The History of Nippon Kogaku 1600 - 1949
2008
Table of contents
1.

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.
How to write all these names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2.

The optical history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.
Camera obscura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.
Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3.
Binoculars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.
Microscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3.

History of optical companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.
History of Barr & Stroud (Scotland). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.
History of Bausch & Lomb (USA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.
History of Leitz (Germany) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.
History of Throughton & Simms (England) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5.
History of Hensoldt (Germany) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6.
History of Carl Zeiss (Germany) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
7.
History of Kershaw (England) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
8.
History of Krauss (France) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
9.
History of P.J. Kipp & Zonen (the Netherlands) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
10. History of Doctor (Germany) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
11. History of optical glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

4.

History of optical industry in Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.
Early telescopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.
The start of the photographical industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.
Japanese optical history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.
An example of military influence in 1931 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
5.
Roots of the Japanese optical industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6.
Japanese expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7.
The beginning of the Japanese lens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

5.

Birth of Nippon Kogaku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.
The birth of Nippon Kogaku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.
Iwaki Glass Seizo-sho. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.
Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.
Fujii Lens Seizo-sho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5.
Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.
Military relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
7.
Expanding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
8.
The Ohi plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
9.
European contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
10. Co-operation with Canon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
11. Names and logos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

6.

Pre-war and war production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
1.
Periscopes and first lens coatings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2.
Rangefinders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.
Technologies gained on working for the Yamato class ships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4.
High precision mechanical devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
5.
Binoculars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
6.
Telescopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Hans Braakhuis

page 1

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Microscopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Bomb-sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Stereoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Trench binocular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Who made these optical items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

7.

Post-war production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
1.
Fluoro-Record Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.
Vertexometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3.
MIOJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
4.
Post-war comeback 1945 - 1954 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
5.
Industrial Standardization Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
6.
Other Japanese 35 millimeter cameras before the Nikon I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
7.
Early Japanese film format on 135 film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
8.
Lenswear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

8.

Nippon Kogaku production list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

9.

Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

10.

Justification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
1.
Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
2.
Used books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.
Other links. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Picture made in December 2006 by Gary Hawkins at Leica factory in Solms.

Hans Braakhuis

page 2

1.

Introduction
1.

How to write all these names

During my research I found out that various authors are using various names for - probably - the same
factory. It is still difficult to translate or adapt a Japanese character into our Latin script. I think that fore
example both ‘Nippon’ and ‘Nihon’ are the proper transcriptions of the same Japanese character.
I’ve discovered the following names:
Nippon Kogaku Kabushiki Kaisha
Nihon Kogaku Kaisha
Nihon Kogaku
Fujii Lens Seisakusho
Fujii Lens Seizo-sho
Fujii Brothers
Fujii Lens
Iwaki Glass Seisaku
Iwaki Glass Seisaku-sho
Tokyo Keiki Seisakusho
As to Mr. Mikio Itoh, working at the office of Collecting Materials for Company History, Public Relations
Section, Corporate Communications & IR Department, from the Nikon Corporation it should be:
Fujii Lens Seizo-sho
Iwaki Glass Seizo-sho
Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisya (in Japanese) Nippon Kogaku K.K. (in English)
Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho
That’s why I will use these names in this publication.
2.

ForewordWhy 1600 till 1949?
I’ll start in 1600, because the first Dutch visited Japan. And by the Dutch ships came all the first opticaltoys to Japan. Dutch doctors give the first photographical lessons, and thanks to the Dutch, Mitsubishi
has nowadays a forgeron. Thanks to Mitsubishi there is Nikon and even Nikon uses some steel.
I’ll stop in 1949, 2 years after the Nikon I rangefinder camera came to the market. A lot of otherpublishers wrote about the rangefinder period.
2.

The optical history

There is a lot of information about the optical history on the internet. So read this information by thefollowing links, which I found very useful:1.

Camera obscura

See: http://members.tripod.com/~wzzz/HAITHAM.html
See: http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/CAMERA_OBSCURA.html
2.

Telescope

See: http://galileo.rice.edu/sci/instruments/telescope.html
3.

Binoculars

Hans Braakhuis

page 3

See: http://www.europa.com/~telscope/binohist.txt
4.

Microscope

http://www.visioneng.com/technology/microscope_history.htm
3.

History of optical companies
1.

History of Barr & Stroud (Scotland)

See: http://www.nahste.ac.uk/cgi-bin/view_isad.pl?id=GB-0248-UGD-295&view=basic
See: http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/collects/catalog/ugd/251-300/ugd295.html
2.

History of Bausch & Lomb (USA)

See: http://www.germanheritage.com/biographies/atol/bausch.html
3.

History of Leitz (Germany)

See: http://www.kbcamera.com/timelineliecahistory.htm
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leica#Leica_camera_history_-_.22The_father_of_35_mm_photography.22
4.

History of Throughton & Simms (England)

See: http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~ipswich/History/Troughton_and_Simms.htm
5.

History of Hensoldt (Germany)

The “Optische Werke Hensoldt & Sohne”was founded in 1852 and 1928 they became a part of Zeiss.
http://www.smt.zeiss.com/c12567a80033f8e4/Contents-Frame/8e4f89e09e5ef290c1256fb8002dac6a6.

History of Carl Zeiss (Germany)

See: http://www.company7.com/zeiss/history.html
See: http://www.zeisshistorica.org/telescopes.html
7.

History of Kershaw (England)

See: http://shutterbug.com/columns/0305classic/
8.

History of Krauss (France)

See: http://www.europa.com/~telscope/tsfrance.txt
9.

History of P.J. Kipp & Zonen (the Netherlands)

See: http://mattson.creighton.edu/History_Gas_Chemistry/ErnstHomburgArticle.html
See: http://www.sic.iuhps.org/conf2000/ox_s07a.htm
See: http://www.kippzonen.com/pages/1093/3/History

Hans Braakhuis

page 4

See: http://www.kippzonen.com/
10.

History of Doctor (Germany)

In 1991, the Eisfeld factory of Jenoptik Carl Zeiss (550 employees) was taken over by Bernhard Docter,and began production of binoculars, riflescopes, spotting scopes, magnifying glasses andopto-electronic measurement equipment under the Docter name.
See: http://www.docter-germany.com/ click on 'English', and search 'history'.
11.

History of optical glass

Joseph Fraunhofer of Munich made the first quality optical glass in the early 1820s but with the use ofheavy metals in the furnace in the creation process, many glass workers of this day were poisoned by
the process. Fraunhofer died at the early age of 39 and his proprietary methods of glass manufacture
died with him.
The major manufacturers before Schott were the Chance Brothers in
England and Parra Mantois in France. None reached the level ofsophistication of Schott before him and most optical glass wasimported from these two firms until Schott's breakthroughs. The term
Jena glass applied to many of the glass products of Schott and not tojust optical glass. These two firms and Bausch & Lomb would beginserious optical glass manufacture with the advent of World War II
when Schott materials began to be held inside Germany for an obvious
optical munitions advantage.
Busch was a pioneer optical firm in Germany and was friendly with
Zeiss but if binoculars were made under the Busch name - they were
not subcontracted to Zeiss. Originally Zeiss was so small at the time of
Schott's discoveries, it was Zeiss who subcontracted to Voigtlaender
the manufacture of early photo lenses and some of the earliest
binoculars.
4.

Otto Schott

History of optical industry in Japan

In 735 a group of merchants sent from Japan to China returned with astronomical instruments. In 875
an observatory, which possibly may be the earliest astronomical observatory in Japan, was establishedat Asuka in the Nara Prefecture.
In the Genna era (1615-1623) Tohichi Ikushima made a telescope,
which caused the Tokugawa Shogunate to prohibit telescope
manufacturing because of its possible military applications.
During the Kioho era (1717-1735) Nizayemon Mori, an optician in
Nagasaki, made an astronomical telescope, and/or a Sokugohyogi(type of transit instrument) for the eighth Shogun Yoshimune
Tokugawa.
Dutch lessons (photo author)
In 1859 observation towers were built on the coast at Kosetoura,
Nomo and Noroshi Yawa, equipped with telescopes to view the arrival of foreign ships.
1.

Early telescopes

See for this history an article from Peter Abrahams: The History of the Telescope in Japan:
http://www.europa.com/~telscope/tsjapan.txt
Peter Abrahams: “The Telescope in Japan, 1600-1900

Hans Braakhuis

page 5

Long before the birth of modern Japanese telescopes, there was a tradition in Japan of craftsman
fabrication of highly decorative small telescopes. European telescopes were introduced to Japan in1613, and within a decade, a telescope had been fabricated. Production in quantities began circa 1800,
with small refractors by Zenbei Iwahashi and Gregorians by Kunitomo
Tobei. Craftsmanship was developed ab initio; involving materials
such as quartz, optical glass, and speculum metal; and processes ofprecision metal fabrication. A few observatories were constructed fortelescopic astronomy.”“In 1640 Francois Caron (a French refugee) from the Netherlands got
an invitation to visit Tokugawa Ieyasu in Edo. He arrived on Mai 12,1640 and brought with him some presents. Two bronze mortars, somecandlesticks with wax candles and a telescope with some golden
inlay. Two other gifts of Francois Caron can still be seen outside temausoleum of Ieyasu in Nikko, two big green candlesticks.” (From: Le
puissant Royaume du Japon, Chandeigne, Paris, France, 2003, page188-190.)(http://www.answers.com/topic/fran-ois-caron)
The National Science Museum in Tokyo, Japan:
http://www.kahaku.go.jp/english/
has a special department with early optical instruments. It showssome early Japanese telescopes and observatory instruments. I
learned in this museum that the making of telescopes in Japan in the
Edo period lagged far behind European countries, some of the firstskilled telescope makers were Mr. Kunitomo and Mr. Iwahashi.

Drawing of Kunitomo,
Ikkansai reflecting
telescope From:

http://img2.tfd.com/wiki/e/e2/Kunito
mo1832Telescope.jpg

From Wikipedia: Kunitomo, Ikkansai (November 21, 1778-December
26, 1840) was a Japanese gun manufacturer of the early 19th century, who, after having spent several
months in Edo where he could get accustomed with Dutch wares, built in 1831 Japan's first reflective
telescope, of the Gregorian type, a European innovation made in 1670.
Kunitomo's telescope had a magnification of 60, and allowed him to make very detailed studies of sun
spots and lunar topography. Four of them remain to this day.
Air gun developed by Kunitomo, circa 1820-1830.
Air gun developed by Kunitomo, circa 1820-1830.
Air gun trigger mechanism.
Air gun trigger mechanism.
Kunimoto also developed manufacturing methods for guns, and also created an air gun based on
rangaku knowledge acquired from the Dutch in Dejima.
(From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunitomo_Ikkansai)
2.

The start of the photographical industry“Delving far back in to the records, it turns out that lens polishing was being done in feudal Japan in theancient days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, before Commodore Perry knocked this island nation's doors
open to the Western civilization. Production on an industrial sale started in 1907 with the establishmentof the Fujii Lens Seizo-sho factory which manufactured binoculars for the civilian market as well as foruse by the Imperial Japanese Navy. But it was not until the First World War that the optical industry
really began spreading its roots. By this time the Navy had launched its own production of sextants,
periscopes, and other optical precision instruments. The Navy also established its own researchlaboratory.
Probably the biggest factor spurring the industry on at this time was the abrupt stoppage of lens glass
imports because of the German wartime blockade. The industry had until the relied solely on theseimported raw materials for the manufacture of finished products. In desperation, optical instrument
manufacturers searched far and wide for other sources and, to their pleasant surprise, found anabundant source right in their own backyard; this was in 1921.

Hans Braakhuis

page 6

Five years later, with several firms already in the lens-making business in addition to Fujii, yet anothernew establishment hung to sign that was to become one of the most famous names in the industry bothat home and abroad. It was Nippon Kogaku, makers of the post-World War II
Nikon cameras, NIKKOR lenses, and a wide range of diversified optical
instruments.
Up this point we have been talking about the beginnings of lens and optical
instrument making. It wouldn't be accurate to trace the origins of the camera
industry as such this far back, although, for the record, a handful of Japanese
began dabbling experimentally in camera making in the 1880s.
The first camera bearing the made-in-Japan tag hit the market in 1903.
Several years before Henry Ford came out with his Model T. It was named
the Cherry Camera (Cherry Portable) and it was an Meish 57x83 millimeter
plate format format box camera, manufactured by the Konishiroku Photo
Industrial Company, Limited, or Konishi Honten, now Sony, a firm generally
recognized today as the oldest Japanese manufacturers in the industry not
only of cameras but of a complete line of photographic film and printing paper.
Dutch lessons (photo
One of its best-known products today is the Konica 35-millimeter camera.
author)Konishiroku Shasin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha was founded in 1873. It was also
known as Rokuosha. In 1928 they produced a four element lens in Tessar style. In 1931 they producedwith Jena glass an 135 millimeter f/4.5 lens called Hexar. The design was a success, some said equal of
the Zeiss Tessar”. Quoted from the April 1957, page 140, in The Japanese Photo Industry Magazine
from 1958.
3.

Japanese optical history

This time line contains information based on a variety of sources:
1857 Naval doctor Julius L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort starts teaching photography at the Medical
Institute in Nagasaki, the centre of Dutch learning. Among his students were Hikoma Ueno, Kuichi
Uchida and Genzo Maeda. Meerdervoort and other foreigners introduce the wet-collodion process
around this year and up to 1859. The three treaty ports of Yokohama, Nagasaki, and Hakodate
become the centres of photographic learning in Japan.
1862 Hikoma Ueno (1838-1904) (father Shunnojo Tsunetari Ueno), after learning photography andchemistry under Dr. Pompe van Meerdervoort, publishes the treatise, Seimikyoku Hikkei which
described photographic techniques and the wet collodion process. Ueno Hikoma becomes one of
the first professional Japanese photographer by opening a photo studio in Nagasaki called Ueno
Satsuei-kyoku.
1864 Kokichi Kizu opens a photo studio in Hakodate (Hokkaido), one of the ports which were opened toforeigners.
1865 As the result of a Japanese Mission to Holland (and Delft) the Dutch firm Kipp & Zoon instruments
begin to export measuring instruments and binoculars to Japan.
1865 Kuichi Uchida, who studied under Hikoma Ueno, and Shinsuke Nakagawa both open a studio in
Osaka.
1865 Yohei Hori (Masumi) opens a photo studio in Kyoto.
1866 Rihei Tomishige opens a photo studio in Yanagawa, Fukuoka Kyushu.
1870 The number of professional photographers in Japan exceed 100.
1871 Tokichi Asanuma establishes Asanuma Shoten, a photo supply shop in Nihonbashi, Tokyo.
1873 Matsugoro Asakura is sent to Austria by the Japanese government to study the manufacturing of
optics. He returned to Japan in 1875 and started to build a lens factory with government approval.
Matsugoro died before finishing the factory, which was completed in 1876, producing ophthalmic
lenses using imported glass. His son, Kametaro Asakura, developed a photographic lens after
1883, exhibiting it in 1890, the first known Japanese made multi element photographic lens (there
were earlier singlet objectives).
1873 Konishi-ya, forerunner of Konica, is established in Kojimachi, Tokyo. It later moves to Honcho in
1876 and changes its name to Konishi Honten.

Hans Braakhuis

page 7

1876 Students of Matsugoro Asakura complete the lens factory and start to produce ophthalmic lenses
with imported glass. (Glass melting technology was still undeveloped in Japan.)1876 The Ministry of Industry established the first high-quality glass manufacturing plant in 1876.
Located in Shinagwa, Tokyo. This factory was controlled by the government to produce flat glassand other glass goods. The factory soon failed because the government underestimated the levelof technology required to mass-manufacture glass products.
1877 The number of professional photographers in Tokyo alone exceed 100.
1879 "Shashin Shimbun," a weekly photo by Zenshin-sha, is published with albumen prints pasted on.
Publication ceases after 10 issues.
1883 Matsugoro Asakura's son, Kametaro Asakura, developed a photographic lens at his factory in
Yotsuya Denmacho and displayed the lens at the 3rd National Industrial Exhibition in 1890 where
it won 1st prize. This was the first photographic lens produced in Japan, except for simple
single-element lenses.
1890 Tokyo Denki, originally named Hakunetsusha, was established in 1890 and was Japan's first
producer of incandescent electrical lamps. The company diversified into the manufacture of otherconsumer products, and in 1899 it was renamed Tokyo Denki (Tokyo Electric), nowadays
Toshiba. (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba) In the 1920s they produced flint glass forelectric lamp envelopes.
1892 Take a look at a row of Japanese cameras an you'll notice shutters bearing the name of
Seikosha. This firm opened for business in 1892 as a manufacturer of watches and clocks, andits scale of operations and exports today make it easily the biggest of its kind in the Far East. In
1930 they started making shutters, and today almost all Japanese cameras are equipped with
Seikosha shutters.
1902 Konishi Honten establishes Rokuoh-sha in Tokyo, a division dedicated to produce photosensitive
materials (dry plates, etc.) and later photographic equipment.
1903 The Cherry Portable, the first portable Japanese camera, is made by Konishi Honten (forerunnerof Konica). The box-shaped camera used a magazine which held twelve 2 1/4x3 1/4 inch dry
plates. Konishi Honten went on to make various other cameras. Paper-backed roll films were still
not made in Japan. Only sheet film and glass plates were being made in Japan. Imported rollfilms were still very expensive and usually arrived in poor condition because there were no
refrigerated cargo holds.
1903 Japan's first photographic paper, the Sakura Hakkin type paper, is marketed by Konishi Honten.
1904 In early 1904, Magoichi Shimada produced flat glass on a very limited basis. (see:http://www.toyo.sasaki.co.jp/e/company/history.htm)
1907 Kuribayashi Seisaku Sho, the forerunner of Petri Camera, is founded as an photographic
accessory manufacturer. The first camera was made in 1919, the first lens in 1942. There was anbankruptcy in 1977, closed down in 1979.
1907 Konishi Honten markets Japan's first single-lens reflex camera, the Sakura-reflex Plano with a
Tessar f/6.3 lens. Priced 225 yen.
1907 In 1907 the Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. In 1907 was established by mr. Iwasaki, Toshiya. This firm wasJapan’s first successful commercial glassworks, although it was not able to produce optical grade
glass. (see: http://www.agc.co.jp/english/company/history/index.html)
1909 Ryuzo Fujii establishes the Fujii Lens Seizosho factory.
1909 The Japanese had in this year already established an optical research laboratory (See: 50 Years
history of the Nikon Company, page 56. Gojunen no ayumi / 50-nenshi) in Tokyo, and in 1909 a
repair facility was further established in order to service optical weapons belonging to theJapanese army. Combined with the experience gained in maintaining instruments such as fieldbinoculars and cameras, the facility also began producing telescopes and microscopes for avariety of applications. Shortly thereafter, production expanded to include prisms for binoculars
and even lenses for photographic cameras. By the outbreak of the First World War in Europe,
however, the question of self-sufficiency in optical munitions had yet to be seriously considered.
Japan's armed forces were almost entirely dependent upon overseas suppliers of optical
weapons, and this supply was sharply limited during the war as the combatant powers suspended
their exports of munitions in general.
1911 Rokuoh-sha markets Japan's first pocket-size camera called the "Minimum Idea." Its relatively
affordable price of 9 yen and 50 sen creates a Minimum Idea boom among amateurs.
1915 The Japanese Navy starts to develop optical glass manufacturing since glass imports from
Germany stopped due to World War I.

Hans Braakhuis

page 8

1917 Nippon Kogaku K.K. (forerunner of Nikon) was established in Tokyo as a munitions optical
instrument shop to meet the needs of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The company was aconsolidation of three companies: Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho's optical division, Iwaki Glass
Seizo-sho, and Fujii Lens Seizo-sho.
1918 The significance of this over-dependence upon foreign suppliers was not lost upon the army ornavy, which made serious efforts after 1915 to address the problem of domestic production ofboth optical glass and optical munitions. In 1918 navy researchers at the Tsukiji Arsenal, south ofTokyo, began to produce seven types of optical glass in quantities of up to 300 kilogram melts inan effort to compensate for the interruption of German imports..
1919 Asahi Kogaku Goshi Kaisha (forerunner of Asahi Optical Company, Ltd., maker of Pentax
cameras) is established in Tokyo by Kumao Kajiwara as a manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses.
Although it was not until much later that it added cameras to its line of products. In 1923 Asahi
produced their first photographic optic, the Aoco motion picture projection lens. In 1929 Asahi
began to manufacture lenses for still photography and by 1943 the company was a major supplierof lenses for other camera manufacturers, like Minolta and Konishiroku. After the war, most of thefactories where destroyed. In 1948 Asahi Optical reopened with manufacturing binoculars forexport.
1919 Takachiho Seisaku-sho, the forerunner of Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., is established as a
microscope manufacturer. In 1936 Olympus made its first photographic lens, a 75 millimeter f/4.5
copy of the Zeiss Tessar. Olympus also made lenses for Mamiya, Elmo, Aires and Walz.
1920 Shigejiro Nishimura & Sons, in Kyoto, began by making reflectors, managed by K. Nakamura of
Kyoto Imperial University. As of 1931, Nishimura had produced one 10 inch f3.8 photographic
reflector, three 8 inch, three 6.5 inch, twenty five 6 inch, and over two hundred 5 inch & smallerreflectors, all with mirrors by K. Nakamura. In 1929, Nakamura made a 6 inch refractor, on a
mount designed by Nakamura, which was the first equatorial refractor built in Japan (followed
closely by a Nippon Kogaku 6 inch equatorial of Zeiss design).
1921 The Osaka Industrial Material Testing Laboratory starts research on optical glass melting.
Completely independent from the Navy, this Laboratory belonging tot the Department ofAgriculture and Commerce. Prior to this time optical glass was imported from Germany, Franceand England.
1921 Nippon Kogaku Kogyo K.K. hires eight German engineers and scientists
on a 5-year contract. They worked on optical design, product design,and lens and prism grinding and polishing. One of them, Heinrich Acht,
extended his stay until 1928. He produced samples of photographic
lenses, the first ones to come from Nippon Kogaku. Kakuno Sunayama
took over lens design after Acht and improved upon Acht's 50
centimeter f/4.8 lens in 1929, calling it "Trimar." In the same year, helater produced the "Anytar" 12 centimeter f/4.0 lens based on the Carl
Zeiss Tessar lens.
1922 The Astronomical Herald published articles by Masamitsu Yamazaki on
making reflecting telescopes, which resulted in an amateur telescopemaking movement, numbering over 200 by 1931. (The Herald is themonthly of the Nihon Tenmon Gakkai, Japan Astronomical Association)
1924 Masashige Tomioka founded Tomika Kogaku Kenkusho in the
Shinagawa district of Tokyo to develop photographic lenses. In 1932 thelaboratory became a manufacturing facility, Tomioka Kogaku Kikai
Seizosho, and made original lenses for camera companies. Today they
produce most Yashica lenses.
1925 In June, Konishiroku Honten Co. introduces the Pearlette camera, animitation of the highly successful Vest Pocket Kodak. It had a bellows
and an imported lens and shutter. It used 127-type roll film. The
Pearlette line was in production for 20 years and was improved overtime.
1926 Seizo Goto founded Goto Optical, in Komazawa, Tokyo, in August ofthat year.
1928 Kazuo Tashima establishes the Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shoten
Heinrich Acht (from 75(Japan-Germany Camera Company), the forerunner of Konica Minolta
Years)
Camera Co. The corporate name was changed to Molta Goshi Kaishain 1931 and to Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko K.K. in 1937 when the company began lens production.

Hans Braakhuis

page 9

The name also changed to Chioda Kogaku Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha. The first Minolta Rokkor lens
was an 200 millimeter f/4.5 for an portable aerial camera in 1940. By order of the Imperial
Japanese Navy, Minolta started to develop and produce optical glass at Itami, near Kobe. In
1942, the company was ordered by the Imperial Japanese Navy to manufacture optical glassnear Kobe. The 75 millimeter f/3.5 Rokkor lens, modelled after the Carl Zeiss Tessar lens, fitted
on the Minolta Semi IIIA camera in 1946 was the first Japanese lens with anti-reflection coating.
1931 Nippon Kogaku K.K., in Shiba, Tokyo, had produced hundreds of refractors by 1931, as large as
8 inches, on equatorial mounts. Prototype 20 inch fork mounted reflectors had been made.
1931 Hirowo Mohri of Konishiroku Honten Co. produces a f/4.5, 4-element H-type lens with Jena glass.
The lens, named "Hexar," was based on the Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. "Hex" is for Rokuemon
Sugiura where "Roku" means six. The lens was a success and claimed equal performance to the
Tessar lens. The "Hexar" label was used on Konishiroku's top-quality lenses up to 1959, when
the lenses were renamed Hexanon.
1931 Military & Naval optical instruments were made by Government Optical Works.
1932 Nippon Kogaku Kogyo K.K. manufactures its first NIKKOR photographic lens. This was later
mounted on the Hansa Canon camera in 1936. All lenses from Nippon Kogaku were labelled"NIKKOR" from this year on. And all pre-World War II Canon cameras were fitted with NIKKOR
lenses.
1932 Tokyo Optical (Tokyo Kogaku Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha) began in 1932, under the direction of theImperial Japanese Army. The optical division of the Seikosha factory of Hattori Tokei, a clock andwatch manufacturer, was merged with Katsuma Kogaku Kikai Seisaku Sho. The new company
was formed to manufacture photographic lenses and precision optical and mechanicalinstruments. There is an similarity with the founding of Nippon Kogaku. By 1934, it had produced
two triplet photographic lenses, the State and the Toko, in f/6.3 and f/4.5 apertures. The
designer, Ryoii Tomita, made an 0.5 centimeter f/0.7 design in 1944, which was later sold to the
US Occupation forces. After the WWII they made Topcon single lens reflexes and Topcor
lenses.
1933 In November, Seiki Kogaku Kenku Sho (Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory), theforerunner of Canon Inc., is established by Goro Yoshida (1900-1993) and Saburo Uchida(1899-1982). They are soon joined by Takeo Maeda and they produce the prototype Kwanon 35
millimeter camera six months later. The production model introduced in 1935 was called "Hansa
Canon." It used a NIKKOR lens from Nippon Kogaku. Yoshida left Seikos Kogaku in the fall of1934, less than a year after setting up Seikos Kogaku.
1934 Fuji Photo Film Company (Fuji Sasin Film Kabushiki Kaisha) is established in Jan. to produce
photosensitized materials. In 1938, it announced that it would develop all photographic
equipment including the melting of optical glass and lenses. During World War II, it made aerial
cameras and lenses. After the war, it concentrated on optical glass and studio camera lenses,
named Rectar. In 1954, all lenses were named Fujinar or Fujinon.
1935 In April, the "Super Olympic" with a lens shutter is marketed by Asahi Bussan (forerunner of
Ricoh). This is the first 35 millimeter camera made in Japan.
1935 In May, Mitsubishi Paper Mills and Konishiroku complete joint research to develop Japan's firstpractical fiber-based photo paper.
1935 In June, Takachiho Seisaku-sho, forerunner of Olympus Optical Company, makes its first
photographic lens, a 75 millimeter f/4.5 modelled after the Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. "Zuiko" wasthe name chosen by the company for its lenses.
1935 In July, the Semi Minolta, Japan's first 6x4.5 centimeter format camera using 120 roll film ismarketed by Molta Goshi Kaisha.
1936 The Riken Optical Industries Limited established. Heir mass production method for making
Ricoh's and Ricohflexes today provide part of the reason why it is Japan's largest manufacturerof popular priced cameras.
1936 In September, the Hansa Canon, Japan's first 35 millimeter rangefinder camera with a
focal-plane shutter is produced by Seiki Kogaku Kenkusho (forerunner of Canon) and sold by
Omiya Photo Supply Co., Ltd. It had a NIKKOR 50 millimeter f/3.5 lens and a pop-up viewfinder.
The Hansa Canon was an imitation of the Leica II. The name "Hansa" was a trademark of Omiya
Photo Supply Co., Ltd. Seiki Kogaku, a virtually unknown company, still had no distributor for thecamera so it gave sole distribution rights to Omiya and permission to incorporate the "Hansa"
trademark.
1936 In November, Japan's first 2 1/4 square (6x6 centimeter) format camera, the Minolta 6, ismarketed by Molta Goshi Kaisha.

Hans Braakhuis

page 10

1937 In August, Canon forerunner Seiki-Kogaku Kenkusho (Precision
Optical Laboratory) incorporates into Seiki-Kogaku Kogyo K.K.
(Precision Optical Industry Co., Ltd.). This is Canon Inc.'s official yearof founding. The new company is headed by Saburo Uchida one of theoriginal founders of the Laboratory.
1937 Konishiroku Honten changes its name to Konishiroku Co., Ltd. andbegan making aerial cameras and X-ray photographic equipment.
193X Konishiru Co. Ltd. Makes an Photo Machine Gun, model 89-2. Withthe 35mm film 18x24mm size pictures can be made. The lens is an
75mm Hexar f4.5. It has a 1/300 second only. The JCII Museum inTokyo has one on display.
1939 Nippon Kogaku and Konishiroku received a request from theJapanese Airforce to produce a small film (35 millimeter) camera, tobe mounted in the wing of an airplane. The camera should work on
motor and should make pictures of the damage that the bullets fromthe airplane causes. A test was done attaching a handle to a Leica.
Konishiroku Honten
This resulted, in 1940, in a new prototype by Nippon Kogaku andaerial camera (photo:
Konishiroku called the 99 style micro aerial camera. See an article
Chris Sap)
about this camera in NHS Journal nr 73, page 7. In 2005 I found a1944 type of this camera made by Konishiroku in the Yokohama Radio Museum.
1940 In January, the Leotax camera is sold by Showa Kogaku Seiki. It was a copy of the Leica 35
millimeter camera except for the rangefinder which was not coupled to the lens.
1940 On July 7, camera production was restricted for military purposes only, stunting the growth of theJapanese camera industry.
1940 In September, Mamiya Koki Seisakusho produces the first Mamiya Six camera.
1941 In July, the Zenkoku Shashin Kikai Seizo Kogyo Rengokai association of photo equipment
makers is formed to negotiate with the government on photography equipment matters such as
official pricing revisions and equipment procurement and exportation.
1941 Mamiya Camera Co. was founded, and earned its first laurels with the Mamiya Six, a folding typecamera whose most outstanding recent innovation is a device which permits the back of thecamera to move back and forth for focussing instead of the traditional lens-movement focussing.
1944 Due to a military supply company law enacted in Dec. 1943, most of the major Japanese photo
equipment and materials manufacturers are forced to co-operate in the war effort.
1945 During the first few years after the war ended in 1945, Japan faced severe shortages of raw
materials. Camera companies were short on materials and capital to rebuild. They had to think
about sheer survival rather than developing new cameras. Thus, the first Japanese cameras
after the war were pre-war carry over.
1945 In December, the domestic manufacturing of film and cameras was restarted. However, theproduction volume was still low and most of the output went to supply the Occupation Forces,leaving little for the rapidly-increasing domestic demand. In large cities, a black market for film
and cameras appeared.
1947 Camerabug American soldiers of the Occupation Forces commented that there were too many
names to remember with regard to Canon cameras: lenses by Serenar, cameras by Canon, andthe manufacturer was Seiki-Kogaku Kogyo. Company president Takeshi Mitarai took this to heart
and changed the corporate name to Canon Camera Company Ltd. on Sept. 15, 1947. This namewas later modified to Canon Camera Company Inc. in early 1951. The present corporate name of"Canon Inc." was adopted in 1969.
1948 Chinon Industries, Inc.'s forerunner, Sanshin Seisakusho, is established by Hiroshi Chino to
manufacture lens barrels and mounts for cameras such as Olympus, Ricoh, and Yashica. It
started manufacturing lenses from 1959. The corporate name was changed to its current one inJan. 1973. After being dissolved after the war which destroyed most of the factory, Asahi Optical
Co. was restarted. It made binoculars for export.
1949 In April, Canon Camera Company markets the Canon IIB 35 millimeter rangefinder camera
having a viewfinder which could switch magnifications to match the field of view for the 50
millimeter, 100 millimeter, and 135 millimeter interchangeable lenses. This useful and uniquefeature helped to establish Canon's reputation for the following 10 years. The camera remainedin production for 3 years.
1949 Takachiho Seisaku-sho is renamed Olympus Optical Company, Ltd. (Olympus Kogaku Kogyo
K.K.)

Hans Braakhuis

page 11

There are several sites on the internet that give more information on this item. So please:
http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/honduras/198/wz22.htm
http://photojpn.org/HIST/hist1.html
4.

An example of military influence in 1931

Domestic lens manufacturing in 1931 was a goal of both the photographic industry and the Japanesemilitary. Under official auspices, a number of firms were engaged in optical research including:
Nippon Kogaku Kabushiki Kaisha;
Konishi-Honten / Rokuosha;
Oriental Shashin Kogyo;
Takachihi Kogaku Kikai Seisakusho, now Olympus;
Tokyo Kogaku Kikai K. K.;
Molta Goshi Kaisha, originally Nichi Doku Shashinky Shoten, now Minolta;
Tomioka Kogaku Kenkusho;
Asahi Kogaku Goshi Kaisha;
Inoue Kogaku andYamazaki - Shuzando.
The first lenses were shown with the first Japanese between-the-lens shutters. In 1931, KonishiHonten / Rokuosha produced with German glass, what is generally considered the first Japanesephotographic lens (So, the Heinrich Acht 1921 lenses for Nippon Kogaku were not seen as Japaneselenses by Masao Tanaka and Hajimu Miyabe), the Hexar 105 millimeter. F/4.5 a four element lens in
the configuration of the Tessar. In the same year, Nippon Kogaku completed a 120 millimeter Anytar
lens for the 6.5x9 centimeter. format. which was never commercially produced. That year Asahi Opticalcompleted a three element triplet, the Coronar 105 millimeter f/4.5, which was sold by Molta Goshi
Kaisha with its Eaton and Happy Hands cameras. Asahi Optical had begun in 1929 to prepare
photographic lens production; by 1934 it had become a specialized lens producer, and is believed tohave made the lens for the Pearlette, the first camera of complete Japanese manufacturer. From the
Masao Tanaka and Hajimu Miyabe chapter 5 in The history of the Japanese camera.
5.

Roots of the Japanese optical industry

The VOC was the world's first multi-national company. They started at March 20, 1602. In thispre-industrial time zone, they shipped a lot of Western inventions. In this list you'll find an overview ofsome optical items the Dutch brought to Japan:
http://home.europa.com/~telscope/tsjapan.txt
Between 1640 and 1853, Dutch maritime traders provided the only commercial link which Japan
maintained with the west, and were thus the sole channel for western ideas and knowledge and optical
stuff to reach neo-Confucian society. The Shogun government had big interest in European astronomy
and medicine, and the gradual development of interest in wider spheres of western knowledge andculture.

6.

Japanese expansion

See http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2130.html
These time periods were challenges for the Japanese. But they showed just how much Japan could
overcome and how determined the Japanese were to succeed. The Meiji Restoration Restoration(1868) showed how quick learning the Japanese were. Though the western Industrial Revolution took
150 years, the Japanese changed out of their agrarian lifestyle to a factory filled city in 40 years.
After the Meji restoration, Japan became very nationalist. It also became very pro-western, and within ashort period of time it even thought like England and Germany: Imperialism , lets expand, which it did.
Eventually this led up to the second Sino-Japanese war.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_imperialism

Hans Braakhuis

page 12

For Japan colonialism was necessary for economic growth and national security. The new colonies
provide new resources, labor and new markets. The new colonies gave buffer with the west. Nationalist
could say: Asia for the Asians.
From 1868 on, Japan turned its energies to overtaking and surpassing the West throughmodernization. In the early Meiji period (1868-1912), the newly established Japanese government
invited foreign experts from the US, Great Britain, France, Germany, and other countries to teach.
The Meiji Restoration (1868 - 1911) was the catalyst towards industrialization in Japan that led to therise of the island nation as a military power by 1905, under the slogan of "National Wealth and Military
Strength".
See for more info on the Meiji Restoration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_restoration
And see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernization_of_Japanese_Military_1868-1931
The production of domestically manufactured goods, such as optical glass, was one of the goals of theJapanese military. When Japan was cut off from its European source (Schott, Zeiss and Barr & Stroud),during the first world war (1914-1918), the military looked for Japanese producers.
In 1895, the Irish inventor John Philip Holland designed submarines that, for the first time, made use ofinternal combustion engine power on the surface and electric battery power for submerged operations.
In 1902, some of his vessels were purchased by the United States, the United Kingdom, the Imperial
Russian Navy, and Japan. The Japanese submarines were delivered in 1905.
7.

The beginning of the Japanese lens

The Ministry of Industry established the first high-quality glass manufacturing plant in 1876. Located in
Shinagawa, Tokyo. This factory was controlled by the government to produce flat glass and other glass
goods. The factory soon failed because the government underestimated the level of technology
required to mass-manufacture glass products.
Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. (since 1907) provided flat glass during the years just before the first world war. In
the years before WW I. between 80 and 90% of all glass used in Japan came from Belgium, and all the
supplies needed for the production of glass and raw materials as well.
The development of optical glass could not happen until two events took place in Japan.
First, certain key industries had to be established to supply the materials central to the production ofhigh-grade polished and safety glass for the military and flat glass for domestic needs. Secondly theJapanese had to acquire from the west traditional recipes and secrets concerning the production of
optical glass.
The manufacture of optical glass had roots in traditional recipes and secrets. And whichever country, atthe time, had the best of these, was the leader in glass production; its firm produced the best lenssystems. So after Switzerland (1805: Pierre Lois Guinand), France (1827: J.N. Lerebours and George
Bontemps) and England (1848: Change Brothers Glass Company at Birmingham) came Germany. The
knowledge and expertise of the Germans came at a price, for the high performance of their lenses
rapidly reduced optical research and development in other countries. Simply stated, for a fee, any
company could have the required technology and methods required to make the finest of the day.
At the time when Abbe and Schott were adding barium to optical glass, the first successful plate glass
works was being established in Japan (Asahi Glass). It was a far cry from on optical glass production
on a level with the Germans in 1902.
Several Japanese scientist studied in Germany, to learn more about optical glass production. One ofthem, Ryuzo Fujii studied optical design and production methods in Germany for three years before
returning to Japan in the fall of 1901.
As the Japanese optical firms developed skills and acquired technology from European firms, thetraditional recipes and secrets of lens making would eventually shift from occidentals to orientals.

Hans Braakhuis

page 13

With the advent of the first world war, imports into Japan of all types of manufactured glass from
Europe ceased. The need for glass led to the formation, with intensive help from the Japanese
government, of industries to produce materials and supplies used in the glass making. These were
essential materials such as soda ash and refractory bricks used to line the furnaces.
When Japan’s own national supply of materials such as these started in the early 1920's, an important
step had been made towards developing and maintaining all types of domestic glass products.
Resulting from all of these activity, the first real Japanese optical glass came from Japanese spectacle
makers, such as Kato Optical, and from a light bulb manufacturer: Tokyo Denki, which produced flint
glass for its electric lamp envelopes.
The Tokyo Higher Technical School (Tokyo Kogyo Institute) was asked by the Japanese navy to help
with the production of optical lenses. This school had no success with their efforts. After 1918 their
specialist joint the new Nippon Kogaku plant in Ohi.
See: Inoue Osumi. British Influence on the Shinagawa Glassworks:
http://www.historyofglass.org.uk/AIHV2003/PosterTues.htm
See this report from 1890 about the cooperation between Mitsubishi’s doughter Kirin and Shinagawa
Glass Works: http://www.kirin.co.jp/company/history/jb/pdf/1890/JBM18900916.pdf
In 2015 this report is no more available on the Kirin site: http://www.kirin.co.jp/company/rd/
See: http://www.shinagawa.co.jp/profile/index-en.html
See: http://www.af-info.or.jp/en/about/
5.

Birth of Nippon Kogaku

The Meiji Restoration (1868 - 1911) was the catalyst towards industrialization in Japan that led to therise of the island nation as a military power by 1905, under the slogan of "National Wealth and Military
Strength".
See for more info on the Meiji Restoration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_restoration.
The English Barr & Stroud 42 Feet Type FA2 Range Finders became well known in the 19th century.
They were introduced by Barr & Stroud (optical instrument engineers in Glasgow, UK since 1860, thecompany is now part of Pilkington Optronics.) in 1888 and the very high tech oriented Japan Navy
immediately ordered them. The first one, bearing serial number 4, was installed on a Japanese battle
ship in 1894. By May 27, 1905, every single battle ship of Japan's Imperial Navy was equipped with thisrange finder, in fact every single cannon! So this will have cost Japan a lot of Yen.
All Japanese Navy officers used only Zeiss binoculars, the best there was in the years 1880 - 1914.
The Japanese army knew that the Russian - Japanese war of 1904-05 was won with help from the
British ships and rangefinders and German binoculars.
World War I, made it impossible for the Japanese, to import optical goods and optical glass from
Germany. Japan joined the allied forces and Germany became the enemy. Japan needed a lot of
optical goods for their own expansion. So if you can not import, than you make it yourself.
In 1906 Akira Ando, a naval officer, asked the Tokyo University for specified lens technology. Later, withhelp from Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho and Fujii Lens Seizo-sho, he made a rangefinder in 1913.
In 1915 the Japanese Navy starts to study optical glass manufacturing. The quality of the 4,5 meter
Fujii rangefinder was not precise enough. So they send 2 naval officers to England, to study rangefinder
design. In 1918 navy researchers at the Tsukiji Arsenal, began to produce seven types of optical glassin quantities of up to 300 kilogram melts in an effort to compensate for the interruption of German
imports. I’m not sure when the Tsukiji Arsenal starts. I think in 1915. The research at Tsukiji stopped in
1923 as a result of the Kanto earthquake. The City of Tokyo constructed then a central wholesale fish
market. Even Nikon enthusiast should visit this historical place and look for small lenses on the ground.

Hans Braakhuis

page 14

The orientation of the Meiji government and the wars fought against China and Russia contributed
significantly to technological development in Meiji Japan (1868-1911). The roles played by the arsenals
and the government-owned shipyards and factories in adopting and disseminating foreign technology
helped the rapid Japanese industrialization.
During World War I, the France, England and Russia ordered a lot of field scopes from Japan. Theirown industries could not supply enough.

Hans Braakhuis

page 15

1.

The birth of Nippon Kogaku

In 1916 the Japanese Navy asked Mitsubishi to improve the quality of submarines . Mitsubishi was atthat time already Japans biggest shipbuilding company. A main problem was a suitable periscope. And
there was no factory that made periscopes. So lets make such a factory. And in 1916 there were only
three factories which could produce optical glass.
Mitsubishi zaibatsu's fourth president, Mr. Koyata Iwasaki, decided to form
Nippon Kogaku and raised the necessary funds for an operating capital of
2,000,000 Japanese Yen.
The Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha was started up in Tokyo on July25, 1917 as an optical instrument shop in order to meet the needs of theImperial Japanese Navy. The aim was to put an end to the import reliance of
the Japanese industry and army in this field. The company was formed
through the consolidation of to parts of existing factories: some engineers of
Iwaki Glass Seisaku-sho, and the optical division of Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho.
These factories still exist today. The complete Fujii Lens Seizo-sho joined
later that year in December 1917.

Koyata Iwasaki

See the internet for the history of Mitsubishi:
http://www.mitsubishielectric.ca/corporate/our_history.html
http://www.mitsubishi.or.jp/e/h/people.html
Please click on this last site for several important persons. For example a story about Koyata Iwasaki:
http://www.mitsubishi.or.jp/e/h/feature4/intr_sph.html
2.

Iwaki Glass Seizo-sho

The Iwaki Glass Seizo-sho had been operating since 1881. They made at thattime ordinary sheet glass, household glass and no optical glass. In 1885 they
made a mirror for a searchlight. And designed 60 centimeter and 75
centimeter (hobutsenankio) searchlights for the Imperial Japanese Navy in1914 and 1915 respectively. In 1914 Iwaki Glass started experiments to
produce optical glass.
An other part of Iwaki Glass stayed in business after 1917. Since 1955 it wasworking together with Asahi Glass (founded in 1907 by Toshiya Iwasaki, thesecond son of the second president of Mitsubishi Corporation). Iwaki Glass has for many years set thepace with innovative specialty glass products, especially heat resistance glass as its core business. On
January 1, 1999 Iwaki merged with Toshiba Glass, one of leading glass manufacturers, to form Asahi
Techno Glass (ATG). Maker of headlight glass, bulbs, electronic and industrial glass materials,
cookware, and ceramics.
On search lights almost nothing can be found. Probably because there are no collectors neither
museums which saved them. One can find an American site on which the world’s very first search light(1925) is presented, although Iwaki Glass Seizo-sho made one already in 1885. Unfortunately I haven’t
been able to find them all.
On the internet you can read ATG history. But they forgot that a part of them in 1917 merged to Nippon
Kogaku K.K.:
http://www.atgc.co.jp/gaiyo/hebin/he10006.html
3.

Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho

Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho, a metal factory, has been established in 1896 in Koishikawa, Tokyo as
Japan's first measuring instrument manufacturing plant. It started with the production of pressuregauges, followed in 1901 by compasses, depth sounders, and other navigation instruments andequipment. Since 1913 the optical branch of this firm also produced 1,5 and 4,5 meter rangefinders forthe navy. Only the optical department of Tokyo Keiki became part of Nippon Kogaku. Even today Tokyo

Hans Braakhuis

page 16

Keiki still exist. Since 1990 they are known as Tokimec. Nowadays they are producing: Marine
Systems, Hydraulic Equipment, Fluid Measurement Equipment, Web Inspection System and RF(microwave) devices.
Yoshikatsu Wada was director of the optical branch of Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho in 1917. He became
the first director of the new Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha.
On the internet you can read Tokkimec history. But they forgot that a part of them in 1917 merged to
Nippon Kogaku K.K.:
http://www.tokimec.co.jp/english/whats/history.htm
4.

Fujii Lens Seizo-sho

Mr. Ryuzo Fujii was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy and held a degree in mechanicalengineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology . Assigned to study science in Europe, he spent three
years in Germany studying optical design and lens fabrication. Ryuzo studied at the Jena University inGermany from 1898 till 1901. Ryuzo Fujii returned to Japan in 1901 and quit the navy in 1907 to start
his company, the Fujii Lens Seizosho (factory). His younger brother Kozo joined the company.
Kohzo (or Mitsuzo) graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in applied chemistry, and became director
and manager of the Aichi Cement Company.
In 1909 (In the Japanese Photo Industry 1958 it says: Production on an industrial scale started in 1907
with the establishment of the Fujii Lens Factory, which manufactured binoculars for the civilian market
as well for use by the Imperial Japanese Navy (page 140)). Fujii Lens Seizo-sho opened a factory (after
renting a dirt floor room in a residence, for research work) in Tokyo. In 1907 the two brothers started
their own company, which they called Fujii Lens Factory. In March 1909, they created Japan's firstmodern optical plant in the Shiba district of Tokyo, which they equipped with German fabricationequipment and Zeiss measuring instruments. In 1909 Fujii Lens began repairing military products. The
Fujii Brothers were the first binocular manufacturer in Japan, producing their first model with prism in
1911. This was the Fujii Brothers Victor 8x20 (The Fujii Bros. Victor No. 5x6 and a prewar Nippon
Kogaku; Nikko Orion or Luscar binoculars have a lot of similarities.
See an Nekosan article at:
http://www.cameraguild.jp/nekosan/Nikonbino.htm
There is an picture and small article of this binoculars in NHS Nikon Journal 73, page 21 from Bob
Thompson. This binocular was sold to the Imperial Navy. Galilean field glasses might also have beenmade. The Imperial Army and Navy placed enormous orders for telescopes and binoculars, with which
one was able to measure exact distances. The WWI brought on difficulties in obtaining the German
optical glass used in these early models, but production continued. 6x15 and 6x20 binoculars were
exported to Russia and England.
I suppose that Ryuzo Fujii did not know that in 1909 the Japanese Army had established an opticalresearch laboratory (See: 50 Years history of the Nikon Company, page 56. Gojunen no ayumi /50-nenshi) in Tokyo, and in 1909 a repair facility was further established in order to service optical
weapons belonging to the Japanese army. Combined with the experience gained in maintaining
instruments such as field binoculars and cameras, the military facility also began producing telescopes
and microscopes for a variety of applications like binoculars. This facility was secret and nobody should
know about this. Fujii made the first telescope I know in 1913.
The Victor 8x20 by made by the Fujii Brothers in around 1911 was according Ryuzo Fujii himself thefirst prismatic binoculars made in Japan. This binocular was made after studying the models ofprismatic binocular made by Andrew Ross and Co. (Britain) also Goerz (Germany ). To makebinoculars grinders and measuring instruments, glass materials were imported from Germany in thosedays. It is said that these binoculars had a feature to have fixed the prism on the back side of the upperand lower prism cover to wipe prisms easily when optics become hazy or mould grow. However thecleaning of these prism is difficult because prisms were fixed by bending edges of metal housing.
Effective diameter of the objective lens is 20 mm and the apparent field of view is about 40 degrees.
The manufacturer's serial number is not engraved. Prism covers are made of aluminum alloy. I wonder
when these binoculars were sold in the market exactly and how many numbers were build. It is

Hans Braakhuis

page 17

marvellous that Ryuzo and Kozo Fujii produced first Japanese prismatic binoculars after about 15 years
Zeiss produced their first one.
Reference: "Kogaku Kaikoroku (Memory of Optics)" written by Ryuzo Fujii. Thanks for this addition:
Tatsushi Nishioka. See his internet site: http://www.geocities.jp/ame0621/index.html
At http://www.geocities.jp/ame0621/oldbino1.html you can see a description of the Victor 8x20
binocular, with pictures. Even a Ross 6x30 binocular is described.
During the first year it performed optical research. As it happened, Fujii´s brother Kohzo, who hadearned a degree in chemistry, became interested an soon left his job to join the new Fujii Lens Seizo
Sho company. They had a new plant constructed in the spring of 1909 located on a lot nearly 13,000
square feet in Tokyo´s Toshima-ku section. It was a modern two-story building with an total work areaof 1279 square feet. To equip their new plant they imported lens grinding and polishing equipment from
Europe, and optical measuring instruments made by Carl Zeiss. The first floor featured the metal
fabricating and rough lens grinding shop. The final assembly and repair shop, with the two lenspolishing and one lens element rounding and centering machine, was located at the second floor.
During the first two years Fujii Lens Seizo-sho specialised in fixing imported optical instruments for theJapanese Army. In addition to Ryuzo´s training in Germany, the company gained much knowledge
about construction methods and design foreign-made optical instruments. It is important to understandthat at this time Fujii Lens did not have the equipment or skills necessary for the production of opticalglass. Their emphasis was on grinding and polishing lens elements , as well as the fabrication of related
metal parts. For projects requiring optical glass, Fujii Lens uses glass imported from Germany or madeby the Japanese company Kato Kogaku located in Tokyo. In 1910 Fujii Lens designed and made prismbinoculars which were placed on the market the following year. Produced in a test run, these binoculars
had an 8x20 field and were called `Victor`. It is assumed that they were sold to the Japanese military.
There are indications that in the same year Fujii Lens Seizo-sho experimented with photographic
lenses. As it is now understood, the company never actually manufactured any of these lenses. The
probable reason for this was that the demand for domestic binoculars was greater than the need forphotographic optics. In Japan at that time photography was not widespread, and besides, any
Japanese made lens would have to compete with high quality lenses imported from Germany.
With the successful test run of Victor binoculars, both Fujii Brothers decided in 1912 to venture in themass production of optical instruments. Their production of binoculars was to be increased, and theyplanned also to begin melting optical glass. Fujii got help from Tokyo Denki to melt optical flint glass.
They started with recycling old lenses. The new glass shop wasa direct result of the experience and knowledge gained by thecompany. To house these activities, a much larger secondbuilding was constructed.
At 1917 the production of Fujii Lens Seizo-sho was about 150
telescopes and a 1000 binoculars every month.
In 1924 both Fujii brothers resigned from te management.
Ryuzo Fujii wrote in 1942 a small booklet: "Kogaku Kaikoroku(Memory of Optics)" in which he describes his visits to Europe. It
was a gift for the management at the Ohi plant.
5.

Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

The activity of the three factories covered fields such asmeasurement techniques, manufacturing of optical glasses andlenses, in fact three basic branches necessary to manufacture
optical equipment. Having been founded in the late 19th century,
the three companies had by then adequate manufacturingexperience.
The newly consolidated company Nippon Kogaku Kogyo
Kabushiki Kaisha started up with some 200 employees toHans Braakhuis

First NK office in Bunkyo, Tokio,
used between 1917 and 1918.
page 18

produce optical equipment. Most of these 200 were former employees of Fujii Lens Seizo-sho. It had tofulfil the optical needs of the Imperial Japanese Navy as well as the Army. Its first products were also
used in the scientific and industrial world. By the time the Ohi plant (still being the main plant of theconglomerate) became fully operative in late 1918, World War I came to an end, but it did not changed
the government's intention to establish an independent optical industry.
Mister Yoshihara Wada was the first president. But Jeff Alexander says
that: Kahei (or Yoshikatsu) Wada, the head of Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho,
was selected during the incorporation to stand as the combined firm's
first president.

Yoshira Wada

It is not affordable to stop the production capacity of Fujii Lens Seizosho. The 200 employees, created a big production. And there was noimport of German glass. So I suppose, most of the Fujii Lens Seizo-sho
products were continued at the Fujii Lens Seizo-sho factory. The first
products after December 1917 have no engravings at all. Later they
became Joico or Nikko engravings. Together with Richard Lane (see his
NHS Journal 82, Nippon Kogaku logos 1918 - 1945, page 6. article) I
think that Nippon Kogaku started with optical research and production
on a small scale first began in 1918. In 1921 the Fujii Lens Seizo-sho
was closed and all production was from that moment localised in Ohi,

south of Shinagawa, Tokio.
6.

Military relations

The Washington Naval Conference of 1921 placed restrictions on capital ship tonnage thus depressing
Japanese shipbuilding industry and therefore, adversely affecting affiliated munitions suppliers like
Nippon Kogaku in their finances.
However, the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, that had destroyed Nippon Kogaku's facilities, had also
destroyed military and navy facilities, forcing vast resources to be assigned to new plant of Nippon
Kogaku K.K., thus enhancing its relationship with the Imperial Japanese Navy as both a military supplierand as a research and design arm.
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Italy and theUnited States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited military
shipbuilding.
It was an extension of the conditions agreed in the Washington Naval Treaty and is officially termed theTreaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armament. It was a revival of the Geneva Naval
Conference of 1927 which had been unable to reach agreement because of bad feeling between the
British Government and that of the United States.
Terms of the London Naval Treaty resulted in acceleration of Japan's military research anddevelopment during the 1930s. While Nippon Kogaku benefited from increased naval construction, its
product line now included photographic lenses. While not a camera manufacturer yet, it was providing
lenses to camera companies like Canon with products like 75 mm, 105 mm, 120 mm, and 180 mm
NIKKOR lenses. All Canon camera built before WWII were fitted with NIKKOR lenses.
The Imperial Japanese Navy asks Nikon to Develop Cameras. Nikon itself states that "... it was
primarily in response to the demands of the navy that Nippon Kogaku took up camera research."
London Naval Conference of 1930 and the Naval Supplementary Bill promoted the Japanese navy to try
to reduce its dependence on France and it started asking Nippon Kogaku to design and manufacture
cameras for reconnaissance air crafts. Soon the company was producing complex cameras for thenavy.
Among the most technically demanding of projects done for the navy was the creation of opticalrangefinders, or fire-control directors for capital vessels to be built in Japan. Nippon Kogaku's firstHans Braakhuis

page 19periscope was produced in 1918 and it improved during the 1930s. It also worked on lens coatingproblem during this period.
See for more detailed information the Jeff Alexander research in his article: Nikon and the sponsorshipof Japan’s optical industry by the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1917-1945:
http://grad.usask.ca/gateway/archive17.html
The Jeff Alexander article is great. If you don’t read it, you can not understand the rest of my article.
7.

Expanding

Nippon Kogaku expanded during the 1920s and 1930s. Military leaders saw expansion as the best way
to attack the domestic problems of overpopulation and shortages of raw materials. The country looked
to Southeast Asia as its natural extension, and in September 1940 Japan joined Germany and Italy in
the Tripartite Pact to secure its interests in this area. As the threat of a major war increased, Japanese
government planners chose to concentrate on improving precision optics for navigation and bombing
equipment rather than radar and sonar technology, which was used by the U.S. armed forces. The
decision meant new business for Nippon Kogaku and its competitor Minolta, both of which wereprimarily optical-equipment producers at the time. It also increased German technical aid to Japanesefirms that were involved in the war effort, and Nippon Kogaku gained expertise through thisarrangement.

Hans Braakhuis

page 20

8.

The Ohi plant

In 1918 Nippon Kogaku opened the Ohi
factory in Shinagawa, south of Tokyo.
In the same year Nippon Kogaku build
an experimental glass melting furnace,
which lead to the start of the productionof optical glass. The research anddesign department nowadays still uses
these premisses. In 1922 Nippon
Kogaku bought a Naxos-Union optical
grinder in Germany. Nippon Kogaku
K.K. established a glass researchfacility on the same Ohi premises in
1923. It also built a glass melting
furnace with a capacity of 350 kilo,
followed by a glass melting furnacewith a capacity of 500 kilo in 1927. In
1920 a BOA tester, a device to test theOhi plant in 2004 (photo author)
axle of a cannon barrel was made. In
1924 Nippon Kogaku K.K. built andinstalled a concussion machine for testing, with forces up to 10 G. The first successful experiments withmelting with the use of electricity were performed in 1930. In the basement of the factory No. 1 a deep
freezer was installed in 1935.
After the Kanto earthquake, the Ohi factory was out of business for 17 days. Nobody of the personnel
died. But no water, and no electricity stopped the activities at the plant. And the Navy researchers fromthe Tsukiji Arsenal were moved to Ohi. So that makes that all optical engineers and technicians in thecivilian and military sectors worked now on one spot.
Corporation capital

number of employees

1917

2.000.000

200

1921

4.000.000

600

1923

900

On my first trip to Wetzlar Germany in 2006, I saw the old Leica Plant. Its nearly the same English
Industrial type building as the old Nikon Ohi building. The Ohi building was demolished in 2007.
9.

European contacts

Ryuzo Fujii (former Fujii Lens president and now Nippon Kogaku Board Member) travelled in 1918 toEurope, mainly to Germany. He had contacts with Carl Zeiss Jena and the glass factory of the Schott
Brothers, also in Jena. To form a joint venture with Carl Zeiss wasn't a success, although even today
Nikon Corporation is still buying Schott glass. According to some sources Nikon Corporation tried twice
in its history to buy the Schott company.
In 1921, eight German scientists & engineers were hired by Nippon Kogaku K.K. for five years:
Heinrich Acht, (the principal engineer) product design and drafting, microscope design;
Ernst Bernick, engineer for precession instruments and mechanical engineering;
Hermann Dillmann, specialist in lens design and measurement, optical computing;Dr. Max Lange (25-04-1883 - 1923), optical lens design;
Albert Ruppert, prism grinding and polishing
Adolf Sadtler, lens grinding and polishing;
Otto Stange, product design and drafting and
Kurt Weise, lens grinding and polishing.

Hans Braakhuis

page 21On other places I found other names: for example Max Lang and Karl Weise.

Former Leica plant in Wetzlar Germany, 2006, there are some similarity with the 1918 Ohi plant.
(photo author)
Max Lange (Kanto earthquake) and Adolf Sadtler died in Japan, five others went back to Germany in1926, but Heinrich Acht stayed in Japan until 1928. The Germans did an efficient job in different fields
ranging from organisation to optical design. Heinrich Acht extended his contract for another three year
period and he was in charge of managing optical design until the end of his stay.
In those days there was in fact just one very good optical firm in
the world: Carl Zeiss (including Schott) from Germany. Its difficult
to find out where these eight German engineers worked before
they came to Japan. They received their invitations in 1919, which
is one year after the World War I and at that time Germany wasfacing a high unemployment rate. Two of these Germans shouldhave been employed by Goertz in Berlin. And Heinrich Acht was
known as a microscope specialist
There is no personal record of these 8 gentlemen. Because two ofthem died in Japan and the others went back rather quickly most of Ohi plant in 1996 (photo author)
them might have been older than 50 or 60.
As we can read in several books of Nippon Kogaku's history (50 & 75 Years) and other documents
Nippon Kogaku was and is still very proud of its German engineers. This proud may lead to theassumption that the Germans might have been former employees of Carl Zeiss, as one isn't proud toemploy some unemployed German engineers but one will be proud to steel them from the horses
mouth. There are two other sources:“I know Zeiss sent a team out to Nippon Kogaku in the 1920s”: Stephen Sambrook in an e mail list on
the subject of binoculars, by Peter Abrahams.

Hans Braakhuis

page 22

“It is interesting to consider if N.K. obtained the production rights (or license) from Zeiss to produce thisartillery telescope in the early 1920s”: Richard Lane: NHS Journal 82 page 7.
But sorry for Zeiss, 2 of the 8 worked for Goertz, Berlin. Which 2?? And were worked the others before
they went to Japan??
About Max Lange someone told me that he was an employee of the Goertz factory in Berlin. He liked
the play GO and there is an article in which his work is mentioned: Ein zweiter Dr. Max Lange :Go-Spiel geistreicher als Schach / von Peter Gütler. - Kaissiber, 2000. - Nr. 13, Januar-März, p. 53-57.
Nippon Kogaku has built a barrack for the accommodation of German employees. This on the site of
the factory in Ohi. An elongated barrack, with one and more person rooms, a dining room, sanitaryfacilities, etc. In the archives of Nikon I have seen a map.
One of the first tasks for the group was redesigning Nippon Kogaku binoculars, resulting in the Luscar,
Mikron and Atom models of 1921. The German group also helped Nippon Kogaku in 1921/22 to design
and produce some refractor type telescopes, like the 5 centimeter, 10 centimeter and an 50 centimeterreflector models, for astronomical use. In 1922 they constructed another telescope with an 50
centimeter mirror. The German team also assisted in the production of photographic lenses. The firstwas an 50 centimeter anastigmatic triplet lens.
In that same period, Kakuya Sunayama started up as a engineer for optical items. With help of theGerman team he became the most promising candidate for the optical design department.
Heinrich Acht went back home to Germany by a steamboat called "Atsuta
maru" on 27 February 1928, 11:00 a.m. departing from Yokohama. Kakuya
Sunayama, went for Europe as a member of Japanese Naval mission on nextday (28 February 1928) by railway (from Tokyo, through Korea, Manchuria
and Siberian railway). And in this trip, Sunayama visit Leitz Wetzlar late Julyof 1928 and looked the microscopes in the display room of Leitz. Kakuya
Sunayama visited for a period of 8 months several optical industries inGermany, France, England and the Netherlands.
After his return to Japan Mr. Sunayama became head of the commercial
photographical lenses design department.
12,5 cm f4,5 1929
In 1929 Sunayama designed and improved a 50 centimeter f/4.8 aerial lens,called the Trimar, and a first experimental version of the 12 centimeter f/4.5 Tessar type for 6.5x9 platecameras, called Anytar.
10.

Co-operation with Canon

Goro Yoshida (1900-1993) was one of the two founders of Seiki Kogaku Kenkyusho in 1933. Mr.
Yoshida was the first person to turn his attention to the production of Japanese small precision
cameras. Despite of several Leitz patented ideas, Mr. Yoshida had various ideas in order to develop
new focal distance adjusting mechanism. The first idea was a camera with an attached rangefinder withregistration number 220536. In November 1936 Yoshida registered more ideas: 230748; for a device
on a camera that adjust the position of the object lens according to the shooting distance. 245135; adevice on a camera that adjust the object lens automatically to the shooting distance. 254037; a device
that adjust freely the ratio of the rangefinder movement and the ratio of the focussing movement of thelens in the middle of the coupling section. These last three ideas were made in a period that Yoshidaalready left Seiki Kogaku. His ideas were not used by Seiki Kogaku.
The other founder of Seiki Kogaku was Saburo Uchida. They were soon joined by Takeo Maeda andthey produced the prototype Kwanon 35 millimeter camera in 1934. Also in 1934 Saburo Uchidaconsulted his older brother Ryonosuke Uchida, about getting hold of high performance lenses for small
precision cameras and solving the problem of focus adjustment mechanism. Ryonosuke, a graduate of
the Naval Academy at Edajima, had been a navy officer and was an expert on gunnery. When he wasmaking fuses for shells at Nippon Kogaku, he was the supervisor in that division at the Ohi factory. He
recommended that Uchida seek assistance from Nippon Kogaku on this matter. By the end of thesummer in 1934, Uchida, together with Maeda Takeo, visited Nippon Kogaku. They took with them theprototype Kwanon camera in a nice silver box. At Nippon Kogaku, Shigeji Yamamoto, the sales section

Hans Braakhuis

page 23

manager, and Noboru Hamashima, the chief of the civilian supplies, received the Uchida party. Later
Sunayama, the design division director, joined the meeting. Uchida asked for co-operation andSunayama agreed. Sunayama must have been eager to give full support to the realisation of the firstJapanese 35 millimeter camera, which Seiki Kogaku was about to perfect. Sunayama had been pouring
his passion into developing lenses for 35 millimeter cameras. The Nippon Kogaku lens that had noprospect of selling, finally found a marketing channel. Extracted from The Nikon story from T. Arakawa,translated in NHS Nikon Journal 47.
Nippon Kogaku agreed to co-operate with the company which was later named Canon. It designed andmanufactured coupled rangefinder mechanism, which were mounted in cameras. Those cameras werealready fitted with shutters, so Nippon Kogaku in fact did the finishing touch. Nippon Kogaku had
already succeeded in designing and manufacturing 35 millimeter camera lenses, and thus, by installing
its lens, was able to complete the camera that Yoshida had dreamed about.
In Arakawa's Forty Years there is a remark saying that with support from our company, Seiki Kogaku
was founded in November, 1933. After a considerable struggle it succeeded in manufacturing a small
camera. See Arakawa; The founding, chapter 2.
Eiichi Yamanaka, who entered Nippon Kogaku in 1931 and who worked in the civilian supplies design
department, was given the task to design the focus adjustment mechanism. This marked the beginningof Nippon Kogaku's involvement in of 35 millimeter cameras mechanism.
Yamanaka's idea brought about the unique focus adjustment mechanism that distinguishes the Hansa
Canon camera. The application for a patent on this invention was submitted on June 27, 1935, in thename of a device which adjusts the position of the object lens in a camera to accommodate theshooting distance. The inventor was Eiichi Yamakana, the applicant was Nippon Kogaku, and theregistration number was 229211".
Nippon Kogaku, at that time, had already established its position as the largest optical equipment
manufacturer in Japan with advanced manufacturing system specializing in military equipment. Since
Saburo Uchida's brother, Ryonosuke Uchida, was once an auditor at Nippon Kogaku, Saburo Uchida
was introduced to Toyotaro Hori, the executive vice president and the counsel of Nippon Kogaku.
Those days, under Nippon Kogaku's policy to enter the civilian product market, Hori was in charge ofstudying non-military products. He was interested in the application of high-grade lenses for civilian use.
The timing of the request for co-operation by Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory was perfect.
Recognizing benefits on both sides, Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory and Nippon Kogaku
came to an agreement to develop the "Hansa Canon (Standard Model with NIKKOR 50 millimeter f/3.5lens)" with the full support of Nippon Kogaku. The first Canon camera under this joint development was
introduced to the market in February l936 (although some have said that the actual date was Octoberl935). In manufacturing the "Hansa Canon," Nippon Kogaku was responsible for the lens, the lens
mount, the optical system of viewfinder and the rangefinder mechanism, while Precision Optical
Instruments Laboratory was responsible for the main body including the focal-plane-shutter, therangefinder cover as well as the assembly of the camera body. The "Hansa Canon (Standard Model),"became Canon's first commercial camera. Later, the name of the "Kwanon" changed to "Canon".
See Canon article:
http://www.canon.com/about/history/index.html and click on Prologue up to the birth of Canon.
The Hansa Canon, a Japanese 35mm viewfinder type camera, was created by dismantling andstudying the German made Leica III from 1933.
Why would Canon choose a lens made by its rival for their first camera? The simple fact is that half acentury ago Canon and Nikon weren't rivals. Back then, it took both companies to produce a quality
camera. So the lenses produced by Nippon Kogaku K.K. were the first lenses (made in Japan) evercapable of replacing high quality foreign-made lenses. Although the know-how and the technologicalaspect of the lens design came from Europe. A legacy of lens-making technology left by Heinrich Acht,
an engineer who came to Nikon from Germany in the 1920s - which enabled Kakuya Sunayama, thehead of Nikon' s Design Departments to attempt to develop a camera lens. After innumerable trials, Mr.
Sunayama finally succeeded in creating a high quality lens in 1932. See: Canon Lens Serial Numbers in
British Photographic World Magazine, May 2003.

Hans Braakhuis

page 24

When in 1935 Seiki Kogaku started manufacturing their own cameras, Nippon Kogaku began supplying
them with finished optical lenses in metal tubes. Seiki Kogaku placed these tubes into lens mounts
ready for mounting onto the required cameras. Early in 1939. Seiki Kogaku purchased 2 lens
generators, 5 lens polishing machines and an lens checker or Vertometer. Mr Ryozo Furukawa, a lensdesigner was transferred to Seiki Kogaku from Nippon Kogaku. Mr. Furukawa's job was to help set up
these optical machines in the Nakane-cho Meguru factory. He had previously worked at Nippon Kogaku
under Mr. Kakuya Sunayama, their chief lens designer. See:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/htmls/nikon_canon.htm
Robert Rotoloni mentions in his article: Who made what? in NHS Nikon Journal 79, March 2003, page1, 2 and 3, that he thinks that Nippon Kogaku also provided Seiki Kogaku with lenses after 1947. The
common 5 centimeter f/3.5 NIKKOR on most of the Canon S-II body's before 1947 are similar with thelater 5 centimeter f/3.5 Serenar on Canon S-II body's between 1947 and 1949.
The first lens for a 35 millimeter film format camera, a 5 centimeter f/3.5 - was produced in July 1935 by
Nippon Kogaku, and built in the Hansa Canon camera. Somewhat later a 5 centimeter f/4.5 wasproduced.
In August 1937 a 5 centimeter f/2 NIKKOR lens, and later in January 1939 a 5 centimeter f/1.5 NIKKOR
lens were produced for the Canon cameras.
There is an nice article about the earliest NIKKORs from Hayato Ueyama in NHS Journal 22.
In 1939 Seiki Kogaku made its first lens, an 50 millimeter f/1.5 Seiki Serenar for an X-ray camera. Thenin 1940 Seiki Kogaku made an 75 millimeter f/4.5 lens for military purpose.
Between 1996 and 2005 the Canon Corporation says on their web site that the Serenar 35 millimeterf/3.5 (1950) was the first photographical lens they made. Nowadays they say that they started lens
production in 1939. See:
http://www.canon.com/about/history/index.html and click on 1937-1945.
“Before joining Seiki Kogaku in 1939, Ryozo Furukawa worked under the head lens designer at Nippon
Kogaku, Mr. Kakuya Sunayama. During this period of time, the 5 centimeter f/3.5 NIKKOR was
designed for the Kwanon, which was renamed the Hansa Canon camera. In June 1934 Seiki Kogaku
presented Nippon Kogaku with an German 5 centimeter f/3.5 Elmar lens, which was examined by
Sunayama. The first 5 centimeter f/3.5 was completed in December 1934. Made entirely from glass
melted at Nippon Kogaku, it was patterned after the Zeiss Tessar. In January 1935, Furukawa checked
the performance of the then new 5 centimeter NIKKOR against that of the 5 centimeter Elmar and foundthe performance of the German optic to be better than that of the new NIKKOR lens. This comparison
came as a surprise to Sunayama and Furukawa, since they believed that their NIKKOR was the world's
number one copy of the original Zeiss Tessar lens. This situation was complicated even more by thefact that the Tessar-based Elmar was the product of a much smaller company: Ernst Leitz from Wetzlar.
Subsequent improvements in optical glass allowed this situation to be corrected in May 1937, when
Nippon Kogaku improved the performance of its 5 centimeter f/3.5 NIKKOR. It has been thought that
because Sunayama was really never satisfied with the optical performance of the original 5 centimeterf/3.5 NIKKOR, he went on to design the sharp 5 centimeter f/4.5 NIKKOR. Not introduced until 1939,
this lens and its companion 5 centimeter f/2.8 NIKKOR were designed during 1935-36 before theperformance of the 5 centimeter f/3.5 was improved as a sharper alternative.”
From John Baird: “What If”, a reading paper for the NHS 4 Convention Utrecht, Netherlands in 1994.

1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943

Capital x 10.000 Yen
Nippon Kogaku K.K.
500
500
500
1000
2500
5000
5000

Hans Braakhuis

Seiki optical laboratory
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
page 25

1944
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944

5000
437
503
730
901
1305
1485
2686
4820

175
12
53
19
22
90
123
198
368

I am not a fan of Canon. That’s sure. On of the reason is that they several times change their own
history story’s on the internet. Before 1996 they neglected the cooperation with Nippon Kogaku. After
publication of the books from Arakawa-san, they mention that Nippon Kogaku helped them several
times. And nowadays (March 30, 2006) you can read:“1934 Prototype-version "Kwanon", Japan's First 35mm Focal-Plane Shutter Camera.
Having set up the Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory, Yoshida devoted himself to making
cameras. He faced many significant obstacles, because not only making exact replicas of Leica andContax cameras, two major brands on the market at the time, which was difficult with the technique atthe time, he strove to incorporate original ideas into the mechanical workings of cameras.
Since the laboratory was not a factory, all parts were sourced externally.”

Hans Braakhuis

page 26

11.

Names and logos"Nippon Kogaku" was the earlier name used on most Nikon products. This
name was used between 1917 and 1988. Nippon Kogaku means Japan
Optical.
In 1917 there was, except of the Fujii Brothers binocular production, no
production at all. The Fujii Brothers binoculars were renamed to JOICO.
JOICO is a trademark made up of the initial letters of the Japan OpticalIndustry Co., which is a literal translation of Nippon Kogaku K. K., thecompany's name at the time.
(http://www.nikon.com/about/feelnikon/recollections/r06_e/index.htm)
The JOICO name was also used for the first microscope in 1925.

Picture from name plate
old Shiba factory

Between 1935 and 1949 Nippon Kogaku used the name and logo "NIKKO". But the first series Nikko
binoculars get in 1922 on the market.
1930 microscopes also use new trademark - Nikko.
1932 NIKKOR selected as trademark for lenses.
1946 Nikon brand name chosen for small-sized cameras.
In 1959 the company changed the brand name on binoculars from Mikron to Nikon (according Nikon
Corp).
In mid-1969 the company decided to modernized and go with simply the word "Nikon". But even after
this date they used older "Nippon Kogaku" inscribed plates from old stock.
1988 Nippon Kogaku K.K. Corporate name changed to Nikon Corporation.

Hans Braakhuis

page 27

Some used logo’s:

Logo used between
March + August 1945
Logo on artillery optics
around 1930

Logo on Aero NIKKOR
50cm, same as the
Nikko logo
Logo for the Navy

Logo 1930 - 1936
Logo for the Navy

Logo 1988

Hans Braakhuis

page 28

6.

Pre-war and war production

Lens coatings
Both Bausch and Lomb in the U.S. and Carl Zeiss Jena in Germany developed a process for lenscoating almost simultaneously in 1935. By 1939, Zeiss was successful in multi-coating their optics witha double layer and by 1942 using a triple layer coating. Before coatings, binocular manufacturers like
Ross of London and Zeiss sometimes designed the rear eyepiece element in the binocular in such afashion that it could be cemented directly to the binocular's prism face, thereby increasing lighttransmission about 8%.
1.

Periscopes and first lens coatings

The very first submarine periscope, Model I, with a focal length of 7 meter, was produced in 1919; it has
a magnification of 1.5x or 4.5x. The second model (also 7 meter and using aspherical lenses) of 1921
has a magnification of 1.5x and 6x.
Nippon Kogaku's first periscope was produced in 1918, and had an overall length of 7 meter and 49
centimeter. Following the First World War, the company began to produce periscopes based upon
German designs, manufacturing between 50 and 60 units between 1920 and 1922. By the mid 1920s,
German technicians were hired by the company to aid in the development of new models, and records
indicate that by the beginning of the Showa period, large numbers of 9 meter and 10 meter periscopes
were being produced. Nippon Kogaku was also called upon to make working periscopes for the over
300 midget submarines that were produced across their various classes. See: Hansgeorg Jentschura,
Dieter Jung and Peter Mickel, Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869B1945, Antony Preston
and J.D. Brown (Trans.) (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1977), p. 184 -185.
Added to the optical engineering of the periscopes themselves was an ongoing effort made by Nippon
Kogaku to increase the transparency of their glass surfaces. The standard 10 meter periscopeproduced by the company featured 33 individual optical elements and its complexity resulted indramatic light losses. See: Howe, p. 306. In the interest of maintaining their strategic advantage,
Japanese submarine commanders wished to use their periscopes at dawn and in the low light of early
evening, but the initial inferiority of the optics prevented them from doing so without difficulty. These
commanders placed great pressure on the navy and on Nippon Kogaku to improve the performance of
their periscopes under low light conditions, and the company responded by initiating research into newlens coating techniques aimed at increasing their transparency.
According to the US naval investigators, the company had developed two methods for coating glass
surfaces; ‘a chemical method, in which the glass was treated with nitric acid'; and an ‘evaporation
method, in which cryolite is evaporated and deposited upon the glass surface'. See: ‘Japanese Optics',
in US Naval Technical Mission to Japan, p. 31. These procedures were evidently conducted at the
Nippon Kogaku's optical factory at Yokosuka, in coordination with the navy's submarine base at Nagura
Harbour. During their analysis of the plant, the US Navy investigators noted:‘Evidence was found that lens coatings had been carried on', and recorded that ‘a few samples ofapparently experimental coatings and coating material were obtained'.
Such experimental work demonstrated the kinds of subsidiary technologies generated by thecompany's efforts to deliver on Imperial Japanese Navy optical contracts. Efforts made in the field ofexperimental periscope lens coatings would be of particular importance in the postwar period as suchcoatings were later found to have a variety of applications in photographic lens design. Periscopeproduction also continued after the war, and Nikon manufactured instruments for construction
surveying, as well as a series of 10 meter periscopes for use in the railcar bays of the shinkansen, orbullet train railway line. See: Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha: gojunen no ayumi, / 50-nenshi, p.
180.
The decision had been made to manufacture periscopes that were even shorter than the shortest
model at that time (1945) it was type #97 and rumour had it that they were for human torpedos Kaiten.
There is an entry on this short periscope in Nippon Kogaku: The history of 40 years, page 481

Hans Braakhuis

page 29

“In May 1945, we were asked to manufacture immediately a periscope with the span of about 1 meter,
which we guessed would be fitted to a torpedo. This was a single magnification device and had thecompany nickname of S5 Metalware. The plan was to design the product in the Naval Optical
Experiment Division, to manufacture the glass portion at Toyokawa Navy Arsenal and the metal portion
at our company. We were to manufacture 130 of them immediately”. From Arakawa: The name is
Nikon: NHS Journal 72, 2001, page 12-15.
Nippon Kogaku also made several trench periscopes (binoculars), so you could look to the enemy,
without being hit by bullets.
In 1939 Nippon Kogaku introduced vacuum damping of lens coatings to eliminate internal reflections inlenses. But one year earlier, with the production of searchlights, Nippon Kogaku used an anti
condensation coating. Fogging of lenses is a big problem, and an anti condensation coating
could help.
2.

Rangefinders

With the increasing demands being made by the military for optical devices capable of seeing extreme
distances or in specific dimensions, Nippon Kogaku's research was also directed toward thedevelopment of adequate gun cameras, bomb-sights, wide-angle lenses, and even infrared imaging
devices. Among the most technically demanding of these projects was the creation of opticalrangefinders, or fire-control directors for the first Imperial Japanese Navy capital vessels to be built inJapan. In an era before computer-enhanced imaging systems, assessing the range to a target required
warships to employ a variety of purely optical instruments. These devices produced a stereo opticalimage of a target for a vessel's fire-control command centre, which together with corrections for thetarget's course and speed would enable the shagekiban, or fire-control computer, to calculate accurate
gun-sight values for the turret.See: David C. Evans and Mark R. Peattie, Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, andTechnology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887B1941 (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997), p.
253. As the various instruments grew in scale, so too did their individual optical components, or‘elements', such as lenses and prisms. Larger and more ambitious element designs, in turn, fuelled the
proportional expansion of the firm's production facilities and equipment.
Following the arrival of the British-made battle cruiser Kongo in 1913, which featured rangefinders
produced by maker Barr & Stroud, the Imperial Japanese Navy began to design comparable fire-control
optics for future vessels. See: Nippon Kogaku Kgyo Kabushiki Kaisha: gojunen no ayumi, p. 179. (50Years history).
Kongo was the last of the Imperial Japanese Navy's capital ships to be built outside Japan, and during
its construction by Vickers & Sons, a series of three sister keels was laid in Japanese naval yards at
Yokosuka, Nagasaki, and Kobe. See Hansgeorg Jentschura, Dieter Jung and Peter Mickel, Warshipsof the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869B1945, Antony Preston and J.D. Brown (Trans.) (Annapolis, MD:
Naval Institute Press, 1977), p. 35.
Over the next 10 years, Imperial Japanese Navy optical researchers at the Tsukiji Arsenal madeconsiderable progress in the field of optical engineering, but their efforts were reduced to ashes in theearthquake and fire of 1923. From this point forward, the Imperial Japanese Navy came to rely on
private domestic manufacturers for the satisfaction of its optical requirements, not the least of which
included rangefinders. The optical fire-control contracts awarded to Nippon Kogaku by the Imperial
Japanese Navy would stretch the company's technical capabilities to their limits and necessitate theexpansion of its research team to include a wider cast of experts in the field of optics. The largest of thehigh-angle directors were produced especially for the Yamato class of super-battle-ships, plans forwhich were drawn up after the failure of the second London Naval Limitation Conference in 1936. Eachof these 70,000 ton vessels was designed to feature three 18.1 inch turrets, and represented the firm
determination of the Imperial Japanese Navy to outrange all other navies. Superlative artillery, however,also necessitated superlative fire-control optics, and Nippon Kogaku was therefore tasked with the
production of eight 15 meter rangefinders capable of providing images of targets at distances of over 35
kilometer. See: Evans and Peattie, p. 262.

Hans Braakhuis

page 30

One of the finished devices were affixed to each of the three main turrets aboard both the Yamato andthe Musashi battleships, with a fourth installed on their forward fire-control towers. The creation of these
massive instruments involved
such a high degree ofengineering precision that thestandard of accuracy in theirprism construction was 60 times
greater than that which had
been applied to conventional
projects. See Howe, p. 305.
Nippon Kogaku had not only set
new design standards when it
had furnished the Imperial
Japanese Navy's flagship
Yamato with the optics
necessary to fight, it had also
raised the technologicalcapability of the Japanese
optical industry as a whole`. See
the Jeff Alexander article.
The 15 meter rangefinder (93model) and the shagekiban
fire-control unit were installedon the Yamato in 1941.

Scale modell of the Yamato in the Yamato Museum in Kure, JapanThe first penta prisms for rangefinders were made in 1927.
3.

Technologies gained on working for the Yamato class ships

The Yamato, lead ship of a class of two battleships, was built in 1940 at Kure, Japan. She and hersister Musashi were by far the largest battleships ever built by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The WWIIJapanese super-battleships Yamato and Masashi were each 72,000 tons, twice the size of the biggest
US battleships (Iowa class 35,000 tons). They were 50% heavier than anything the US had. And they
were fast. Quadruple steam turbines of 150,000 shaft horsepower drove these ships at almost 30
knots. They carried the heaviest ship armor ever known. They simply dwarfed the US warships of theday! (In comparison the German Bismarck was 50,000 tons). Build by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki. Equippedwith nine 460 millimeter (18.1-inch) main battery guns, which fired 1,460 kg (3,200 pound) armour
piercing shells. Speed: over 30 knots. Range: 8,000 nautical miles, nearly 15 kilometer. The third
Yamato class ship was converted into an aircraft carrier: the Shinano. As a carrier she was to carry 20
fighters, 20 bombers and 7 scouts. All mentioned ships were sunk during WW II. The Yamato sunk in
1944.
After the war, the American troops in Japan made a small list of optical and precision equipment usedon the Yamato and the Musashi. In most cases: made by Nippon Kogaku.
YM108 Low Angle Director and 15 m Rangefinder 1 per ship
YM109 Low Angle Director and 10 m Rangefinder 1 per ship
YM110 4-5 m Rangefinder Type 94 HA/F/Control 1 per ship
YM113 Searchlight 150 centimeter 4 per ship
YM114 Signal Lamp 60 centimeter 2 per ship
YM115 Daylight Signal Lantern 2 per ship
YM128 4.5 m Rangefinder 1 per ship
YM133 1.5 m Rangefinder 2 per ship
YM101/135
Complete Set Precision Control Fittings. See the first Jeff Alexander article, and‘Japanese Optics', in US Naval Technical Mission to Japan.

Hans Braakhuis

page 31

In a catalogue, dated 1942, of the Ministry of Industry, 22 different precision instruments of Nippon
Kogaku are listed.
4.

High precision mechanical devices

I'm not sure when Nippon Kogaku made its first sights and view finders. I have found the following
models.
In 1934 there is a model 93 "shahoban no. 1". It combines a rangefinder and a gun or cannon. But in
1932 Nippon Kogaku also built two model 93 binoculars; a 4x40 and a 6x40 with 6.5? for use on acannon called "Kanimegane". Even earlier, in 1923, there is an rangefinder, binocular type with 50
degrees 10x50, sold to the Navy.
In 1925 a 6x18 binocular for aiming a cannon; in 1929 a 7x model 89 binocular for the Army; in 1931 amodel 91 binocular 15x75, periscope style 45 centimeter and with a 60? field of vision. With 45
centimeter it is a very wide (almost rangefinder alike) binocular. If these 89, 91, 93 models make aiming
possible, one can call them a sight.
A translation of pages 111 - 116 of the ‘Nikon 75 Years History' book only would not be sufficient. In mylistings I'll just mention binoculars and rangefinders, but if I read the specifications these early versions
may have a link to sights and other fire-control devices.
5.

Binoculars

See for more info my homepage:
http://www.hansbraakhuis.nl/
6.

Telescopes

In 1922 Nippon Kogaku presented at the Peace Memorial Exposition in Tokyo a 20 Inch (50 cm) Casse
grain-type telescope (reflecting) for the research of celestial bodies. This was a civilian product, as
earlier considerably smaller telescopes (sized 1, 2 and 3 inches) of Tokyo Keiki and Nippon Kogaku
were produced for military purpose. Also in 1922 Nippon Kogaku made two 4 and 6 inches
astronomical telescopes.
A 20cm telescope was made by Nippon Kogaku K.K. and supplied in 1931 to the Ueno National
Science Museum. There is a drawing named "Women looking up stars".
“About a painting about a telescope and women:
It is well known here and it was once used as a design of post-stamp. It was painted in 1936 by apainter called Cho-u Oota (1896 -1958). It is owned by the National Modern Art Museum in Tokyo(273x206 cm). As you see the telescope is realistic. It was drawn based on a real sketch of the famous
20 cm refractor of the National Science Museum at Ueno in Tokyo which was built in 1931. The
refractor was made by Nikon (Nippon Kogaku) and is still working (once overhaulled).
Sadao MURAYAMA (1924 - ), now retired, worked for a long time for the Museum and it was by the 20
cm refractor that the young pair of MURAYAMA and EBISAWA detected the 1956 great dust
disturbance on 20 August 1956 and took the Tri-X pictures of the dust storm. (Mn)”
From http://homepage2.nifty.com/~cmomn2/282WSh.htm
And see for the stamp: http://www.hps.hokudai.ac.jp/hsci/stamps/1877a-e.htm
See the painting at: http://home.europa.com/~telscope/otachou.jpg
7.

LensesNippon Kogaku Kogyo K.K. hires eight German engineers and scientists on a 5-year contract. They
worked on optical design, product design, and lens and prism grinding and polishing. One of them,
Heinrich Acht, extended his stay until 1928. He produced samples of photographic lenses, the first ones
to come from Nippon Kogaku. Kakuno Sunayama took over lens design after Acht and improved upon
Acht's 50 centimeter f/4.8 lens in 1929, calling it "Trimar." In the same year, he later produced the"Anytar" 12 centimeter f/4.5 lens based on the Carl Zeiss Tessar lens.

Hans Braakhuis

page 32

In 1929 Nippon Kogaku made several "Anytar" and "Tessar" type lenses. They were from 7.5 to 18
centimeter in length. These lenses were probably the first made for civilian consumers. Probably only
the 12 centimeter type sold with a fabulous number of 20 pieces to the Konishi-Honten Rokuohsha
factory for their "Lily Hand Camera". Al the others types remained unsold. Probably Nippon Kogaku
assembled the lens at the Lily Hand Camera, as at that time there was no bayonet. The Lily Hand
Camera, fitted with a Compur shutter, takes 6,5x9 centimeter glass negatives. With this camera Nippon
Kogaku studied its possibilities to bring an own camera to the market.
With the debut of its 75 millimeter (Tessar-type) f/4.5, 105 millimeter, f/4.5, 120 millimeter, f/4.5 and 180
millimeter, f/4.5 NIKKOR lenses in 1933, Nippon Kogaku started with the supply other Japanese opticalmanufacturing firms with the lenses needed to produce cameras. This is also the first time that Nippon
Kogaku used the NIKKOR name for lenses.
In 1937 Nippon Kogaku made a whole range of 50 millimeter lenses for the 35 millimeter film format.
The apertures ranged from f/2.0 and f/4.5. And, as stated earlier, there was the order from the "Seiki
Kogaku Precision Optical Research Institute in Roppongi-Tokyo" for their first "Hansa Canon" camera.
The f/3.5 five centimeter lens was developed by mister Kakuya Sunayama from Nippon Kogaku. Hiscolleague mister Eiichi Yamanaka developed for this Hansa Canon bayonet catch. Until 1948 Nippon
Kogaku made all 5 centimeter lenses for the Canon-S, Canon-J, Canon-JS and the Canon-S2.
In 1937 Nippon Kogaku made their first 55 millimeter enlarging lens. This lens got the name "Hermes".
In 1948 the second enlarging lens was made: the EL NIKKOR 5 centimeter f/3.5.
If your looking for the originals, the lenses NK used to make their copies, look for the
Dopp.-Anastigmat. Dagor 6.8 F=168mm. C.P.GOERZ and others. Goerz Germany made these lenses
between 1918 and 1926.
8.

CamerasThe first camera from Nippon Kogaku everybody knows is the Nikon Camera (type I), a 35 millimeter
rangefinder camera. And we all know that after WWII Nippon Kogaku also had plans to make an 6x6
camera. A blue print design of this camera can be found all over the internet. We also know now that
Nippon Kogaku worked around 1936 at the Hansa Canon camera and probably at the Canon Jr around1939. We also know now that Nippon Kogaku worked on the Lily Hand Camera in 1929.
Of primary importance to Nikon's postwar development is the company's initial interest in the design
and manufacture of cameras. It must be noted, however, that Nippon Kogaku was initially founded as
an optical firm, and not as a camera manufacturer.
Until the 1930s, its production line was limited to telescopes, microscopes, surveying equipment, and avariety of optical measuring devices of use to science and industry. See: ‘A Short History of Nippon
Kogaku Japan', in Nikon Historical Society Journal.
As noted above, the company's research into photographic lens production was largely an effort to
duplicate existing German designs and to become a supplier of lenses to camera manufacturers. With
the advent of the London Naval Conference of 1930 and the Naval Supplementary Bill of the same
year, however, the navy began to put pressure on Nippon Kogaku to begin designing cameras forreconnaissance aircraft. According to the company's own history, the Imperial Japanese Navy had
theretofore depended entirely upon the import of aerial reconnaissance photographic equipment from
France. See: Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha: gojunen no ayumi, p. 67. (50 Years history)
After 1930, the company's researchers were encouraged to develop a series of simple prototype
cameras to satisfy the navy's demands for increased self-sufficiency in the field of aerial photography.
The first models ranged from 700 millimeter to 1200 millimeter in focal length and were characterized
as simple, unsophisticated structures. Following this project Nippon Kogaku began to manufacture a
range of artillery cameras for land use, a project that was its first foray into the production ofphotographic munitions. The significance of the company's early efforts in the field of camera
manufacturing is rooted in the source of the incentive to pioneer such designs. Nikon statescategorically ‘it was primarily in response to the demands of the navy that [Nippon Kogaku] took up
camera research'. As a result, the seeds of the company's postwar design and manufacturing focus
were sewn by the navy's plan to reduce its dependence upon foreign suppliers of vital photographic

Hans Braakhuis

page 33

equipment. This forced realignment of Nikon's manufacturing priorities would ultimately lay thefoundations for its success in postwar camera production.
From these early efforts, Nippon Kogaku went on to produce a variety of increasingly sophisticatedcameras for a wide range of military uses. After 1932, the designs had become ‘authentic, full scale'aerial and land-based cameras, and each constituted another level of technological achievement for thecompany in its efforts to meet the navy's demands. In the field of reconnaissance photography, the firstsmall aerial camera to be mass-produced featured a 180 millimeter infrared lens and a focal plane
shutter.
Cameras were the most complex and intricate designs produced by the firm to that date, and they
represented a determined step forward in the miniaturization of its optical instruments. Added to thedesign challenges presented by demands for smaller and smaller optical components, the need formechanisms such as motors, gears and shutters further forced the company to broaden its design andmanufacturing focus.
With the diversification of Nippon Kogaku's product line came the addition of a new factory at Hoyama,
and together with aerial cameras came a series of designs for land reconnaissance cameras featuring
telephoto lenses. See the Jeff Alexander article.
It says in the 40 years history book that Nippon Kogaku began experimenting with manufacturing photo
equipment around 1931. Masatomo Godai, who was an engineer, broadened his knowledge in this fieldfrom his trips to Europe and the US. Upon returning, he focussed his work on development in this field(p.546).
Godai visited five countries (Germany, Italy, France, England and the US) in February - August of 1930.
The official purpose of this trip was to inspect the current status of the optical industries overseas, andhe went as an commissioned worker to the Ministry of the Army. He had since been the central figure incamera production, although the cameras were for the military.
I did some research on the military cameras that were manufactured by Nippon Kogaku in pre-war
Japan. The main products were the 5 meter telephoto camera, the periscope style telephoto camera,
the automatic aerial camera, the small aerial camera, and the micro aerial camera. All the mechanicalparts for these products were made by Godai and his crew.
Of these cameras, the small aerial type camera began being developed at Nippon Kogaku in 1933. The
lens had an 18 centimeter focal length, and the shutter was of the Compur style. One set the shutter byrotating the handle that holds the camera, and each of the twelve dry plates would fall in to place as one
pulled the lid of the holder. A separate film holder was manufactured. The camera had a fullcomplement of functions. This was adopted by the Army as the 96 style small aerial camera. (Made by
Rokuosha? Toko? Tokyo Kogaku? Yoshio Inokuchi.) This camera was made of a lot of parts, and it
required a high degree of precision to manufacture: only Nippon Kogaku was able to produce it. Laterthe 18 centimeter lens was not good enough as photos had to be taken at higher altitudes. Eventually, it
was replaced by the 100 style small aerial camera, produced by another company.
In 1935 three companies, Nippon Kogaku, Tokyo Kogaku and Konishi-Honten, completed to produce
the micro aerial camera for which the military specified a focal length of 7.5 centimeter with a format of
6x6 centimeter, an automatic coil system and the use of Kodak Brownie Camera film. The camera wasto be used by fighter air plane pilots as well. I heard that the first prototype was made by Nippon
Kogaku, under Godai's guidance. From Arakawa: NHS Nikon Journal 73, page 5 to 7.

Hans Braakhuis

page 34

Aerial Camera SK, type 96, model 2. The model 2 was madefrom 1936, the lens is an rare 179.5 millimeter f/4.5. See also
NHS Journal 3 & 7 for similar lenses. It could be used withroll film or plate film.
Automatic Aerial Camera No 1 type 2 Nippon Kogaku.
See:
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ku3n-kym/heiki0/nasmS/nasmS.html
Later, the preference with the micro aerial camera shifted toa much smaller and lighter camera that used 35 millimeter
film. A test was done attaching a handle to a Leica. This
resulted, in 1940, in a new prototype by Nippon Kogaku andKonishiroku called the 99 style micro aerial camera. See
NHS Journal 48, an article by Richard Lane.

Automatic Aerial Camera No 1 type 2

The Hotaikyo Camera 96 or also known as the Artillery Telescope Camera was developed for theJapanese Imperial Army (artillery) to take pictures on the battlefield. Nippon Kogaku thus firstdeveloped this camera in 1936 which uses 82x107 millimeter dry-plates and the focal length of the relay
lens was about 20 centimeter and combined with the telescope was about 200 centimeter. The camera
was produced through the end of the war. See the article from The Boowu Shop at:www.stores.ebay.com/id'1079750.
The Hotaikyo Camera 96. The camera has number 292. In this article is a picture of the Artillery
telescope MK-93. These binoculars could be attached to the camera with the auxiliary connection arm
to increase magnification. The Artillery camera could also be attached to the 10x4.5 artillery telescope(trench binoculars). The NHS Nikon Journal 39 has an article with great pictures: The Original Nikon"1"? by Mike H. Symons and assisted by Masahiko Fuketa.
"Nippon Kogaku manufactured a large-scale aero camera of the name of 'Army Aero Camera Mark I' in
Showa 19 (1944). This camera is a reconnaissance camera manufactured by the instruction of theJapanese Imperial Army. Increasing production was necessary, and Nippon Kogaku manufactured one
model mark II only by 50 centimeter F/5.6 lens. This lens was designed for using by 10,000 meter highsky. The large-scale reconnaissance camera was an electric controlled. The exposure adjustment andthe film wind up were able to be done electrically. These 600 cameras were produced by Showa 20(1945) when the war had ended." Quotation from Nikon History 75 Years, Page 78":
See the Michio Akiyama article, with pictures from 2 other cameras from Nippon Kogaku at: The
Recron Aero NIKKOR 50cm F5_6 and Sentimental History.htm.
And: http://homepage2.nifty.com/akiyanroom/redbook-e/vintage/aero01.html
Army Aero Camera Mark 1 Type 2. This big reconnaissance camera had an electrically controlled
exposure adjustment and film winder. This camera was mounted in Japanese Imperial Army
Reconnaissance Air plane. Lens: 50 centimeter F/5.6 Film: 23 centimeter width roll film.
Nippon Kogaku made in 1940 an 5 meter f25.0 telephoto camera, for
the Japanese military for photographing manoeuvres at great
distances. It was permanently mounted on a flat-bed truck. Pictures ofthis item appeared several times on the internet and historical Nikon
literature. There is a picture in NHS Journal 73, page 7.
“The following Aero-NIKKOR were made by Nippon Kogaku:(photo from 75 Years History)* Showa 7 (1932) Aero-NIKKOR 50cm F4.8
* Showa 7 (1932) Aero-NIKKOR 70cm F5* Showa 8 (1933) Aero-NIKKOR 18cm F4.5
* Showa 12 (1937) Aero-NIKKOR 7.5cm F3.5
* Showa 14 (1939) Aero-NIKKOR 10cm F5.6 (Wideangle)
I read the book in detail. And, finally, I found the following descriptions. I got excited.

Hans Braakhuis

page 35

"Nippon Kogaku manufactured a large-scale aero camera of the name of 'Army Aero Camera Mark 1' inShowa 19 (1944). This camera is a reconnaissance camera manufactured by the instruction of theJapanese Imperial Army. Increasing production was necessary, and Nippon Kogaku manufactured one
model only by 50cm F5.6 lens. This lens was designed for using by 10,000m high sky. The large-scalerecon camera was an electric controlled. The exposure adjustment and the film wind up were able to bedone electrically. These 600 cameras were produced by Showa 20 (1945) when the war had ended."
Quotation from Nikon History 75 Years by Michio Akiyama, Page 78.”
See: http://homepage2.nifty.com/akiyanroom/redbook-e/vintage/aero01.html
The Nikon Corporation says ont their website that the production of Aero NIKKOR lenses for aerial
cameras is launched in 1933. (Nikonimaging.com - technology - NIKKOR)
In 1945 a story was told that in the Ohi factory there was a shelf full of completed AF Telephoto's (twometer telephoto cameras) because the army wouldn't pick them up. NHS Journal 72, 2001, pages
12-15: The name is Nikon
Nippon Kogaku manufactured the SK 100 camera bodies and lenses. An example was depicted in"NHS 57 article from Richard Lane". The WW2 vintage Aero-NIKKOR matches the Aero-NIKKOR lens
No_38317436 f/3.5, 20 centimeter". Rear barrel diameter is about 2.8" and there is a screw-on 3 earbayonet mount. See: homepage2.nifty.com/akiya...ero01.html.
The 20 centimeter lens was made for the SK-100 aerial camera. Nippon Kogaku was one of many
manufactures of this camera and lens. The SK-100 was also designed for use with a 40 centimeter
lens. The bayonet mount on these lenses allowed them to be removed and interchanged.
The Camera is a model 100, #2353, with Aero NIKKOR 20cm, f 3.5 lens. No. 38317453. The second
lens, same markings is 38317438. I was told they are from 1941 from photos I took to NKK about 20
years ago, but I see from your list lens no. 38317436 is listed as 1944, so maybe my items are from1944 also. I believe the NKK people may have just taken a guess. I don't think they looked it up in thearchives. The label on the wooden case the camera came in has the same markings and number as on
the camera, but the place for month and year are blank. The #2353 is identical to the one shown in thearticle (#2360 with lens #38317420). I guess that would make it an SK 100, circa 1944?. According Bill
Kraus.
A 500 millimeter Aero-NIKKOR. The serial number of this lens (38352328) raises some questions,mainly due to its length. We are all aware of Nippon Kogaku's practice of using three or four digit
number blocks at the beginning of the serial number to indicate dates of either development or
production.... eg. '609" indicating September 1946; '801"for January 1948; '5005" for May 1950, etc.
The serial number on this lens doesn't seem to follow this logical pattern. If one were to break down thisnumber into definable blocks, can it be argued that the first three digits comprise the date. '383" forMarch 1938? This being the case, would it also indicate that this was the 52,328th such lens produced?
That seems highly improbable. Perhaps on items produced for the miltary a completely different
numbering system was used, one that we collectors, are not familiar with. Another possibility is theserial number can be broken into three different segments, such as...
383-date identification (March 1938)52- product identification code (50cm/f5.6)
328-number of units made.
Naturally, all this is mere speculation, but I'm sure if records were ever found, some logical numbering
scheme would be evident. See the complete text in Mike Symons article in NHS Journal 29.
In 1936 Nippon Kogaku produced its very first rangefinder to be used on camera's. The Microtester,
produced in 1937, was able to measure horizontal lengths.

Hans Braakhuis

page 36

9.

Microscopes

When I looked on the internet for Nikons first microscope, I found this:

http://www.microscopyu.com/museum/firstnikon.html

And I’m sorry for the owner of this home page, but thisinformation must be wrong. I send some mails but thereaction was, this is the first.
In the book Nikon’s 75 Years history I found two
drawings of the first microscopes.
The microscope Victor II was the first microscope
Nippon Kogaku made in 1923. This type is listed in
Nikon 75 Years History, but I can't find a Victor I, except
a Victor binocular, made by Fujii Lens in 1911. So I think
the Victor II microscope must be a prototype.
In the same year Nippon Kogaku also produced amicroscope with scale graduation and co-ordinate
comparator.
Left: prototype Victor 2 from 1923, right first
production model: Joico from 1925 (from 75
Years History)

Hans Braakhuis

page 37

Production of a microscope model, named Joico started in
1925. With a revolving nosepiece and interchangeable
objectives. This compound monocular microscope is fashioned
from brass and has a black-enamelled horseshoe base. The
revolving nosepiece holds three objectives that areinterchangeable with standard RMS screw threads. From John
Millham: “The "standard" screw thread is the RMS thread, which
stands for Royal Microscopical Society. It is usually referred toas the RMS thread. Some early microscopes, like Ross andBeck, had a slightly different thread”.
The flat, square stage is fixed to the limb with a plate
Joico microscope 1925 + type O (fromattachment. A substage Abbe condenser collects light from a
75 Years History)
double mirror mounted on a tailpiece. The limb is connected tothe base with a pivot mechanism and contains the rackwork for the fine and coarse focus adjustments.
Maximum magnification is 765x. On several internet sites one cansee a drawing of the Joico microscope. This illustration was madefrom a photograph of the original microscope in Nikon's archives.
There are yet no pictures known of an Victor II or Joico
microscope.
In 1935 Nippon Kogaku made a microscope model Nikko. This
microscope made magnifications from 20x to 1350x. In the years
1920 to 1947 the "Nikko" sign was frequently used. See the
Arakawa article in NHS Journal 80, page 6 +7.

O + K type microscopes (from 75
Years History)
See: http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/corporate_history.htm

10.

Bomb-sightIn 1937 Nippon Kogaku bought a small aeroplane to test bomb-sights. The aeroplane was called Nikko,
had place for three people and had 450 horsepowers. The Haneda airfield became its home base.
The 'type 90 Bomb-sight model 2" was made in June 1937. It was used on the Nakajima B5N2 Type 97
Bomber air plane (Allied name Kate). Probably a 100 bombers used this bomb-sight. (Extracted fromRichard Lane's text, See his article in NHS Journal 69, page 9, 10 + 11.).
The 'Type 95" Nikko bomb-sight is an non-magnifying sight with a field of 20 degrees. The sightmeasures 27 inches long with a diameter of 1: inches, It weights just under 6 pounds. The opticalsystem of 6 elements in 3 groups, provided a eye-relief of 74 millimeter. Therefore it was possible tomount the bomb-sight on the nose of an Aichi D3A1 type 99 (Allied name Val) air plane, just in front of
the windshield. The reticule was a rectangular grid pattern with scale markings. The 'Type 95" was also
used on the Mitsubishi F1M2 type Zero observation Seaplane (Allied name: Pete). This type bomb-sightwas made in 1941 and used for the Pearl Harbour attack. There is an earlier type know, build before
1941, without an protective front cover. Extract from Richard Lane's articles in NHS Journal: N K
Optical Ordnance. There are several publications in NHS Journal 40 14, 41 12, 42 14, 43 14, 44 11, 45
14, 47 14 and 48 1.
11.

Stereoscope

In 1925 Nippon Kogaku started with the technique to mark stereo photo's.
The Nippon Kogaku stereoscope (stereo viewer) is now known in two versions:Hans Braakhuis

page 38

Type 97. This stereoscope was designed for viewing maps in stereo mode. By viewing in side-by-sidestereo mode, it is possible to determine elevation differential and thus terrain. See the Les Seeligson
article in NHS Nikon Journal 54
Type 98: The type 98 stereoscope can be used to look to stereo graphic prints from 3x5 to 8x10 inches.
The stereoscope is made of brass with black enamel paint. There is an thumbscrew on the button used
to lock in the adjustable interocular distance between 58 and 68 millimeter. There are eyelet slots for aneck strap. The oculars have an detachable rubber eyecup, to minimize stray light. There are two
prisms, but there are no optical elements for increase magnification. See the Richard Lane article in
NHS Journal 77, page 11 + 12.
12.

Trench binocularHans Braakhuis

page 39

13.

Who made these optical items

In the Yokohama Japanese WWII Radio Museum you can see several camera's and other opticalitems:
Army GSK-99 Aero Camera; Navy Type F8 Aero Camera; Army Model "Hayth" Aero Gun Training
Camera; Army Model "Rubaroa" Aero Gun Training Camera; Army Model 1 Aero Gun Training
Camera; Navy Model 89 Aero Gun Training Camera; Periscope Type 1 Improvement 5; Navy 6.5
centimeter Telescope Type 2I-401 Submarine Deck Gun-sight; Navy Model 1 Gun-Bomb-sightControllerType 2, 3 Gun-sight; Navy Model 96 Range Finder (66 centimeter); Navy Model 96 Sextant.
See: http://www.yokohamaradiomuseum.com/etc2.html.
7.

Post-war production

The allied occupation forces demanded that Japan's large industrial groups disband. Mitsubishi
Headquarters disbanded on September 30, 1946, and many of the Mitsubishi companies split into
smaller enterprises. The trading arm fragmented into 139 companies. Most of the Mitsubishi companies
abandoned the name and emblem under pressure from the occupation forces. On the outbreak of the
Korean War, the occupation policy shifted to an emphasis on industrial and economic reconstruction.
Some of the Mitsubishi companies reconstituted themselves, and most began using the name andemblem again. But they retained their autonomy. The companies achieved far more individually andindependently than they ever could have accomplished as a single organization. At the same time, they
benefit from the shared sense of community that accrues from a common history and corporate culture.
At the end of WW II Nippon Kogaku had 19 factories and 23,000 employees. But other authors say up
to 26 factories and 25,000 employees.
The American Forces closed down all Nippon Kogaku factories. Except the Ohi facility and the Ohi
Glass factory. These were also the first plants Nippon Kogaku build in the years 1917 - 1919. Nearly all
the personnel was send home, including 5.000 soldiers, delinquent workers, several mobilized student
workers and several civilian volunteers. With 1,400 or 2000 people the production started at the Ohi
site.
For obvious reason, the American occupation authorities forbidden its further development and supplyof weapon-related products of such nature and the company, like many others are desperately to look
for a substituting market, which is abroad for its continual survivor. See:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/history.
Following Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, Nippon Kogaku's operations were halted and its
plants remained idle while the occupation authorities SCAP (SCAP ' Supreme Commander for the
Allied Powers) considered how the company should be reorganized. Undeterred by the layoffs thatwould cut its workforce to a mere 1,725 employees. Christian Ozdobas mentions 1,400 and Peter
Abrahams mentions only 900 people in 2 factories.) firm's directors set about coordinating a series of
15 working groups to examine its potential manufacturing options. These groups were essentiallytasked with the creation of a product line that would enable the company to employ its considerable
technical skill to the continued production of existing designs.
The company had been founded solely to produce optical weaponry and had produced military products
exclusively up to he day of the defeat, but then the company made an about face and began producing
commercial items for civilians, a task for which it had absolutely no previous experience.
On August 16 and 17, 1945, so the first day after the surrender, there was a meeting chaired by mister
Koshiro Shiba, who was chairman of the board between 1924 and 1944. All the officers and directors
were called to attend the meeting.
Shiba proposed the following: Our company developed solely by military production. Given the current
situation, it would be impossible to continue the business at the present scale. So we have to lay-off

Hans Braakhuis

page 40

and downsize the production, and the numbers of personnel. See also Forty Years, page 241 andArakawa: NHS Journal 72, 2001, page 12-15: The name is Nikon.
I'll think that the business re-started on August 18, 1945 with producing and selling of binoculars,
microscopes and measuring instruments. Nippon Kogaku could used old stock and replacement
articles to start with. Nippon Kogaku wartime binoculars were outstanding. Every US soldier liked tobring one back home. From all warships, submarines, sunk ore not, the binoculars came of first. There
were more soldiers than binoculars. The first three questions after the war were: who made thesebino´s? Are there more bino´s in stock? Can you make more of these bino´s? In 1945 Nippon Kogaku
sold the 3.5x25.5 Spica binocular; the 6x24 and 8x26 Orion binocular, the 7x50 type, and I'm sure thatthey sold numbers of the (military) 10x70 binocular. If you look nowadays on the internet for buying an
Nikko 10x70 binocular, there is only one country were these binoculars are sold: the USA.
It is told that General MacArthur asked to produce camera's "so that the G I's could buy cameras andnot spend their money on sake and whores.
Four key innovations made by Nippon Kogaku during its years as an optical munitions supplier would
later prove to be of paramount importance to the company's postwar manufacturing success.
First, the experience gained in the production of prisms for periscopes and rangefinders was to be of
crucial significance. Nikon would later find itself in a position of leadership during the revolution of thephotography world by the reflex cameraCof which prisms were the vital component.
Second, the innovative lens coatings designed for submarine periscopes were later found to improve
the performance of photographic lenses. Coatings that utilized as few as four elements were able toincrease the transparency of the glass and reduce light loss, thereby improving the overall performanceof the optics.
Third, the company's own wartime systems of mass-production for such items as binoculars provided
the experience needed to begin producing instruments in higher volumes.
Finally, the early experimentation that had been conducted by the company into the rudimentary
integration of optics, electronics, and mechanical devices would enable it to continue on as a pioneer inthat field.
While most of these key considerations were not yet evident to the company's 15 working groups in thefall of 1945, their aim was to pinpoint Nippon Kogaku's strengths as an optical manufacturer andassess their potential value to the civilian market. They were tasked, however, with the evaluation ofover 70 possible designs, including cameras, telescopes, surveying equipment, projectors, clocks,
spindles, lights, calculators, and even surgical equipment. See: Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki
Kaisha: gojunen no ayumi, p. 77. (50 Years history)
The groups began making their assessments on 1 September 1945, and by 20 September they had
selected 38 of the designs as the most eligible candidates. The most successful items chosen for
production were the binoculars previously designed for the use of Japan's military forces during the
warC models that featured names such as Galileo, Novar, and Orion. Many of these wartime-issue
binoculars had already become highly sought-after trophies of US Naval officers, and American
servicemen continued to be the company's most eager customers after production resumed in April
1946. See: Richard J. Samuels, Rich Nation, Strong Army: National Security and the TechnologicalTransformation of Japan (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1994), p. 308; and S.E. Morrison,
History of United States Naval Operations in World War Two, Vol. 3 (Boston, MA: Little, Brown,
1947B1964), in Howe, p. 306.
By that date, a mere eight months since the end of the war, the company began manufacturing a line ofproducts that included: camera lenses, five types of binoculars, a pocket telescope, a microscope, awater level, land-use and astronomical telescopes, and several types of spectrographs. See: Nippon
kogaku kogyo kabushiki kaisha: gojunen no ayumi, p. 77. (50 Years history)

Hans Braakhuis

page 41

In September 1945, Nippon Kogaku's Consumer Goods Production Subcommittee also proposed the
production of a camera, and by November of that year the Camera and Projector Committee had
started its investigation of the designs. See Itoh, Mikio, ‘Archivist's Memo No. 1', in Nikon Company,
available online at: http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/d archives/camera/history_e.htm
Engineers began working with designs for an 80 millimeter twin-lens reflex camera, as well as a small
coupled rangefinder camera with a focal plane shutter and an interchangeable lens that would use 35
millimeter film. The 80 millimeter TLR design was eventually abandoned, however, and the smaller
model was selected and given the name Nikorette. See: Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha:gojunen no ayumi, p. 79. (50 Years history)
Shortly thereafter, the abbreviated version of the company name, Nikko, was changed to Nikon, andwhen this name was applied to the firm's prototype 35 millimeter camera it became known as the Nikon
model I. Twenty prototypes were ordered in 1946, and in March of that year the company's new namewas officially announced. Finally, in February 1948, the camera was released.
The Capella binoculars were produced immediate after the end of the war. These were the first civilian
products. Mostly these binoculars have no MIOJ gravure, because that came later. These Capellabinoculars were cheap, but at the end of 1945, and beginning of 1946, more Japanese opticalindustries start the production of binoculars. These binoculars were cheaper, and were not so good as
the Capella. But the Capella binocular did not sold much, because of the price. That's why the Capellavery collectable now.
First production after the war:
In 1945
In 1946
In 1946
In 1946
In 1946
In 1947

Production of Capella binoculars.
Production of the f/4.5 75 millimeter lens for the Mamiya Six.
Production of Look binoculars.
Production of Eyeglass Lens Pointal.
Starting developing x-ray camera 6x6, production ready in 1947.
Surveying Instrument: the Tilting Level Type E. Maybe production started already in1946. Later in 1947 also Transit Type G.
First lens: 135 millimeter f/4.0.
First rangefinder camera model I and lenses 85 millimeter f/2.0; 35 millimeter f/3.5.
Microscope model O.
Profile projector type I;
Lens 50 millimeter f/1.5.

In 1947
1948
In 1948
In 1949
In 1949
1.

Fluoro-Record Camera

Due to malnutrition and the bad hygienic environment, Tuberculosis of the lungs prevailed. In order tocope with this situation , the government, under the guidance of General Head Quarters (GHQ) (the US
occupation forces) organized a commission and took measures to promote group x-ray examinations of
the public. For mass examinations in those days they used x-ray fluoroscopy by 35 millimeter cameras
with a format size of 24 x 32 millimeter. However, among the Commission members there was a strong
opinion that the image size should be much bigger in order to mis-diagnosis. At the urgent request of
the Commission we (Nippon Kogaku) started to design a fluoroscopy camera of 6 x 6 centimeter
format, and in October 1947 we put it into production. The prototypes were tested by the Commission
and the results were satisfactory. They made a concrete plan to switch the format from 24 x 32 to 6 x 6
centimeter. Unfortunately, the plan was rejected by the government due to the very poor financial
situation of the country, and we stopped production.
There were only 30 to 50 units made. Some of these bodies were later converted into the 6 x 6 Nikon
Sky camera.
According Masahiko Fuketa in: The Nikon 6x6 x-ray camera, Nikon Journal 40, an article by Mike
Symons.
In 1992 a Nikon 6 x 6 camera with number 22790 is reported to have been seen in the New Jersey area(USA). Complete with a Regno-NIKKOR-C lens, 10 centimeter f/1.5 with number 71028 (October 1947)... the 28th production lens. In 1993 Fuji Collectable Cameras from Boulder Co, USA purchased a

Hans Braakhuis

page 42

camera body with number 80282 an a lens with number 71085. This can mean that Fuketa's numbers
maybe wrong, because this has an higher number than 30 ore 50.
2.

Vertexometer

An Vertexometer is an Nippon Kogaku word for a Dioptometer. It measuresthe diopto magnification (of a lens). There is an type I and one type II. See
75 Years of Nikon. Type I is 270 times produced between 1947 and 1953". It
gives an Vertex power of +/- 25 diopters. The diopter scale appears in thesame view field of target. Measurements can be done in 0.25 diopter. See
the Peter Lownds article in NHS Journal 46.
3.

MIOJ
Vertexometer 1947
(from 75 Years History)

On February 20, 1947, the US General MacArthur signed the document
SCAPIN 1535, which required all export items carry to carry the MIOJ markfor 'Made in Occupied Japan'. SCAP Post-war control of Japanese exports was held by US military
offices until August, 1949.The MIOJ requirement was in force until SCAPIN 2061, December 5, 1949,(another source places this date at the treaty signed on September 8, 1951, becoming effective April
28, 1952). After one of these dates, 'Made in Japan' or 'Japan' were used. In 1952, the militaryoccupation of Japan ended.
4.

Post-war comeback 1945 - 1954

Despite the marked social despondency and scarily of commodities in Japan just after the war,
production of cameras was resumed surprisingly quickly. The reason for this was that the General
Headquarters of the Occupation Forces ordered that cameras be supplied by Japan for sale to military
personnel, for private use. This earned hard currency which could be used to help purchase imported
food, essential to rescue Japan from starvation.
In 1950, more than 100,000 pieces of 35 millimeter, folding, twin-lens and other cameras were
produced. These were all marked Made in Occupied Japan. Theoretically, these could officially be solddomestically, but with an 120% tax levied on them, they were simply beyond the means of mostJapanese at the time. Consequently, many different types of cheap mini-cameras (these took 14
millimeter width roll film with backing paper) were made and sold.
Although the cameras produced in this period were basically the same as previous pre-war models,wartime optical precision instrument technology, had a very strong influence on the camera industry
and cameras that were much more advanced than those produced before the war began appearing.
Among these were the Nikon type M, the Canon IV Sb and other models.
In 1950, during the Korean War, photos taken of the war with a NIKKOR lens by a Life magazine
cameraman, Mr. David D. Duncan, were very well received. The boost this unexpected praise gave theJapanese camera industry is almost unbelievable.
While the Life photographers were not blown away by the NIKKOR wide-angles, they really loved the50, 85 and 135 millimeter lenses and shot the Korean War with them. The optical performance wassuch that those pictures made Nikon's reputation. This line is from:
hppt://www.dantestella.com/technical/nikoleic.html.
Economic expansion resulting from the Korean War stimulated domestic demand for cameras andbrought an unprecedented boom. Countless small and large companies were pitted against each otherand there were about 80 types of twin-lens reflex cameras being produced.
With the end of the Korean War in 1954 came a sudden depression. As a result of this, small
manufacturers with weak management structures became insolvent one after another, and thus only
companies that could withstand the excessive competition advanced as leading manufacturers.

Hans Braakhuis

page 43

But even these leading manufacturers had to take stringent measures to rationalize, and it could besaid that they were forced to explore sales routes overseas. They realized the importance of
co-operation and established JCIA (Japan Camera Industry Association) and JCII (Japan Camera
Inspection Institute) in 1954". From the same article in The evolution of the Japanese Camera.
There were also an Japan Telescopes Inspection Institute (JTII) and an Japan Optical and Precision
Instruments Manufactory Association.
5.

Industrial Standardization Law

The first Industrial Standardization Law was announced in 1949 leading to the establishment of theJapanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC). In 1952 the JISC became a member of theInternational Organisation for Standardization (ISO) followed in 1953 by its membership of theInternational Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Therefore Japanese standards are known now world
wide.
6.

Other Japanese 35 millimeter cameras before the Nikon I

The Nikon I was probably the first 135 format rangefinder camera made by Nippon Kogaku in 1948.
Ideas for this camera came mostly from an Contax II and an Leica III, 135 format rangefinder camera.
Since 1940 Nippon Kogaku made already 135 millimeter format cameras for the Army. But there werein Japan already more home made 135 format (or smaller) cameras:
year
1912
1926 101935 41935 91938 81939 2
1940
1947 5
1947 111948 51948 81948 91948 101948 10
1949 21949 31949 7

cameraRadio
RecordSuper Olympic
Hansa Canon
BoltaxCanon Jr.
99 style micro aerial camera
Minolta 35
Bolty
Minion 35
Olympus 35 I
Hansa JupiterNikon camera type I
Mamiya 35
Canon II B
Minolta 35
Nikon type M

typeSpecialBox
Miniature
Miniature
Viewfinder
Viewfinder
Rangefinder
SpringViewfinder
Viewfinder
Box
Rangefinder
Rangefinder
Rangefinder
Rangefinder
Rangefinder

format
31 mm
35 mm
135
135
24x24
135
135
29x32
24x24
24x32
24x32
135
24x32
135
135
135
135

manufacturer
Ueda Camera Store
Konishi-Honten
Asahi Bussan
Seiki Kogaku Kenkyusho
Minagawa Seisakusho
Seiki Kogaku Kogyo
Nippon Kogaku
Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko
Chiyoda Shokai
Tokyo Kogaku
Takachiyo Kogaku Kogyo
Omiya Photo Supply
Nippon Kogaku Kogyo
MamiyaCanon
Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko
Nippon Kogaku Kogyo

This list makes clear that Nippon Kogaku was not the first Japanese producer of a 135 format
Rangefinder camera. See for an complete list: page 188 a.f. The History of Japanese Camera.
7.

Early Japanese film format on 135 film

There was an preference in the Japanese market for the 24x32 millimeter film frame format instead of
the standard 24x36 millimeter format used by most manufacturers. This smaller format saved film,
permitting an increased number of exposures on a roll film. There was a number of Japanese
professionals who advocated this format because it permitted enlargements to 8x10 Inch, without
cropping. However, the reduced size was not continued because it was not compatible with automatic
processing and printing machines used worldwide. The Allied Occupying Forces required that theformat be changed. It was allowed to make the 24x34 format, for use in Japan only. The new format
could be achieved easily without retooling of the basic camera housing. It was the Nikon rangefinde
camera type S with the smaller format, bought in Japan, which found its way to the Korean War.
Other photographical manufacturers in Japan made also camera=s with a 24x36 film format, or smaller:

Hans Braakhuis

page 44manufacturer

cameraproduction from : till

format size mm

Asahi Bussan Corporation
Seiki Kogaku Kenkusho
Minagawa Seisakusho
Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko
Tokyo Optical Corp, Ltd.
Takachiyo Kogaku Kogyo
Nippon Kogaku
Nippon Kogaku
Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko
Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko
Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko
Nippon Kogaku
Nippon Kogaku

Super Olympic
Hansa Canon
BoltaxMinolta 35
Minion 35
Olympus 35
Nikon camera type I
Nikon type M
Minolta 35 II
Minolta 35 III
Minolta Memo
Nikon type S
Nikon type S2

1935
1935
1938
1947
1948
1948
1948 1949
1949 1951
1949
1949
1949
1950 1954
1954 1957

24x36
24x36
24x24
24x32
24x32
24x32
24x32
24x34
24x32.5
24x34
24x36
24x34
24x36

The change to 24x36 in 1954 by Nippon Kogaku is a very late change. At that time Nippon Kogaku
should know that most of their production went abroad. And that the price in Japan was much higher
because of taxes.
8.

Lenswear

Nippon Kogaku started making eyeglass lenses since 1946.
http://www.nikon-lenswear.com/about/our-history

8.

Nippon Kogaku production list

For me, the production list started with an translation of a part of pages 111 till 122 of the 75 Years
Nikon History book appendix. After that I updated this list with all other items I found, except non optical
weaponry. The translation was very difficult. In the original text there is sometimes nearly no difference
between an binocular (with or without scale), an periscope, an tank eye glass, an trench periscope, ansight, an telescope, a rangefinder, etc.
Next is a list of items (exept the binoculars) made by Iwaki Glass Seisaku, Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho,
Fujii Lens Seizo-sho and Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, nowadays called the Nikon
Corporation. So I'd like to start in 1881 and stop in 1949. So there is an small overlap with therangefinder camera era. It is by no means complete, but a basis for expansion. Please help me if you
can make additions.

Hans Braakhuis

page 45

update:May, 2005
The following is a list of items (exept the binoculars) made by Iwaki Glass Seisaku, Tokyo Keiki Seisaku-sho, Fujii Lens Seizosho, Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha nowadays called the Nikon Corporation. So I start in 1881 and stop in 1949. So
there is an small overlap with the rangefinder camera era. It is by no means complete, but a basis for expansion. Please help me
if you can make additions.
Product till 1949
year
name
centimetre f1:/
formatstyle
auto collimator

1942

Auto collimator to measure flatness

civilbomb-sight

1937

Nikko bomb-sight model 2

type 90bomb-sight

1940

Nikko bomb-sighttype 95

bomb-sight1941

number 1, to aim bombs

Navybomb-sight1941

model 2 number 1, prototype

Navybomb-sight1942

model 3 aiming device with coating

Navybomb-sight1943

model 2 number 1

Navybomb-sight1944

model 10

camera

1929

Konishi Lily Hand Camera (N.K. sold Anytar
lenses and helped with lens mounting?)

12

4.5

camera1933

Small Camera an NIKKOR lens, also used by
the Army

18

4.0

camera

1933

18

4.5

dry plates

camera1935

96 model small aerial camera, with NIKKOR
lens
camera with binocular

300

camera1935

Konishi Idea Hand Camera with NIKKOR lens

10.5

45

6.5x9 cmcamera1935

Hansa Canon (N.K. made the lensmount,viewfinder, range-finder, optical system

5

35

35 mm

camera1935

micro aerial camera

7.5

6x6

camera1936

Hotaikyo Camera 96 with 10.5 cm lens andbuilt-in developing equipment

10.5

82x107drypl

camera1936

Artillery Telescope Camera #257; #292;

20

dry-plates

96 stylecamera1936

small aerial camera type II

18

dry plates

96 stylecamera1939

röngten camera and lens5

camera1939

camera with binocular

500

camera1940

5 metre telephoto camera

50

25

camera1940

micro aerial camera

camera1944

automatic aerial camera

50

5.6

camera1944

SK-100 camera body and lens (#2352)

camera1945

camera1947

camera1948

model I

24x32

civil

camera1948

multipurpose X ray camera

6x6 cm

civil

24x34

civil

Army

Air force

Navy

1.0

civil
Army
35 mm

Navy

Aerial cam

Army

2 metre telephoto camera

camera1949

model M

1947

Fluoro-Record X-ray camera

dioptometer

1947

Dioptometer nr I (Vertexometer)

enlarging lens1937

99 style

18x23 cm

J 72: p 14

multipurpose camera 2 pieces prototype of the later Model I rangefinder
cameracameraAir force

10

1.5

Hermes Enlarging Lens for Hansa Enlargers

5.5

3.5

5

3.5

civil

6x6
civil

enlarging lens

1948

EL NIKKOR

fire-control unit

1934

93 model "shahoban nr 1"

35 mm
Army

fire-control unit

1938

97 model high angle calculation deviceNavyfire-control unit

1938

model 98 with graduation scaleNavyfire-control unit

1939

for longitude and latitude measuringNavyfire-control unit

1939

Navy

fire-control unit

1941

model 97 with longitude and latitude
measuringshagekiban for Yamato warshipglasses

1946

Pointarcivil

gun-sight

1925

model 88 anti aircraft aiming apparatus

Armygun-sight

1937

97 model sharp shooting visor

lens

1925

Flieger Objective

50

4.8

lens

1926

Flieger Objective

50

5.4

Hans Braakhuis

1500

Navy

10E

2.5x10Army

page 46

lens

1929

Porträt Objective

24

lens

1929

Porträt Objective

30

3.5

lens

1929

Projections Objective

7.5

2.0

lens

1929

Projections Objective

12

2.0

lens

1929

Anytar

12

4.0

lens

1929

Trimar

50

4.8

lens

1931

Anytar

12

4.5

lens

1932

Dialyt Anastigmat

7.5

6.3

lens

1932

Doppel Anastigmat

7.5

6.8

lens

1932

Dialyt Anastigmat

10.5

6.3

lens

1932

Doppel Anastigmat

10.5

6.8

lens

1932

Dialyt Anastigmat

12

6.3

lens

1932

Doppel Anastigmat

12

6.8

lens

1932

NIKKOR

7.5

4.5

civil

lens

1932

NIKKOR Anytar

10.5

4.5

civil

lens

1932

NIKKOR Dialyt Anastigmat

12

4.5

civil

lens

1932

NIKKOR Aero-NIKKOR

18

4.5

civil

lens

1933

Anytar

15

4.5

lens

1933

Doppel Anastigmat

15

6.8

lens

1933

Doppel Anastigmat

18

6.8

lens

1933

Aero NIKKOR

70

5.0

Air force

lens

1933

Aero NIKKOR

50

4.8

Air force

lens

1933

Anytar

18

4.5

lens

1935

for Hansa Canon

5

3.5

35 mm

lens

1935

for Hansa Canon

5

4.5

35 mm

C. bajonet

lens

1937

NIKKOR lens for the Hansa Canon

5

2.0

35 mm

C. bajonet

lens

1937

lens X-ray equipment

6

0.85

6x9

16mm cine

lens

1938

meteorological lens

1.63

8.0

lens

1939

for Canon J

5

4.5

35 mm

J thread

lens

1939

for Canon S

5

4.5

35 mm

C. bajonet

lens

1939

for Canon J

5

3.5

35 mm

C. bajonet

lens

1939

for Canon S

5

2.8

35 mm

C. bajonet

lens

1939

for Canon S, external aperture ring

5

2.0

35 mm

C. bajonet

lens

1939

5

4,5

35 mm

screw

lens

1939

Aero-NIKKOR wide angle

10

5.6

lens

1939

NIKKOR lens for Canon

5

1.5

35 mm

lens

1939

NIKKOR lens for Canon

5

2.0

35 mm

lens

1939

NIKKOR lens for Canon

5

2.8

35 mm

lens

1940

98 centimetre f/4.5 for TV purpose

98

4.5

lens

1940

20 centimetre f/1.9 for TV purpose

20

1.9

lens

1941

Nippon Kogaku No. 150247

15.03

4.5

Aerial cam

lens

1941

Nippon Kogaku Nr. 559

17.920

4.5

Aerial cam

lens

1944

R-Aero-NIKKOR (known: No. 38352376)

50

5.6

18x24 cm

lens

1944

R-Aero-NIKKOR (known: No. 38317436 /
38317453 / 39317438)

20

3.5

SK-100lens

1944

Schmidt lens for Nocto-vision

17

0.85

lens

1945

NIKKOR with Leica mount

5

3.5

35 mm

civil

lens

1946

NIKKOR with coating

5

3.5

35 mm

civil

lens

1946

Apo NIKKOR

38

9.0

lens

1946

NIKKOR H collapsible, serial numbers 609xxx

5

2.0

35 mm

Nikon I

lens

1946

NIKKOR lens for Mamiya Six III. Pre-war lens,once applied for Canon.

7.5

4.5

6x6

lens

1946

NIKKOR with Leica mount

5

2.0

lens

1946

NIKKOR with Leica mount

5

3.5

35 mm

Leica

lens

1946

13.5

4.0

35 mm

screw

Hans Braakhuis

3.0

6.5x9 cm
6.5x9 cm

C. bajonet

civil

civil
civil
#96

civil

page 47

lens

1947

Regno NIKKOR C (for x-ray camera)

10

1.5

lens

1948

NIKKOR lens with BaF10 glass5

2.0

6x6 cm

civil

lens

1948

W NIKKOR C

5

3.5

35 mm

Nikon M

lens

1948

NIKKOR O

13.5

4

35 mm

Nikon M

lens

1949

3.5

3.5

35 mm

screw

lens

1949

for Nicca III

3.5

3.5

35 mm

lens

1948

NIKKOR QC

13.5

4.0

35 mm

Nikon M

lens

1949

NIKKOR PC

8,5

2.0

35 mm

Nikon M

lens

1949

NIKKOR H non-collapsible

5

2.0

civil

lens

1949

Cine NIKKOR

1.3

1.9

civil

lenswear

1946

Pointalmicroscope

1923

Victor type II

microscope

1923

scale graduation, co-ordinate comparator

microscope

1925

Joico

microscope

1935

Nikko

microscope

1938

measuring microscope

microscope

1948

microscope O for education

microscope

1949

model K microscope

periscope

1919

model I

periscope

1921

model II

periscope

1923

model III (experimental)

700

periscope

1926

periscope900

periscope

1927

with longitude and latitude focus

100

periscope

1930

88 model, number 3, night vision

900

periscope

1936

periscope nr 1 and nr 3 for Siam

800

Army

periscope

1941

model 3600

Navyperiscope

1941

model 4700

Navyperiscope

1941

model 5800

Navyperiscope

1944

97 model

350

Navy

periscope1945

2.70 metre periscope

270

type 97

periscope

1945

1 metre periscope100

torpedoperiscopestandard 10-metre periscope

1000

periscope

several types trench periscopes

civil

civil
civil
20x to765x
50x to
1350x

civil
civil
civil

700

20x to600x
20x to1350x
1.5x, 4,5x

civil

Navy

700

1,5x, 6x

Navy

civil

Navy
Engineers

profile projector

1949

Profile projector

projector

1939

projection of röngten photos

civil

Model 96 Range Finder (66cm)

Navy

range finder

type I

rangefinder

1913

Tokyo Keiki rangefinder

rangefinder

1915

Tokyo Keiki rangefinder

rangefinder

1916

Tokyo Keiki rangefinder

150

Navy

rangefinder

1917

Tokyo Keiki single eyed rangefinder

150

Navy

rangefinder

1917

Tokyo Keiki rangefinder and telescope

250

Navy

rangefinder

1917

1.5 metre Rangefinder

rangefinder

1919

model Year 8 for field cannon

100

Navy

rangefinder

1920

model year 5

250

Navy

rangefinder

1920

model year 5450

rangefinder

1923

binocular type

rangefinder

1925

model 15, three dimensional type

150

rangefinder

1925

model 14, single eyed

150

rangefinder

1926

model 13800

rangefinder

1927

with penta prism

rangefinder

1927

88 model, build to end WWII, huge numbers

300

Army

rangefinder

1928

88 model, waterproof

300

submarine

Hans Braakhuis

Navy
150

Navy

Navy
50E

10x50

Navy

page 48

rangefinder

1928

90 model, stereo, anti aircraft

300

Army

rangefinder

1929

90 model, high angle, anti aircraft

300

Army

rangefinder

1930

90 model, to aim bombs, build to end WWII

300

rangefinder

1931

90 model, production at Iroha Metallworks

300

rangefinder

1931

90 model,300

rangefinder

1932

rangefinder

40

rangefinder

1933

91 model high angle rangefinder

rangefinder

1933

93 model for cannon

75

Army

rangefinder

1936

rangefinder for Siam (Thailand nowadays)

600

Army

rangefinder

1937

model 94 anti aircraft aiming device, with antishock

rangefinder

1937

95 model high angle

rangefinder

1937

15 metre rangefinders

rangefinder

1938

98 model anti aircraft

rangefinder

1941

model 93, 15 metre rangefinder and firecontrole unit

rangefinder

1941

model 98 with graduation scale

rangefinder

Navy
Navy
6x40

Navy
Navy

Army
Navy
1500
Army
1500

YamatoNavy

YamatoNavy

10 metre Rangefinder

rangefinder

4.5 metre Rangefinder

type 94

searchlight

1885

Iwaki Glass searchlightsearchlight1914

Iwaki Glass searchlight hobutsenankio

60

Navy

searchlight

1915

Iwaki Glass searchlight hobutsenankio

75

searchlight1917

searchlight

75

15x

Navy

searchlight1917

searchlight

75

25x

Navy

searchlight1917

searchlight

75

35x

searchlight1921

searchlight (German model)

searchlight1938

99 model with anti condens coating

Navy

sextant

1934

92 model sextant for submarine

Navystereoscope

stereoscopetype 97

stereoscope

stereoscopetype 98

Navy
Navy

Navy
Army

surveying instr

1947

Tilting Level Type E

civil

surveying instr

1947

Tilting Level Transit Type G

civil

telephone

1937

Nikko portable optical telephone for battlefieldArmytelescope

1913

Fuijj Lens Seizo-sho refractive type telescope

telescope

1908

Tokyo Keiki telescope

1 Inch x 16

Navytelescope

1913

Tokyo Keiki telescope

75

Navy

telescope

1913

Fujii Lens Seizo-sho refractive-type telescope

telescope

1920

small model

telescope

1922

astronomical use, casse grain type reflection

telescope

1922

astronomical use

4 Inchtelescope

1922

astronomical use

6 Inchtelescope

1922

10 centimetre reflector

telescope

1922

5 centimetre reflector

refractor

telescope

1922

50 centimetre reflector

refractor

telescope

1931

astro telescope for Tokyo Sience Museum

8 Inchtelescope

1935

Masto-telescope model 95

2800

telescope

1935

Celostat for Imperial University of Okaido

30

telescope

WWII

Artillery telescope

MK-93

6.5cm Telescope type 2

Navytelescopevertexometer

Hans Braakhuis

1947

2 Inch, 3
Inch

Navy
civil
civil
civil
refractor

civil
3x, 5x, 7x

civil
civil

dioptometer

page 49

9.

Conclusions

Nippon Kogaku was born with two parents, these were Mitsubishi and the 3 firms who merged. As
Godfather there was the Imperial Japanese Navy.
During the 1920s, 1930s, and through the immediate post World War Two era, there is an support of
optical firms by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The reason for this support for optical munitions can befound in the Washington Naval Limitation Treaty of 1922 and the subsequent London Naval Treaty of1930 arguing that the root of Japan's early optical research and development initiatives is to be found inJapan's compensatory Naval Supplementary Bill of 1930. Nippon Kogaku's technical advances made in
the furtherance of Imperial Japanese Navy projects, give a good starting point manufacturing in thepost war occupation period. In building upon its significant wartime technical breakthroughs and mass
production processes, Nikon was able to capture post war consumer optical markets both at home andabroad by the late 1950s.
Nippon Kogaku could start in 1917 with 200 employees because of the high selling of Fujii Brothers
based binoculars. Nippon Kogaku could start immediate after the World War II because of the hugedemand for binoculars.
The high quality of optical glass production and coating was gained by producing periscopes forsubmarines.
The high quality of precision mechanical devices was gained by producing the 15 meter rangefinder for
the Yamato Class ships and the coupled shagekiban (fire-control unit), an mechanical device tocalculate accurate gun-sight values for the turret.
The high quality of mass production by production line producing was gained by producing huge
numbers of binoculars during the first years of the 1930's.
10.

Justification

In this publication I make use of material of others. As I found a lot on internet you will not find the text
published on internet, but just the link to that text.
There is also a lot of material accessible via collectors, in particular on telescopes and microscopes.
See the news groups oldscope&yahoogroups.com and the news group binocular list at
http://www.europa.com/~telscope/binotele.htm
In this publication one may read two different opinions on the same subject. Quotations of all authors
may be found in the appendix.
Others contributors are:Peter Abrahams
Tom Abrahamsson
Jeff AlexanderJohn Baird
Nico van Dijk
Yoshio Inokuchi from the JCII Camera Museum Tokio
Mikio Itoh
Takayuki Kawai
Bill Kraus
Wybe Kuitert and Noriko Nakamura for translating some texts
Richard Lane
Peter Lownds
Karl Mantyla
John Millham
Nikon Kenkyukai Tokyo
Tatsuhishi Nisioka

Hans Braakhuis

page 50

Robert Rotoloni
Christophe Sap
Les Seeligson
Hanabe Tanabe
Steve Stayton
Mike H. Symons
Akito Tamla
Jason Zoppel
Photo’s found on www.wikepedia.org:
GNU head: Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free
Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections,no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "Text of the GNU Free
Documentation License."

It goes without saying that all trade names of companies, brands and products, mentioned in thispublication, are the property of its official holders. Literal quotations (written in italic type) are made withreference to their respective authors.
1.

Research

Museums: For research and pictures of early Japanese and Dutch optics I visited the following
museums:
National Science Museum, Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan;
JCCI Camera Museum, Tokyo, Japan;
Teylers Museum, Haarlem, the Netherlands;
Boerhave Museum, Leiden, the Netherlands;
Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, Leiden, the Netherlands.
2.

Used books

Japanische Photographie 1860 - 1929, Berliner Festspiele, Argon Verlag GmbH, Berlin, Germany,
1993, ISBN 3-87024-258-2.
Baird, John: The Japanese Camera, ISBN 1-879561-02-6, Historical Camera Publications, Yakima,
Washigton, USA, 1990.
The history of the Japanese camera, Japan Camera and Optical Instruments Inspection and Testing
Institute / International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House; Tokyo and Rochester;
Edited by Gordon Lewis; Manufactured in the USA in 1991. ISBN 0-935398-16-3 or 0-935398-17-3.
The Nikon Story, Arakawa, Tatsuhiko, 1981. Written in Japanese.
The Bright Dark Box, Arakawa, Tatsuhiko, 1975, Written in Japanese.
The evolution of the Japanese Camera, International Museum of Photography at George Eastman
House; Rochester; 1984, ISBN 0-935398-11-2.
Nippon Kogaku and the Nikon Camera, Robert Rotoloni, The Nikon Historical Society, Historical
Camera Publications, Gleed Station, Yakima, Washington, USA 1989.
Nikon Corporation Japan, Nikon, 50 Years History, Gojunen no ayumi / 50-nenshi. 1968. Written in
Japanese.
Nikon Corporation Japan, Nikon, 75 Years History, 1993. Written in Japanese. (Some pictures usedfrom this book)
Other books:

Hans Braakhuis

page 51

Rich Nation, Strong Army: national security and the technological transformation of Japan; Richard J.
Samuels - 1994 Cornell University Press; ISBN 0801499941.
The Origins of Japanese Trade Supremacy; Christopher Howe; 1999; C. Hurst & Co. Publishers; ISBN
185065221X.
Other used internet sites:
http://www2.arts.ubc.ca/bcar/no13/articles/alexander/abstract.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/ir/ir_tool/fb/pdf/2005/05fb_e08.pdf
3.

Other links

Nikon's history told on Nikon Corporation Japan homepages:
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/ir/ir_tool/fb/pdf/2005/05fb_e08.pdf
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/rhnc/index.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/d-archives/memo/m01_e.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/d-archives/memo/m02_e.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/d-archives/memo/m03_e.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/d-archives/camera/dataindex_e.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/nikkor/nwords-e.htm#wakimoto
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/d-archives/camera/history_e.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/nikkor/index.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/cousins/index.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/index.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/products_history_01.htm
http://www.sendai-nikon.com/profile/history/
Nikon's history told by others:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/akiyanroom/redbook-e/index.html
http://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm
http://members.aol.com/dvbarth/
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/htmls/models/index.htm
http://fotomuveszet.elender.hu/9734/973412_eng.html
http://fotomuveszet.elender.hu/9734/973411_eng.html
http://akiroom.com/redbook-e/kenkyukai/
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Nikon-Corporation-Company-History.html

Hans Braakhuis

page 52

History of other Nikon products:
http://www.microscopyu.com/museum/index.html
http://home.europa.com/~telscope/otachou.jpg
http://www2.arts.ubc.ca/bcar/no13/articles/alexander/abstract.htm
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/history/canon_story/f_index.html

Hans Braakhuis

page 53