After many centuries
of importing optical instruments - mainly from Europe - Japanese government
advocated and ordered the establishment of a national optical industry. On
25 July 1917 two optical industries (in fact a special department of both Tokyo
Keiki Seisaku Sho and Iwaki Glass Manufacturers) merged and formed a new company:
Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, abbreviated to Nippon Kogaku K.K. Early
1918 Fujii Lens Seizo Sho joined the new company. It opened a factory in Ohi
in the Shinagawa district in Tokyo, Japan. This Ohi-factory is still the main
office of Nikon Corporation, which nowadays also has factories and production
units in other towns in Japan, and in other countries like Thailand and China.
Nikon Corporation also has two sales departments in Europe (the Netherlands)
and in the United States of America (New York).
Nikon and Nikkor are registered trade marks of Nikon Corporation. In April 1946
the name Nikon was derived from the company’s name NIpponKOgakuN. Nikkor
was used since 1932 for its lenses. As per 1 April 1988 Nippon Kogaku K.K. adopted
its new company’s name Nikon Corporation.
In the beginning of the 20th century Japan was an emerging economy running behind the industrial revolution of the western world. Economic growth was hampered by various military conflicts with continental-Asian enemies. Many industries in Japan were set up by national and local governments to supply governmental organizations with special equipment. Nippon Kogaku was set up to serve the Japanese armed forces. A group of technicians, assisted by German specialists, made optical surveying equipment (telescopes, microscopes, binoculars, and range finders) for the Japanese imperial navy, army and - later - air force. In the 1930īs also photographic lenses were produced for fellow camera manufacturers. War time increased the need of high end instruments in large quantities. Marketing, consumer relations, public relations and cost effectiveness were not an issue. Nippon Kogaku became one of the largest optical industries in Japan with some tens of thousands op employees. After WWII foreign currency was desperately needed to feed domestic economy. Military equipment was not needed, not even allowed to be produced. Nippon Kogaku - considerably slimmed down - carefully stroke out upon new paths: camera market.
In 1948 its first range finder camera (partly cribbed from Leitz and Contax) was introduced. Because of the īNipponī film format (24x32 mm.) and its relatively high price the camera wasnīt a success on the domestic and export market. An unexpected but welcome introduction on the American market by a few enthusiastic American photojournalists and by a gifted public relation professional (Joseph Ehrenreich) Nikon cameras and Nikkor lenses gathered an almost indestructible reputation in Northern America.
In 1959 Nikonīs first single lens reflex camera - Nikon F - was introduced: a real workhorse like its successors Nikon F2, F3, F4, F5 and Nikon F6. In 1986 the first auto focus SLR (F501/N2020) for amateurs and in 1988 the professional AF-camera - Nikon F4 - was introduced. For amateur photographers the (unsuccessful) Nikkorex, the very tough Nikkormat-series, compact FM/FE-series and a whole range of AF-, APS-, compact, underwater and movie cameras - with varying success - were marketed. In 1997 the first Coolpix (digital compact camera) was introduced, followed by Nikonīs first professional digital SLR camera, the Nikon D1 in 1999.
After the German camera industry had to bow its head in the early 1970īs for the constantly improving Japanese optical industry, the (mid 1980īs) re-named company - Nikon Corporation - became the worldīs second most wanted camera and lens manufacturer. To date Nikon, together with its rival Canon, is still one of the leading optical companies in the world. It produces cameras, lenses, binoculars, steppers, sports optics, measuring instruments and almost everything else fitted with an optical lens.
Nikon Corporation is - since its foundation - division/member of the Mitsubishi Keiretsu, one of the worldīs largest industrial group. It has production facilities in (among others) Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Phillippines and official representations in all major countries all over the world.
Despite its presence in all continents and the 2004 announced Consumer Relations Management, Nikonīs head quarters in Tokyo remain almost - due to the inscrutable Japanese communication culture - inaccessible for most foreigners.
Many books have been written on Nikon Corporation and its products. An interesting list of books and publications can be found on the web site of the Dutch Nikon publicist Hans Braakhuis).