This year marks the 150th anniversary of a visit that would help launch one of the world’s biggest car manufacturers.
On April 17, 1865 nineteen students set sail from the tiny village of Hashima in the Satsuma province – now present day Kagoshima – bound for England.
Three of the students were on a mission to learn about the textile industry here in the borough, then the cotton spinning capital of the world.
Thus began a period of exchange visits between Oldham and Kagoshima.
In 1866 the students returned to Japan with machinery and four engineers from Platt Brothers. The following year three more engineers travelled to Kagoshima. Their job was to assist in the manufacturing and technical training of Japanese staff as well as installing the machinery.
The engineers were housed in the Foreigners’ House, which was built in 1866 especially for them. Today this house is a museum recording the story of these events.
The relationship continued long after the establishment of the factory in Kagoshima, with trade links continuing throughout the twentieth century.
Platt Brothers also helped to give birth to the world’s largest carmakers, Toyota. In 1929, the firm paid £100,000 for the patents to an automatic loom developed by the company.
It was the money from this sale that allowed Toyota, then called Toyoda, to diversify and begin its automobile manufacturing.
Earlier this year Gallery Oldham was approached by the Japanese Embassy to see if we would be interested in taking part in their Satsuma 150 celebrations, a national event marking the links between Japan and the UK.
To mark the occasion a display of Gallery Oldham’s small collection of Satsuma ceramics has been created.
The display will be on show until November 21.
Gallery Oldham is also interested in trying to find the relatives of any Platt Brothers workers who travelled to Japan. If you can help contact Rebecca Hill, Exhibitions and Collections Co-ordinator (Art) on rebecca.hill@oldham.gov.uk or call 0161 770 4632.
