page_title: SoftBank Group
section_title: Timeline
hierarchical_section_title: SoftBank Group / SoftBank Corp. / Timeline
caption_attribution_description: Vodafone_SHOP_ikebukuro_japan photography day, 2006.9.12. photography person, kisi
context_page_description: SoftBank Group Corp. is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Tokyo. SoftBank owns stakes in many technology, energy, and financial companies. It also runs Vision Fund, the world's largest technology-focused venture capital fund, with over $100 billion in capital.
  The company is known for its leadership by founder Masayoshi Son. It operates in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-commerce, internet, technology services, finance, media and marketing, semiconductor design, and other areas.
  SoftBank was ranked in the Forbes Global 2000 list as the 36th largest public company in the world, and the second largest publicly traded company in Japan after Toyota.
  The logo of SoftBank is based on the flag of the Kaientai, a naval trading company that was founded in 1865, near the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, by Sakamoto Ryōma.
  Although SoftBank does not affiliate itself to any traditional keiretsu, it has close ties with Mizuho Financial Group, its main lender.
context_section_description: 1981: SoftBank Corp. (currently SoftBank Group Corp.) Japan (Yombancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) established. Commenced operations as a distributor of packaged software
  1984: Japan Telecom was founded.
  1986: Japan Telecom launches leased circuit services.
  1986: Railway Telecommunication established.
  1989: Railway Telecommunication merges with Japan Telecom.
  1991: Tokyo Digital Phone established.
  1994: J-Phone starts PDC cellular service in the 1.5 GHz band, 10 MHz bandwidth.
  1997: J-Phone launches SkyWalker SMS service designed by Aldiscon and Ericsson for PDC
  1998: J-Phone launches SkyMelody ringtone download service
  1999: J-Phone launches J-Sky wireless Internet service ten months after NTT DoCoMo's i-mode, which was launched in February 1999.
  2000: J-Phone launches Sha-Mail (写メール) picture messaging service using the world's first camera phones developed by SHARP
  2001: J-Phone launches Java service with JSCL library
  2002: J-Phone launches W-CDMA 3G service for the first time
  2002: Company name was changed to Japan Telecom Holdings. The fixed-line telecommunications business was also separated to found a new Japan Telecom.
  2003: J-Phone company name is changed to Vodafone K.K., and J-Sky name is changed to Vodafone live!. Vodafone launches a Japan-nationwide Beckham campaign
  2003: Company name was changed to Vodafone Holdings K.K.
  2004: Vodafone K.K. merges with Vodafone Holdings K.K. and the company name is changed to Vodafone K.K.
  2004: Vodafone relaunches the 3G services in Japan a second time offering mobile phone handsets designed primarily for the European markets
  2005: Vodafone changes management and relaunches 3G services in Japan a third time
  2006: Vodafone officially announced it had agreed to sell Vodafone Japan (Vodafone KK) to SoftBank for a total of 1.75 trillion Japanese yen (approx US$15.1 billion) in one of the largest M&A transactions in Japan to date
  2006: SoftBank and Vodafone K. K. jointly announced, that the name of the company will be changed to a "new, easy-to-understand and familiar" company name and brand. Masayoshi Son became CEO and Representative Director of Vodafone K. K.
  2006: Headquarters moved from Atago Hills to Shiodome to integrate operations with other SoftBank group companies.
  2006: SoftBank announced that the name of the company will be changed to "SoftBank Mobile Corp." effective 1 October 2006
  2006: SoftBank started rebranding "Vodafone" to "SoftBank."
  2006: Vodafone Japan company name is changed to "SoftBank Mobile Corp."
  2008: SoftBank Mobile releases iPhone in Japan beating NTT DoCoMo
  2008: SoftBank Mobile joins Open Handset Alliance
  2009: SoftBank Mobile joins TransferJet Consortium
  2010: Softbank purchased 100% of the PHS mobile operator Willcom.
  2012: SoftBank Mobile unveils the Pantone 5 107SH, a mobile phone with a built-in geiger counter.
  2015: Investment in US-based Social Finance, Inc (SoFi) announced
  2015: SoftBank Mobile was merged with SoftBank BB Corp., SoftBank Telecom Corp., and Ymobile Corporation to form a new subsidiary, SoftBank Corp., to reflect its new status of providing fixed-line and ISP operations.
  2018: SoftBank Corp. (TSE: 9434) listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange On 19 December 2018.
caption: Vodafone store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo
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