A modest beginning in a small room
In 1933, a small laboratory dedicated to making high-quality cameras was set up in a simple apartment room in the Roppongi area of Tokyo. At the time, all high-quality cameras were European with the majority coming from Germany. It was in this small room that young people with a big dream earnestly began their work on producing a high-quality Japanese camera, marking the beginning of Canon. Through hard work and with an enterprising spirit, they eventually succeeded in building a prototype, which was named Kwanon after the Buddhist goddess of mercy. The following year, in 1935, Japan's first-ever 35mm focal-plane-shutter camera, the Hansa Canon, was born, along with the Canon brand.Striving for the world's best camera
In 1950, Canon's first president, Takeshi Mitarai, went to America for the first time to attend an international trade fair. Having seen modern factories and a high standard of living first hand, upon his return, he built a fireproof factory of steel-reinforced concrete in the Shimomaruko area of Tokyo, which he saw as essential for Canon to succeed in doing business with the world at large. Mitarai also made clear his respect for humanity by stressing the importance of the Sanji, or Three Selfs spirit, the guiding principle for Canon employees. In 1955, Canon made its first step into the global market with the opening of a U.S. office in New York City. In 1957, Canon set up its sole European distributor, Canon Europa, in Geneva, Switzerland. By 1967 exports already topped 50% of the company's total sales.The challenge of diversification
Soon after its founding, Canon was hard at work in 1941 on diversifying itself with the introduction of Japan's first indirect X-ray camera and other products. In the 1960s, the company took further steps toward diversification by adding electrical, physical and chemical technologies to its optical and precision technologies. In 1964, Canon entered the office equipment market with the debut of the world's first 10-key electronic calculator. In 1967, the management slogan "cameras in the right hand, business machines in the left" was unveiled and in 1969 the company changed its name from Canon Camera Co., Inc. to Canon Inc. Canon took on the challenge of developing Japan's first plain paper copying machine, which it introduced in 1970, and realized further diversification from one challenging field to the next.Averting disaster with the Premier Company Plan
By 1970, Canon grew to 44.8 billion yen in sales and more than 5,000 employees. But hit by dollar and oil shocks, followed by problems with a defective electronic calculator display component in 1974, Canon fell on hard times. In the first half of 1975, it failed to pay a dividend for the first time since becoming a public company. In 1976, Canon unveiled its Premier Company Plan, an ambitious strategy to transform Canon into an "excellent global company" through such means as introducing a vertical business group constitution and establishing a horizontal development, production and sales system. The plan proposed high ideals and pooled the strength of its employees, enabling the company to promptly recover.Canon's second inauguration
Canon continued to grow under the Premier Company Plan. With the dawn of the personal computer age, Canon introduced to the world a series of products never before seen, among them a personal copying machine based on an all-in-one cartridge system, a laser printer with semiconductor laser, and a Bubble Jet inkjet printer. Canon also began promoting global production in earnest on the road to becoming an excellent global company. Then, in 1988, the 51st anniversary of the company's founding, Canon announced its second inauguration and unveiled its corporate philosophy of kyosei, an unfamiliar term at the time. It also began promoting such progressive and environmentally sound activities as toner cartridge recycling in addition to globalizing its development sites.The Excellent Global Corporation Plan
Canon had developed unprecedented technologies and carefully nurtured them to create business opportunities and products unrivaled by any other company. But by the mid-1990s, the business division system that had been in place since the 1970s was showing signs of wear. Canon also carried debt of more than 840 billion yen, meaning the company needed to improve its financial constitution if it was to carry out long-term R&D projects and launch new businesses. Fujio Mitarai became Canon's 6th company president in 1995, and in 1996 the Excellent Global Corporation Plan was launched. Transforming the corporate mindset from partial to total optimization and from a focus on sales to a focus on profits, the new plan was the start of the innovations that characterize today's Canon.
1933 Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory established 1934 Kwanon camera prototype developed 1936 Hansa Canon camera introduced
Hansa Canon 35mm focal-plane-shutter camera 1937 Precision Optical Industry, Co., Ltd. founded 1941 Japan's first indirect X-ray camera introduced 1947 Company name changed to Canon Camera Co., Inc. 1955 New York branch office opened 1957 Sole European distributor, Canon Europa, established 1961 Canonet camera introduced
Canonet Electric Eye (EE) camera 1964 Canola 130 calculator introduced
Canola 130, the world's first 10-key electronic calculator 1967 "Cameras in the right hand, business machines in the left." 1969 Company name changed to Canon Inc. 1970 NP-1100 copying machine introduced
NP-1100, Japan's first plain paper copying machine 1970 PPC-1 mask aligner introduced 1976 Premier Company Plan launched 1976 AE-1 SLR camera introduced
AE-1, the world's first SLR camera with a built-in microcomputer 1979 LBP-10 laser printer introduced
LBP-10, the world's first laser printer with a semiconductor laser 1982 PC-10/20 personal copying machine introduced
PC-10/20, the world's first personal copying machine with an all-in-one cartridge system 1985 BJ-80 inkjet printer introduced
BJ-80, the world's first inkjet printer using Bubble Jet technology 1987 CLC-1 digital full-color copying machine introduced 1987 EOS650 AF SLR camera introduced 1988 Corporate philosophy of kyosei introduced with company's second inauguration 1990 Toner cartridge collection and recycling program launched 1996 Excellent Global Corporation Plan launched 2000 Canon Inc. ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange 2000 PowerShot S100 DIGITAL ELPH (DIGITAL IXUS) compact digital camera introduced
PowerShot S100 DIGITAL ELPH (DIGITAL IXUS in other areas) compact digital camera 2000 iR series of network multifunction devices introduced
iR3250 network multifunction device 2002 EOS-1Ds digital SLR camera introduced
EOS-1Ds high-end professional digital SLR camera 2006 imagePROGRAF iPF9000 printer introduced
imagePROGRAF iPF9000 large-format inkjet printer 2007 imagePRESS C7000VP digital press introduced 2009 imageRUNNER ADVANCE network multifunction device introduced
A modest beginning in a small room
In 1933, a small laboratory dedicated to making high-quality cameras was set up in a simple apartment room in the Roppongi area of Tokyo. At the time, all high-quality cameras were European with the majority coming from Germany. It was in this small room that young people with a big dream earnestly began their work on producing a high-quality Japanese camera, marking the beginning of Canon. Through hard work and with an enterprising spirit, they eventually succeeded in building a prototype, which was named Kwanon after the Buddhist goddess of mercy. The following year, in 1935, Japan's first-ever 35mm focal-plane-shutter camera, the Hansa Canon, was born, along with the Canon brand.
Striving for the world's best camera
In 1950, Canon's first president, Takeshi Mitarai, went to America for the first time to attend an international trade fair. Having seen modern factories and a high standard of living first hand, upon his return, he built a fireproof factory of steel-reinforced concrete in the Shimomaruko area of Tokyo, which he saw as essential for Canon to succeed in doing business with the world at large. Mitarai also made clear his respect for humanity by stressing the importance of the Sanji, or Three Selfs spirit, the guiding principle for Canon employees. In 1955, Canon made its first step into the global market with the opening of a U.S. office in New York City. In 1957, Canon set up its sole European distributor, Canon Europa, in Geneva, Switzerland. By 1967 exports already topped 50% of the company's total sales.
The challenge of diversification
Soon after its founding, Canon was hard at work in 1941 on diversifying itself with the introduction of Japan's first indirect X-ray camera and other products. In the 1960s, the company took further steps toward diversification by adding electrical, physical and chemical technologies to its optical and precision technologies. In 1964, Canon entered the office equipment market with the debut of the world's first 10-key electronic calculator. In 1967, the management slogan "cameras in the right hand, business machines in the left" was unveiled and in 1969 the company changed its name from Canon Camera Co., Inc. to Canon Inc. Canon took on the challenge of developing Japan's first plain paper copying machine, which it introduced in 1970, and realized further diversification from one challenging field to the next.
Averting disaster with the Premier Company Plan
By 1970, Canon grew to 44.8 billion yen in sales and more than 5,000 employees. But hit by dollar and oil shocks, followed by problems with a defective electronic calculator display component in 1974, Canon fell on hard times. In the first half of 1975, it failed to pay a dividend for the first time since becoming a public company. In 1976, Canon unveiled its Premier Company Plan, an ambitious strategy to transform Canon into an "excellent global company" through such means as introducing a vertical business group constitution and establishing a horizontal development, production and sales system. The plan proposed high ideals and pooled the strength of its employees, enabling the company to promptly recover.
Canon's second inauguration
Canon continued to grow under the Premier Company Plan. With the dawn of the personal computer age, Canon introduced to the world a series of products never before seen, among them a personal copying machine based on an all-in-one cartridge system, a laser printer with semiconductor laser, and a Bubble Jet inkjet printer. Canon also began promoting global production in earnest on the road to becoming an excellent global company. Then, in 1988, the 51st anniversary of the company's founding, Canon announced its second inauguration and unveiled its corporate philosophy of kyosei, an unfamiliar term at the time. It also began promoting such progressive and environmentally sound activities as toner cartridge recycling in addition to globalizing its development sites.
The Excellent Global Corporation Plan
Canon had developed unprecedented technologies and carefully nurtured them to create business opportunities and products unrivaled by any other company. But by the mid-1990s, the business division system that had been in place since the 1970s was showing signs of wear. Canon also carried debt of more than 840 billion yen, meaning the company needed to improve its financial constitution if it was to carry out long-term R&D projects and launch new businesses. Fujio Mitarai became Canon's 6th company president in 1995, and in 1996 the Excellent Global Corporation Plan was launched. Transforming the corporate mindset from partial to total optimization and from a focus on sales to a focus on profits, the new plan was the start of the innovations that characterize today's Canon.
Hansa Canon 35mm focal-plane-shutter camera
Canonet Electric Eye (EE) camera
Canola 130, the world's first 10-key electronic calculator
NP-1100, Japan's first plain paper copying machine
AE-1, the world's first SLR camera with a built-in microcomputer
LBP-10, the world's first laser printer with a semiconductor laser
PC-10/20, the world's first personal copying machine with an all-in-one cartridge system
BJ-80, the world's first inkjet printer using Bubble Jet technology
PowerShot S100 DIGITAL ELPH (DIGITAL IXUS in other areas) compact digital camera
iR3250 network multifunction device
EOS-1Ds high-end professional digital SLR camera
imagePROGRAF iPF9000 large-format inkjet printer
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