knowing how important it is to start building character from a child’s earliest years, he promoted a number of initiatives, such as classes for preschoolers and mothers aimed at helping parents give their children a sound, rich, humanistic education.
Komai was also active in instituting scholarships for Southeast Asian students, becoming the first chairman of the Hitachi Scholarship Foundation.
