Iwatsu Electric
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese electronics manufacturer founded 14 August 1938, whose primary focus is on the following three business domains:
company. The company has enjoyed growth along the public NTT, expanding its products to radio communication equipment, oscilloscopes, and in the 1961, their first reprographic system.
without his family. He worked by day to support himself and went to school by night. Whilst in school, he became the leader of a circle of like-minded friends, which they called Hatenkai. Together, they vowed to succeed in the future.
Iwasaki dropped out of school in 1912 and began his military service in 1913 in Okayama--which he completed in three years. Then he moved to Hokkaidō
where he started his career as an entrepreneur. His ventures in Hokkaidō stretched from railroads to coal mines, until the year 1933 when he changed his course and came back to Tokyo again.
neighborhood of Tokyo for manufacturing and selling cables. Iwasaki realized that in order to stay in business, he needed to follow the national policy and produce what the country needed at the time.
The first focus was on anti-induction telephones. In the 1930s, the telephone infrastructure in Japan was primarily used by the railroad industry, the police, the utility industry and the mining industry. The telecommunications infrastructure was so poor that it had to rely on power lines and railway cables—upon which telephone signals were superimposed. Because the telephone signals were susceptible to inductive interference and noise and the defective wiring in the long lines caused too much signal loss, normal telephone conversations were difficult. Iwasaki Kogyo set out to develop an anti-induction telephone to solve this problem, whilst running the cable manufacturing operations. Similarly, Iwasaki Kogyo focused on secure, anti-tapping telephones.
Motivated by these opportunities, he started looking for engineers. Luckily he knew engineers from the members of Hatenkai: Minoru Tokoha and Motosaburo Hashimoto. When he talked to them, they both showed strong interest. With the help of these two engineers, he set up a lab in his own house in Yoyogi to develop the two kinds of special-purpose telephones.
After six months, Tokoha and Hashimoto introduced Iwasaki to Kokichi Hayakawa, the television research chief at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at Waseda University
. With the addition of Hayakawa, the development of special-purpose telephones speeded up and the anti-induction telephone and then the anti-tapping telephone were completed by the middle of 1937. (Hayakawa later became the first chief engineer/vice president of Iwatsu.)
The sales of anti-induction telephones started in October 1937, and the police, the Ministry of Railway, the power industry, the railroad industry and the mining industry welcomed the product. Demand quickly outstripped capacity, forcing Iwasaki to extend the factory. Iwasaki knew that a privately-owned business was not enough to meet such high demands and decided to incorporate a company. On August 14, 1938, the inauguration ceremony of Iwasaki Tsushinki (communication instruments) was held at Iwasaki's own house. (The name Iwatsu became the official abbreviation for Iwasaki Tsushinki in 1967.)
Initially, there were 50 employees. They were manufacturing the said telephones and carrier-current telephones, plus components (relays, transformers, capacitors, etc.) necessary for making the telephones.
Because the small factory, though extended, couldn't handle the increasing orders anymore, a new, bigger factory was built in 1939 in Karasuyama, Tokyo. The production department was moved to this new factory, leaving the other operations in Yoyogi. Around this time, the number of employees increased to approximately 200.
and NEC
) ordered by the army to develop a radar warning system. Because the Karasuyama factory was already running at full capacity, Iwatsu had no choice but to build even bigger factories. Kugayama
, Tokyo
was selected as the site to build new factories along with the headquarters, which were completed in 1943. Kugayama
is the location of the current Iwatsu headquarters.
The development of the radar
warning system was led by Chief Engineer Hayakawa, and after excruciating efforts by the engineers, a prototype was completed in 1944. The prototypes from the three companies were tested by the army, and Iwatsu's prototype got the honor of being the best in performance. Iwatsu was ordered to mass-produce the systems, which were installed across the country.
As a high-school dropout, Seiichi Iwasaki knew the importance of education. Iwatsu began building schools on the corporate campus, providing young factory workers with education. The schools also served as a training center for future engineers of Iwatsu.
The end of World War II
was a huge turning point for Iwatsu. Seiichi Iwasaki laid down the company's future plan and gave the devastated employees a new hope. The plan was to make a quick transition to manufacturing consumer goods, starting with common-battery telephones. However, the transition didn't go smoothly. Starting the development of new products (of which Iwatsu had no experience) from scratch was hard enough; rampant inflation and constant lack of materials didn't help, either. When Iwatsu finally got the first approval for the common-battery telephone among other three products from the Ministry of Communications and made delivery in 1947, the employees' excitement reached its peak. It gave them hope in the days of confusion and starvation.
However, the company's livelihood was in danger. Iwatsu was knee-deep in debt, frequent demonstrations were held by a newly-formed labor union, and many jobs had to be cut. Faced with the severe financial difficulties, Seiichi Iwasaki and other company officials decided to give up the fight for saving the company.
On March 10, 1949, Tadashi Adachi and Takao Yoshida were brought in to be the president and the senior executive vice president, respectively, in hopes of reviving the company. Drastic changes had to be made, such as selling off assets and properties and laying off employees, in order to lay the groundwork for a solid business base.
Iwatsu's production facilities made significant advancements with the introduction of quality control and belt conveyors. The foundation for increasing production was laid.
Iwatsu established its position as a telephone manufacturer. Iwatsu delivered magneto telephones and dial telephones to the Ministry of Telecommunications, and aircraft radio communications accessories to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
(NTT) Public Corporation, founded by the Japanese government in 1952, opened a big market for subscriber telephones and became Iwatsu's biggest client. NTT
also allowed telephone sets and PBX systems to be commercially available in Japan. Iwatsu opened one branch office after another across Japan over four years to build a nation-wide sales network.
Iwatsu was ready to venture into new challenges again. The Far East Air Material Command (FEAMCOM) in Tachikawa, Tokyo was in need of more oscilloscopes (which were scarce and not so advanced at the time) for testing their radar systems. The FEAMCOM cooperated with Iwatsu in developing Japan's first oscilloscope
. This oscilloscope's greatest advantage was its ability to hold a waveform still on the CRT, making it easier for the user to observe and measure the waveform. Iwatsu named it Synchroscope, and the first model was delivered to the Ministry of Defense in 1954.
TV broadcasting started in Japan in 1953. NHK
(or Japan Broadcasting Corporation) requested Iwatsu to develop a new oscilloscope
for TVs because oscilloscopes were essential for measuring TV signals and Iwatsu was the only domestic oscilloscope
manufacturer at the time. Iwatsu's Synchroscope continued to evolve in response to new demands, such as larger CRTs and higher frequency ranges.
President Adachi accepted his new position as the president of Radio Tokyo and resigned his position at Iwatsu. Yoshida became the third president and Kanichi Ohashi became the executive vice president of Iwatsu in 1955.
During this high-growth period, Iwatsu's capital increased from 1,000,000 yen (in 1951) to 200,000,000 yen (in 1957). Iwatsu's stock price kept rising and started to get attention. Iwatsu went public in 1953 and became listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
in 1957.
President Yoshida, who had been the driving force behind Iwatsu's revitalization ever since he became part of the company, was also asked to serve as the president of Fuji Heavy Industries
where he originally came from. It became extremely hard for him to look after two companies at the same time because Fuji Heavy Industries
started their production of motor vehicles in full swing, so he remained as the president of Fuji Heavy Industries
and became the chairman of the board of Iwatsu, in effect, stepping down from his active role at Iwatsu. Kanichi Ohashi assumed his position as the fourth president of Iwatsu in 1958. Ohashi's inauguration marked the end of Iwatsu's long postwar reconstruction period and the beginning of a new era.
President Ohashi visited the United States in 1959 to see the trends in the American telephone industry. He found out key telephone systems were already in actual use and was convinced that the key telephone system was the next new thing in the telephone market in Japan. Iwatsu had been working on the development of a key telephone system and the first practical system (with five trunks and ten stations) was delivered to NTT Public Corporation that year.
's electrostatic printer and copier technology (electrofax). Iwatsu signed a patent license with RCA
and began research and development of what was seemingly unrelated to Iwatsu's then-existing technologies. The idea behind this decision was that there wasn't much difference in terms of communications, whether electronic or on paper.
Iwatsu's first dry-type electronic reprographic machine ELEFAX PC 201 was introduced at Tokyo Business Show in 1960. The next model ELEFAX PC 301 was shown at International Trade Fair and officially released in 1961. Iwatsu was the 13th company in the world to undertake the research of electrophotographic technology, but Iwatsu came in fourth to actually release a product based on such technology.
A new plating-and-coating plant was built in 1961 in order to modernize and streamline the plating/coating processes of ever-increasing telephone production. With the help of Fujikasui Engineering, the plant was designed with a proactive approach to prevent pollution, namely, an innovative wastewater treatment system. The plant became a model for such facilities, and thousands of people from various industries came to visit.
President Ohashi placed emphasis on research and development, while Former President Yoshida had focused on increasing production capacity. Ohashi's belief led to the completion of a technical research lab in Hachioji, Tokyo in 1964. Still, Iwatsu's production facilities kept expanding in order to meet growing demands for subscriber telephones.
The Iwatsu telephone production hit the 50,000 sets per month mark in June 1964. An accumulated total of 1,000,000 sets were manufactured by October 1965. An accumulated total of 2,000,000 sets were manufactured by June 1967. In December 1967, Iwatsu was producing 80,000 sets per month, and the number of employees increased to 2,800.
The current Kugayama
main building at the Iwatsu headquarters was completed in March 1966, replacing the old wooden building. The reinforced concrete building is five stories high with one basement level. It took strong determination and efforts to build such a building in the middle of a recession. The new main building was a testament to the endurance of employees who supported the company throughout postwar uncertainty.
Iwatsu started branching out into overseas markets, doing business with Southeast Asian countries, Kenya
, Dominican Republic
, and Ireland
. Iwatsu took part in trade shows in the United States, South Korea
, Switzerland
, Germany
, and so on. The Trade Department was established in February 1966 to diversify export markets and expand overseas sales.
An international bid was conducted by the Kuwaiti government in 1967 as part of its plan to expand telephone services. Iwatsu won the 50,000,000-yen bid, beating strong competitors from England
, Belgium
, Yugoslavia
, Germany
, etc. Iwatsu exported key telephone systems to Kuwait
. It was Iwatsu's first mass-export of key telephone systems.
Iwatsu celebrated its 30th anniversary in 1968. A commemorative exhibit showing all divisions' historic products was held in Tokyo. It drew in over 13,000 people. A big party was also held in Tokyo, inviting 750 prominent people from various fields.
Seiichi Iwasaki, the founder of Iwatsu, died at the age of 74 on September 25, 1969. The corporate funeral for him was held four days later. Representatives from all walks of life came and paid their respects.
Toshio Iwata became the fifth president of Iwatsu in November 1969. Ohashi became the chairman of the board.
.
The Trade Department under the supervision of the Sales Division became independent as the International Department in April 1974 for promotion of export and expansion into international markets.
Although export to the U.S. marked a record high in 1973 (the year the energy crisis hit), accurate information from the U.S. distributors was not readily available, which was a problem for planning new products in Japan. Iwatsu decided to establish direct sales in America. Iwatsu America (now Iwatsu Voice Networks) was established in New Jersey
in December 1975.
A wooded area of Iwatsu headquarters premises was named Iwatsu Garden and opened to public in 1974 as a contribution to the community. It became a relaxation/recreation area for the people in the surrounding area.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese electronics manufacturer founded 14 August 1938, whose primary focus is on the following three business domains:
- Business communication systems,
- including CTIComputer telephony integrationComputer telephony integration, also called computer–telephone integration or CTI, is a common name for any technology that allows interactions on a telephone and a computer to be integrated or coordinated...
and VoIPVoice over IPVoice over Internet Protocol is a family of technologies, methodologies, communication protocols, and transmission techniques for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol networks, such as the Internet...
devices to PBXs and office digital phones.- Test and measurement equipment,
- ranging from oscilloscopeOscilloscopeAn oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical or 'Y' axis, plotted as a function of time,...
s to various other network testing systems.- Reprographic systems,
- including digital reprographicReprographyReprography is the reproduction of graphics through mechanical or electrical means, such as photography or xerography. Reprography is commonly used in catalogs and archives, as well as in the architectural, engineering, and construction industries....
systems, with which the company claims to have top share.
History
Originally starting up as a telephone manufacturer, Iwatsu had been a long time supplier to the public Nippon Telegraph and TelephoneNippon Telegraph and Telephone
, commonly known as NTT, is a Japanese telecommunications company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Ranked the 31st in Fortune Global 500, NTT is the largest telecommunications company in Asia, and the second-largest in the world in terms of revenue....
company. The company has enjoyed growth along the public NTT, expanding its products to radio communication equipment, oscilloscopes, and in the 1961, their first reprographic system.
Seiichi Iwasaki: Founder
Seiichi Iwasaki was born in 1895 in Shimane, Japan. As a teenager, he moved to TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
without his family. He worked by day to support himself and went to school by night. Whilst in school, he became the leader of a circle of like-minded friends, which they called Hatenkai. Together, they vowed to succeed in the future.
Iwasaki dropped out of school in 1912 and began his military service in 1913 in Okayama--which he completed in three years. Then he moved to Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
where he started his career as an entrepreneur. His ventures in Hokkaidō stretched from railroads to coal mines, until the year 1933 when he changed his course and came back to Tokyo again.
1930s
Seiichi Iwasaki was running a small business called Iwasaki Kogyo in the YoyogiYoyogi
is a neighborhood in the northern part of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.-Geography:The area encompassed by Yoyogi is typically defined two ways:* Only the five Yoyogi ....
neighborhood of Tokyo for manufacturing and selling cables. Iwasaki realized that in order to stay in business, he needed to follow the national policy and produce what the country needed at the time.
The first focus was on anti-induction telephones. In the 1930s, the telephone infrastructure in Japan was primarily used by the railroad industry, the police, the utility industry and the mining industry. The telecommunications infrastructure was so poor that it had to rely on power lines and railway cables—upon which telephone signals were superimposed. Because the telephone signals were susceptible to inductive interference and noise and the defective wiring in the long lines caused too much signal loss, normal telephone conversations were difficult. Iwasaki Kogyo set out to develop an anti-induction telephone to solve this problem, whilst running the cable manufacturing operations. Similarly, Iwasaki Kogyo focused on secure, anti-tapping telephones.
Motivated by these opportunities, he started looking for engineers. Luckily he knew engineers from the members of Hatenkai: Minoru Tokoha and Motosaburo Hashimoto. When he talked to them, they both showed strong interest. With the help of these two engineers, he set up a lab in his own house in Yoyogi to develop the two kinds of special-purpose telephones.
After six months, Tokoha and Hashimoto introduced Iwasaki to Kokichi Hayakawa, the television research chief at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
. With the addition of Hayakawa, the development of special-purpose telephones speeded up and the anti-induction telephone and then the anti-tapping telephone were completed by the middle of 1937. (Hayakawa later became the first chief engineer/vice president of Iwatsu.)
The sales of anti-induction telephones started in October 1937, and the police, the Ministry of Railway, the power industry, the railroad industry and the mining industry welcomed the product. Demand quickly outstripped capacity, forcing Iwasaki to extend the factory. Iwasaki knew that a privately-owned business was not enough to meet such high demands and decided to incorporate a company. On August 14, 1938, the inauguration ceremony of Iwasaki Tsushinki (communication instruments) was held at Iwasaki's own house. (The name Iwatsu became the official abbreviation for Iwasaki Tsushinki in 1967.)
Initially, there were 50 employees. They were manufacturing the said telephones and carrier-current telephones, plus components (relays, transformers, capacitors, etc.) necessary for making the telephones.
Because the small factory, though extended, couldn't handle the increasing orders anymore, a new, bigger factory was built in 1939 in Karasuyama, Tokyo. The production department was moved to this new factory, leaving the other operations in Yoyogi. Around this time, the number of employees increased to approximately 200.
1940s
Iwatsu was one of the three companies (including HitachiHitachi, Ltd.
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...
and NEC
NEC
, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
) ordered by the army to develop a radar warning system. Because the Karasuyama factory was already running at full capacity, Iwatsu had no choice but to build even bigger factories. Kugayama
Kugayama
Kugayama is a suburb of Tokyo in Suginami ward, west of Shinjuku.Kugayama is a residential community located along the Keiō Inokashira Line. It is served by local and express trains. The surrounding stations are Fujimigaoka and Mitakadai....
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
was selected as the site to build new factories along with the headquarters, which were completed in 1943. Kugayama
Kugayama
Kugayama is a suburb of Tokyo in Suginami ward, west of Shinjuku.Kugayama is a residential community located along the Keiō Inokashira Line. It is served by local and express trains. The surrounding stations are Fujimigaoka and Mitakadai....
is the location of the current Iwatsu headquarters.
The development of the radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
warning system was led by Chief Engineer Hayakawa, and after excruciating efforts by the engineers, a prototype was completed in 1944. The prototypes from the three companies were tested by the army, and Iwatsu's prototype got the honor of being the best in performance. Iwatsu was ordered to mass-produce the systems, which were installed across the country.
As a high-school dropout, Seiichi Iwasaki knew the importance of education. Iwatsu began building schools on the corporate campus, providing young factory workers with education. The schools also served as a training center for future engineers of Iwatsu.
The end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was a huge turning point for Iwatsu. Seiichi Iwasaki laid down the company's future plan and gave the devastated employees a new hope. The plan was to make a quick transition to manufacturing consumer goods, starting with common-battery telephones. However, the transition didn't go smoothly. Starting the development of new products (of which Iwatsu had no experience) from scratch was hard enough; rampant inflation and constant lack of materials didn't help, either. When Iwatsu finally got the first approval for the common-battery telephone among other three products from the Ministry of Communications and made delivery in 1947, the employees' excitement reached its peak. It gave them hope in the days of confusion and starvation.
However, the company's livelihood was in danger. Iwatsu was knee-deep in debt, frequent demonstrations were held by a newly-formed labor union, and many jobs had to be cut. Faced with the severe financial difficulties, Seiichi Iwasaki and other company officials decided to give up the fight for saving the company.
On March 10, 1949, Tadashi Adachi and Takao Yoshida were brought in to be the president and the senior executive vice president, respectively, in hopes of reviving the company. Drastic changes had to be made, such as selling off assets and properties and laying off employees, in order to lay the groundwork for a solid business base.
1950s
After World War II, rebuilding the devastated communications infrastructure was ordered by the General Headquarters of the Allied Forces (GHQ) and became one of the country's top priorities. Iwatsu took full advantage of the situation and focused on developing and manufacturing telephones.Iwatsu's production facilities made significant advancements with the introduction of quality control and belt conveyors. The foundation for increasing production was laid.
Iwatsu established its position as a telephone manufacturer. Iwatsu delivered magneto telephones and dial telephones to the Ministry of Telecommunications, and aircraft radio communications accessories to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
, commonly known as NTT, is a Japanese telecommunications company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Ranked the 31st in Fortune Global 500, NTT is the largest telecommunications company in Asia, and the second-largest in the world in terms of revenue....
(NTT) Public Corporation, founded by the Japanese government in 1952, opened a big market for subscriber telephones and became Iwatsu's biggest client. NTT
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
, commonly known as NTT, is a Japanese telecommunications company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Ranked the 31st in Fortune Global 500, NTT is the largest telecommunications company in Asia, and the second-largest in the world in terms of revenue....
also allowed telephone sets and PBX systems to be commercially available in Japan. Iwatsu opened one branch office after another across Japan over four years to build a nation-wide sales network.
Iwatsu was ready to venture into new challenges again. The Far East Air Material Command (FEAMCOM) in Tachikawa, Tokyo was in need of more oscilloscopes (which were scarce and not so advanced at the time) for testing their radar systems. The FEAMCOM cooperated with Iwatsu in developing Japan's first oscilloscope
Oscilloscope
An oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical or 'Y' axis, plotted as a function of time,...
. This oscilloscope's greatest advantage was its ability to hold a waveform still on the CRT, making it easier for the user to observe and measure the waveform. Iwatsu named it Synchroscope, and the first model was delivered to the Ministry of Defense in 1954.
TV broadcasting started in Japan in 1953. NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
(or Japan Broadcasting Corporation) requested Iwatsu to develop a new oscilloscope
Oscilloscope
An oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical or 'Y' axis, plotted as a function of time,...
for TVs because oscilloscopes were essential for measuring TV signals and Iwatsu was the only domestic oscilloscope
Oscilloscope
An oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical or 'Y' axis, plotted as a function of time,...
manufacturer at the time. Iwatsu's Synchroscope continued to evolve in response to new demands, such as larger CRTs and higher frequency ranges.
President Adachi accepted his new position as the president of Radio Tokyo and resigned his position at Iwatsu. Yoshida became the third president and Kanichi Ohashi became the executive vice president of Iwatsu in 1955.
During this high-growth period, Iwatsu's capital increased from 1,000,000 yen (in 1951) to 200,000,000 yen (in 1957). Iwatsu's stock price kept rising and started to get attention. Iwatsu went public in 1953 and became listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Tokyo Stock Exchange
The , called or TSE for short, is located in Tokyo, Japan and is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies...
in 1957.
President Yoshida, who had been the driving force behind Iwatsu's revitalization ever since he became part of the company, was also asked to serve as the president of Fuji Heavy Industries
Fuji Heavy Industries
, or FHI, is a Japanese transportation conglomerate most known for being the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles. It traces its roots to the Nakajima Aircraft Company, a leading supplier of airplanes to the Japanese government during World War II...
where he originally came from. It became extremely hard for him to look after two companies at the same time because Fuji Heavy Industries
Fuji Heavy Industries
, or FHI, is a Japanese transportation conglomerate most known for being the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles. It traces its roots to the Nakajima Aircraft Company, a leading supplier of airplanes to the Japanese government during World War II...
started their production of motor vehicles in full swing, so he remained as the president of Fuji Heavy Industries
Fuji Heavy Industries
, or FHI, is a Japanese transportation conglomerate most known for being the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles. It traces its roots to the Nakajima Aircraft Company, a leading supplier of airplanes to the Japanese government during World War II...
and became the chairman of the board of Iwatsu, in effect, stepping down from his active role at Iwatsu. Kanichi Ohashi assumed his position as the fourth president of Iwatsu in 1958. Ohashi's inauguration marked the end of Iwatsu's long postwar reconstruction period and the beginning of a new era.
President Ohashi visited the United States in 1959 to see the trends in the American telephone industry. He found out key telephone systems were already in actual use and was convinced that the key telephone system was the next new thing in the telephone market in Japan. Iwatsu had been working on the development of a key telephone system and the first practical system (with five trunks and ten stations) was delivered to NTT Public Corporation that year.
1960s
Iwatsu was seeking the third signature product following telephones and oscilloscopes. After years of research in Europe and the U.S., Iwatsu took notice of RCARCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
's electrostatic printer and copier technology (electrofax). Iwatsu signed a patent license with RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
and began research and development of what was seemingly unrelated to Iwatsu's then-existing technologies. The idea behind this decision was that there wasn't much difference in terms of communications, whether electronic or on paper.
Iwatsu's first dry-type electronic reprographic machine ELEFAX PC 201 was introduced at Tokyo Business Show in 1960. The next model ELEFAX PC 301 was shown at International Trade Fair and officially released in 1961. Iwatsu was the 13th company in the world to undertake the research of electrophotographic technology, but Iwatsu came in fourth to actually release a product based on such technology.
A new plating-and-coating plant was built in 1961 in order to modernize and streamline the plating/coating processes of ever-increasing telephone production. With the help of Fujikasui Engineering, the plant was designed with a proactive approach to prevent pollution, namely, an innovative wastewater treatment system. The plant became a model for such facilities, and thousands of people from various industries came to visit.
President Ohashi placed emphasis on research and development, while Former President Yoshida had focused on increasing production capacity. Ohashi's belief led to the completion of a technical research lab in Hachioji, Tokyo in 1964. Still, Iwatsu's production facilities kept expanding in order to meet growing demands for subscriber telephones.
The Iwatsu telephone production hit the 50,000 sets per month mark in June 1964. An accumulated total of 1,000,000 sets were manufactured by October 1965. An accumulated total of 2,000,000 sets were manufactured by June 1967. In December 1967, Iwatsu was producing 80,000 sets per month, and the number of employees increased to 2,800.
The current Kugayama
Kugayama
Kugayama is a suburb of Tokyo in Suginami ward, west of Shinjuku.Kugayama is a residential community located along the Keiō Inokashira Line. It is served by local and express trains. The surrounding stations are Fujimigaoka and Mitakadai....
main building at the Iwatsu headquarters was completed in March 1966, replacing the old wooden building. The reinforced concrete building is five stories high with one basement level. It took strong determination and efforts to build such a building in the middle of a recession. The new main building was a testament to the endurance of employees who supported the company throughout postwar uncertainty.
Iwatsu started branching out into overseas markets, doing business with Southeast Asian countries, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Iwatsu took part in trade shows in the United States, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and so on. The Trade Department was established in February 1966 to diversify export markets and expand overseas sales.
An international bid was conducted by the Kuwaiti government in 1967 as part of its plan to expand telephone services. Iwatsu won the 50,000,000-yen bid, beating strong competitors from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, etc. Iwatsu exported key telephone systems to Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. It was Iwatsu's first mass-export of key telephone systems.
Iwatsu celebrated its 30th anniversary in 1968. A commemorative exhibit showing all divisions' historic products was held in Tokyo. It drew in over 13,000 people. A big party was also held in Tokyo, inviting 750 prominent people from various fields.
Seiichi Iwasaki, the founder of Iwatsu, died at the age of 74 on September 25, 1969. The corporate funeral for him was held four days later. Representatives from all walks of life came and paid their respects.
Toshio Iwata became the fifth president of Iwatsu in November 1969. Ohashi became the chairman of the board.
1970s
Iwatsu continued to expand its production and export. Kyushu Iwatsu and Fukushima Iwatsu were established for manufacturing key telephone systems and associated components. Iwatsu Seimitsu was established for manufacturing and selling switches for measurement instruments. Iwatsu became partners with Rex Rotary of Denmark and exported ELEFAX to 77 countries. Iwatsu tied up with a Taiwanese company to export telephone manufacturing technologies and start production in TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
The Trade Department under the supervision of the Sales Division became independent as the International Department in April 1974 for promotion of export and expansion into international markets.
Although export to the U.S. marked a record high in 1973 (the year the energy crisis hit), accurate information from the U.S. distributors was not readily available, which was a problem for planning new products in Japan. Iwatsu decided to establish direct sales in America. Iwatsu America (now Iwatsu Voice Networks) was established in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in December 1975.
A wooded area of Iwatsu headquarters premises was named Iwatsu Garden and opened to public in 1974 as a contribution to the community. It became a relaxation/recreation area for the people in the surrounding area.
Major subsidiaries and affiliates
Some of the major Iwatsu subsidiaries and affiliates are:- Iwatsu Test Instruments Corporation (岩通計測株式会社), Iwatsu's test and measurement equipment arm
- Iwatsu Voice Networks (IVN). Iwatsu's North American subsidiary.
- Iwatsu Hong Kong Limited
- Iwatsu (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.