Besieged with economic problems resulting from the overthrow of the Tokugawa government in and a tremendous influx of imported goods and machinery that threatened her fledgling industries, Japan was vulnerable to colonization. Confronted with the task of strengthening its faltering industries, the new government was quick to respond. In October the Ministry of Industry Kobusho was formed and subsequently acted as a catalyst for the country's industrial development.
In its attempt to integrate contemporary technologies into Japan, the government concentrated on hiring foreign engineers, technicians, and scientists to instruct domestic engineers in operating imported machinery; the government also sent its own engineers abroad to inspect manufacturing techniques with the intent of selecting machinery and manufacturing techniques for use in Japanese industries.
The integration of foreign technologies was first put into practice by Tanaka Seizo-sho. The company's 1,horsepower steam engine, copied from blueprints of an English counterpart, was successfully constructed in a plant in Kanebo, Japan.
This venture convinced Japanese industrialists of their potential for technological advancement through the adoption of foreign technology and its adaptation to domestic skills and resources. Tanaka Seizo-sho embraced this concept in the s, determining that paying outright for technological knowledge was the most expedient means to upgrade its technological capabilities.
This strategy helped the company expand into the manufacture of transformers, electric motors, and other heavy electric equipment in the s. Tanaka Seizo-sho made its own discoveries as well during this period, originating Japan's first hydroelectric generators in By the company's own technological capabilities had produced a kilowatt three-phase-current dynamo for the Yokosuka Bay Arsenal, marking one of the initial transformations from foreign to Japanese-based technology, and the beginning of the company's rise to the forefront of international business.
The company, which adopted the name Shibaura Seisaku-sho in , developed Japan's first X-ray tubes in While Shibaura and other Japanese corporations were growing in strength and increasing their capabilities, they were deeply debilitated by the advent of World War I. As the war began, Japanese manufacturers were cut off from Germany, England, and the United States, major suppliers of machines, industrial materials, and chemicals, forcing them to turn to one another for necessary materials and machinery to keep their fledgling industries alive.
The hardships experienced during this period had long-term advantages, however, for they forced Japanese industry into self-sufficiency and paved the way for the country's industrial advancement. Shibaura continued to grow in the interim between world wars, and merged with the Tokyo Electric Company, Ltd. Tokyo Electric had also been established before the turn of the 20th century.
Ichisuke Fujioka and Shoichi Miyoshi. Hakunetsu-sha had distinguished itself as Japan's first manufacturer of incandescent lamps. During the late s, Japan rapidly passed from a period of self-isolation and self-reliance into a period of largely benevolent occupation and advocacy. With the assistance of the Japanese government and its citizens, the American Occupation Authority instituted social and economic reforms, and poured resources into postwar financial markets.
Japan's readmittance into the international trading community gave it access to overseas markets for manufactured goods and raw materials. The glut of raw materials available at the time enabled Japan to obtain necessary commodities in large quantities at favorable prices and, consequently, to regain its financial and industrial strength.
In this more favorable climate, Toshiba once again began to flourish. Backed by the powerful trading house of the Mitsui Group, the company's financial status was well secured. Starting in the s, Toshiba began a program to strengthen its competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets.
The company produced Japan's first broadcasting equipment in , launched Japan's first digital computers in , and developed Japan's first microwave ovens in Yet it would be some time before modern business policies affected the company in any fundamental way.
Toshiba executives were criticized for their rigid adherence to a feudal system of hierarchy and status. Top officials maintained lax working hours and were far removed from any operational business. An indisputable separation between a superior and his subordinates made the exchange of ideas virtually impossible. To reduce the burden of responsibility on any one executive, numerous signatures were needed to approve a document.
Thus innovation was easily stymied in a chain of bureaucracy. In the early s, these internal problems were compounded by an economic recession. To halt any further erosion, a radical change was in order. This page partially uses JavaScript. This page may not operate normally when these functions are not supported by your browser or the setting is disabled. Toshiba's early history has two strands: saw the establishment of Tanaka Seizo-sho Tanaka Engineering Works , Japan's first manufacturer of telegraphic equipment.
Its founder, Hisashige Tanaka - , was well known from his youth for inventions that included mechanical dolls and a perpetual clock. Under the name Shibaura Seisaku-sho Shibaura Engineering Works , his company became one of Japan's largest manufacturers of heavy electrical apparatus.
Subsequent diversification saw the company evolve as a manufacturer of consumer products. In , these two companies, leaders in their respective fields, merged to form an integrated electric equipment manufacturer, Tokyo Shibaura Denki Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co.
The company was soon well known as 'Toshiba,' which became its official name in Hisashige Tanaka opened a telegraph equipment factory in Shimbashi, Tokyo. Kurume board of education. Manufactured Japan's first electric incandescent light bulbs. Invented the "double coil electric bulb," one of the six great inventions in bulb technology.
Completed one of the world's largest centralized remote-control monitoring systems at electricity substations for Tokaido Shinkansen bullet trains. Produced prototype product of the world's smallest MOS transistor, with a gate length of 0. Began commercial production of Microfilter Cathode-ray tubes, the world's first CRT with a filter incorporating the three primary colors.
History Chronology of History. Organization Directors and Executives. The Heritage of Toshiba A video introducing Toshiba's proud heritage. Produced Japan's first waterwheel power generators 60 kW. Japanese government officials stand by, contemplating plans to extend its life. On Monday Toshiba announced it would spin off four business units.
All might be for the taking from a company that, in just 10 years, went from being a storied manufacturer of cutting-edge gadgets to a maker of, well, just stuff. Go back eight decades, and Toshiba was at the forefront of technology discovery. Although its roots originate in the late s, when the son of a tortoise-shell craftsman began developing telegraphic equipment, the present-day company was founded in as part of a merger between two Japanese companies, Tokyo Electric Company and Shibaura Engineering Works.
The companies were the innovators of their day. In the midth century, the merged entity went on to push forward the technology in videotape recorders , television sets , air conditioners , and even mechanized mail-processing equipment. Toshiba rose to prominence globally in the s and s.
During that time, the Japanese government provided cheap loans, subsidies, and limits on competition in order to foster domestic technology giants that could export products abroad.
That compatibility helped drive its popularity. But he hit the target, and in effect, paved the way for the modern-day laptop. We had a laptop that performed like a desktop. The company was also a frontrunner during the semiconductor boom in the eighties. This involved concentrating resources in sectors with growth potential and new businesses, while selectively promoting growth in mature or declining sectors through reform and restructuring.
Toshiba focused resources on semiconductors and expanded the PC business. In , Toshiba introduced the in-house company system, creating eight in-house companies. Authority was delegated to these in-house companies to give them greater autonomy and promote faster decision-making.
Rapid economic growth in developing countries and sluggish growth in the developed world have led to major changes in economic and industrial paradigms in the 21st century. To prevail amid intensifying global competition transcending national borders, Toshiba continues to focus on restructuring businesses to reinforce their earnings base while seeking to transform its overall business structure by targeting growth sectors and emerging businesses.
History Chronology of History. Organization Directors and Executives.
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