His relationship with Fukujiro HIRAYAMA and his dual career
Muneki was born on December 4th, 1889 (Meiji 22) at 14 Fukuro-cho, Surugadai, Kanda, Tokyo, as the second son of his father, Naoharu SHIRAISHI, and mother, Kikuko.
In 1910 (Meiji 43), he entered the Faculty of Engineering at the College of Technology, Tokyo Imperial University, where he enrolled in the Department of Electrical Engineering, where he devoted himself to research and experiments. After graduating, he volunteered to serve a year in the military before joining Nippon Nitrogen Fertilizer Co., Ltd. (hereafter "Nippon Nitrogen"). He joined the Nakano Telegraph Corps, where he lived and worked with Fukujiro HIRAYAMA, his brother Tashiro's best friend, and they developed a strong friendship. His connection with HIRAYAMA would later lead to Muneki SHIRAISHI, who became chairman, and Fukujiro HIRAYAMA, the President, at the time of establishment of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS in 1954 (Showa 29).
After completing his military service in December 1914 (Taisho 3), he was officially hired by Nippon Chisso. In 1918 (Taisho 7) and 1920 (Taisho 9), Muneki studied in the United States and Germany to understand the global situation in electrochemical research.
After returning to Japan, Muneki became head of the research department and Deputy General Manager of the Nobeoka Factory at Nippon Chisso, and was also given the special mission of scouting potential sites for large-scale factories. He conducted surveys of Yakushima, the Tadami River, the Kurobe River, the Itoigawa River, and the Shogawa River basins to investigate potential power source areas and ports and harbors sites for the construction of a major electrochemical complex.
This later led to a power source development survey along the Tadami River by the SHIRAISHI brothers and HIRAYAMA and other members of the Tuesday Association Consultating Office.
In 1941 (Showa 16), Muneki was appointed as the Managing Director of Nippon Chisso, and in 1944 (Showa 19), he was promoted to Senior Director.
Subsequently, Nippon Chisso was designated as a target for the dissolution of the zaibatsu in December 1945 (Showa 20), and its activities were severely restricted. Muneki was also subject to the public office purge order in February 1946 (Showa 21).
The Birth of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS
Room 424 on the fourth floor of the Maru Building, where Headquarters of Shiraishi Foundation Construction Co., Ltd., run by his brother Tashiro, was located, had become a gathering place for Tashiro's seniors and friends who had been banned from public office, and they were engaged in passionate discussions about the future of Japan. Muneki joined them, and Fukujiro HIRAYAMA, who had returned from Manchuria at the end of 1946 (Showa 21), also joined, and the topics began to become more concrete.
Raymond was friends with his brother Tashiro, and Flor and others who responded to Raymond's call gradually established a foundation for consulting activities, including the Shimanto River Development Plan in Kochi Prefecture, and as a result, they decided to work together.
In September 1951, U.S. Corporation PACIFIC CONSULTANTS INCOPORATED (P.C. Inc.) was established with Eric Flor as the President and Raymond and Muneki as the Vice Presidents, with Headquarters in Delaware, USA, and its Tokyo branch located within the Shiraishi Foundation Works established in the Maru Building.
In October 1950 (Showa 25), Muneki's ban from holding public office was lifted, and in July 1951 (Showa 26), he was appointed as the President of the newly established Shin-Nippon Nitrogen Fertilizer Co., Ltd. This was two months before P.C. Inc. was established. As a result, Muneki was no longer able to devote himself to the business of P.C. Inc. full-time, and Fukujiro HIRAYAMA was primarily in charge of its management.
Subsequently, U.S. Corporation P.C. Inc., was dissolved and the Japanese corporation, PACIFIC CONSULTANTS CO., LTD., was established in February 1954 (Showa 29). Muneki, who was also the President of Shin-Nippon Chisso, became the chairman, and Fukujiro HIRAYAMA became the first President.
The head office continued to be located in the Higashi Fuji Building at the west exit of Shinjuku Station, as it had been for P.C. Inc., and the company had 13 employees at the start.
Muneki retired as the President of Nippon Chisso in 1958 (Showa 33), and thereafter devoted himself to management as the chairman of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS.
Following the death of the President Fukujiro HIRAYAMA in January 1962, Muneki became the company's second President, and repeatedly spoke of "Improving the status" of consulting engineers, "Expanding overseas," and "Learning English" as a means to achieve this.
In 1965, he became the second chairman of The Japan Civil Engineering Consultants Association, a position he held for 11 years until his retirement in 1976. During this time, Muneki devoted himself to spreading the business philosophy of consulting engineers among its members and promoting overseas activities.
