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Sentetsu-no-Heya (Fujikura’s History)
 

1885 Beginning

Zenpachi Fujikura

 1885
  • Department of Communication was established.
  • Tomekichi Fujikura travels to USA.
 1886
  • Tokyo Dento Kaisha (Dento Co.) was established.
  • Zenpachi Fujikura imports five large braiding machines from the USA.
 1887
  • Tokyo Dento Kaisha (Dento Co.) supplies electricity to light Rokumei-kan (launch of business)
  • Hard-drawn copper wire #12 employed for a telegraph line between Tokyo and Atami.
  • Establishment of Osaka Dento Kaisha (Osaka lamp line company).
  • Leasing of a former silk mill in the Shinjuku Imperial estate, Tokyo and relocation of the plant to this site (Shinjuku Plant)
  • Commence manufacturing Tokyo wires, paraffin wires and lamp cords.
  • Research in rubber-insulated wires begins.
 1888
  • Establishment of Denki Gakkai (Electric Association).
  1889
  • Telephone line opens between Tokyo and Atami.
  • Constitution of the Empire of Japan is promulgated.
  • Entire Tokaido rail line is completed.

1890 Establishment

Laying the Foundation of FUJIKURA

  • Tomekichi Fujikura returns from the USA
  • Relocation of plant to 900, Sendagaya, Tokyo. (Sendagaya Plant 1)
 1890
  • Japanese engineers lay a submarine telegraph cable across the Tsugaru Straints.
  • Launch of manufacture of first rubber-insulated wires in Japan.
 1893  
  • Relocation of plant to 922, Sendagaya. (Sendagaya Plant 2)

Sendagaya plant

  • Kenzo Okada visits the USA to learn about rubber-insulated wire technology.
1896
  • Telegraphy Law (Wired) enacted.
  1900
  • Public telephones installed at Ueno and Shinbashi stations.
  • Founder, Zenpachi Fujikura passes away (59)
  • Reorganization as an unlimited partnership named Fujikura Electric Wire & Rubber Co., Ltd. was founded.
  • Representative : Tomekichi Matsumoto
  • Capital : 25,000 yen

 

 1901  
  • Appointment of Fujikura plant as a Japan's first rubber-insulation factory by the Department of Communication.
  • Total destruction of the Sendagaya plant due to a typhoon (Restored in 3 months later.)

The fully-destroyed plant by typhoon

 1903  
  • Establishment of Fujikura Electric Wire Corporation.
  • Representative : Tomekichi Fujikura
  • Capital : 500,000 yen
  • Establishment of an unlimited partnership named Fujikura Waterproof Fabric Corporation (presently Fujikura Composites Inc.)
 1910  
  • Launch of copper refining, rolling and wiring operations.
  • No.3 plant devastated by a fire.
 1916  
  • Acquisition of the patent for multi-layered rubber-insulated wires.
  • Publishing of "Practical Electric Wire Manual"
 1918  
  • Established "Fujikura Gakuen", a special facility for mentally-challenged children, on Oshima island.

Fujikura Gakuen

 1919  
  • Acquisition of premises (72,600 m2) in Fukagawa, Heikyu-cho. Start of construction of a new plant
1920
  • Establishment of the League of Nations.
  • Complete of Fukagawa copper refining plant.
 1921
  • Washington Conference

1923 Restoration after the Erathquake and Fujikura of Technology

Post-Earthquake Recovery and Technological Advances

  • Completion of the Fukagawa head office and plant.
  • Establishment of the Fujikura baseball club.
    • Total destruction of the Fukagawa head office and plant by fire in the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake.
1923
  • Great Kanto Earthquake
  • Reconstruction of Fukagawa plant.

Interior parts of the plant

Interior parts of the plant

 1924  
  • Delivery of 1200 mm twisted pair cables made of domestically manufactured insulated paper to the Department of Communication.
  • Fukagawa plant became a designated plant of the Ministry of Railway.
 1925  
  • Completion of the head office annex building.

Head office new wing

 1929
  • World economic depression
  • Launch manufacturing of unit-type city cables.
  • Launch manufacturing of OF cables.
  • Completion of the research laboratory

Research building

 1930  
  • Launch manufacturing of "Fujikousen", Japan's first electric wire for aircraft.

Fujikousen

 1931  
  • Official registration of the corporate logo.

Corporate logo

  • Establishment of Suzuki Kosakusho (Presently Suzuki Giken Co.,Ltd.)
 1933  
  • Acquisition of patent for the Fujikura-type high-frequency coaxial cable.
  • Launch "Fujikura Digest" (predecessor to "Fujikura Technical Journal").
 1935  
  • First President Tomekichi Matsumoto passes away (71)
  • Shinta Matsumoto becomes the 2nd President.

Shinta Matsumoto, the 2nd President

  • Victory at the 12th National Inter-City Baseball Tournament.
  • Establishment of Fujikura Chemical Industries (presently Fujikura Kasei Co.,Ltd.)
 1938  
  • Victory at 13th National Inter-City Baseball Tournament.
  • Establishment of Fujikura Aircraft Industry (presently Fujikura Parachute Co.,Ltd.)
 1939  
  • Launch of aluminum wire manufacturing.
 1941
  • War of the Pacific begins.
  • Kenzo Okada passes away (68).
  • Launch manufacturing of Fujikura-type 100 kW coaxial cables.
 1943  
  • Opening of Fuji plant.

Fuji plant

  • Established Yonezawa Suehiro Denran Kogyo Cable Engineering (presently Yonezawa Electric Wire Company Ltd.)
 1944  

1945 Postwar and high economic growth period

Post-war Recovery & Era of High Growth

  • Complete destruction of Fukagawa plant in Tokyo Air Raid.
  • Start reconstruction of Fukagawa plant.
 1945
  • Japan accepts the Potsdam Declaration
  • Goro Ishibashi becomes the 3rd president.

Goro Ishibashi, the 3rd president

 1948  
  • Delivery of Japan's first 24-core TV camera cables to NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation.)
  • First-time delivery of ACSR to the government-affiliated company, Nihon Hassoden.
  • Launched plastic electric wire manufacturing.
  • Flooding of the Fukagawa plant by Typhoon KITTY.
 1949  
  1953
  • NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) launches TV broadcasting services.
  • Completion of the Numazu plant.

Numazu plant

  • Launch of "Fujikura Electric Wires News" (in-house magazine).
  • Second place at the 25th National Inter-City Baseball Tournaments.
  • Completion of an ultra high-pressure testing laboratory.
 1954  
  • Launch of wiring harness manufacturing.
 1957  
  • First-time delivery of 154 kV OF cables to Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
  • Established Numazuyohdoi Co., Ltd.
  • Establishment of Tama Fujikura Gakuen.
 1958  
  • Kamon Hyodo becomes the 4th president.

Kamon Hyodo, the 4th president

 1961  
  • Installation of Japan's first 66 kV PFO cables at the Sakura plant (Sakura-shi, Chiba).
  • Development of eqipment for the manufacture of SZ-twisted telecommunications cable.
 1964
  • Tokaido Shinkansen begin service.
  • Tokyo Olympics.
  • Completion of the Sakura plant (Sakura-shi, Chiba)

Sakura plant

  • Hisaharu Kuriyama becomes the 5th president.

Hisaharu Kuriyama, the 5th president

  • Launch manufacturing of printed circuits using a die stamp method.
 1965  
  • Relocation of head office to the Kasumigaseki Bldg.
 1968  
  • Delivery of 275 kV OF cables to Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
 1969
  • Opening of the Tomei Expressway
  • Completion of the Suzuka plant (Suzuki-shi,Mie)

Suzuka plant

 1970
  • Osaka Expo

1973 Seventies

  • Jiro Kino becomes the 6th president.

Jiro Kino, the 6th president

  • Publishing of a corporate history booklet entitled "88-year History"
 1973
  • First oil crisis
  • Begin inspection of optical fiber base materials manufactured by the CVD method.
  • Development of 275 kV CV cables.
  • Establishment of Kyoei High OPT Co.,Ltd.
 1974
  • Electric wire manufacturing business was appointed as a depressed industry.
  • Joint optical fiber research agreement signed by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation, Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. and Fujikura.
  • Development of Japan's first flat-type elevator cables.
 1975
  • Sanyo Shinkansen begins service.
  • Development of world's first long-wavelength/ultralow loss optical fiber in cooperation with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation.
  • Delivery of 500 kV OF cables to Sodegaura power station of Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
  • Katsuo Kawamura becomes the 7th president.

Katsuo Kawamura, the 7th president

 1976  
  • Development of a unit-type optical fiber integrated with high tensile strength wire.
  • Successful manufacture of Japan's first practical 154 kV CV cables.
  • Relocation of the head office to the Fujikura Bldg. in Gotanda.
 1977  
  • Launch manufacture of ribbon-type cables and flat cables.
  • Launch manufacture of FPCs for electronic devices.
  • World's first transmission loss of only 0.27 dB/km achieved with a low-loss single-mode optical fiber.
 1979
  • The second oil crisis occurred.
  • Development of metal SP cables.
  • Development of single-mode optical fusion splicers.
 1980
  • Establishment of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.
  • Development of heat pipes for snow melting.
    • Development of Japan's first OPGWs (Optical Fiber Composite Overhead Ground Wire).
1981  
  • Development of semiconductor pressure sensors.
  • Delivery of 275 kV OF cables.
  • Seiichi Kagaya became the 8th president.

Seiichi Kagaya, the 8th president

  • Completion of the Sakura Optical plant.
  • Launch of membrane switch manufacturing.
 1982
  • All sections of the Chuo Expressway completedand open to service.
  • Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen begin services.
  • Delivery of optical fiber for the Pan-Japan (longitudinal) optical fiber transmission line.
  • Launch of F heater manufacturing.
 1983
  • Chugoku expressway was fully opened
  • Establishment of Fujikura (Thailand) Ltd.
 1984  
  • 100th anniversary of Fujikura's founding
  • Development of the world's first core alignment fusion splicer.
  • Establishment of a new company logo.

new company logo

 1985
  • Completion of Pan-Japan (longitudinal) optical Fiber transmission line were installed longitudinally across Japan.
  • Tsukuba Science Expo.
  • Successful fabrication of oxide superconducting wires.
  • Establishment of Fujikura Federal Cables Sdn. Bhd.
  • Compilation of the corporate history in a book "Fujikura 100-nen no Ayumi" (Tracing the Fujikura Century).
 1987
  • Privatization and division of Japan National Railway.
  • Establishment of PCTT Ltd., DDK (Thailand) Ltd. and Fujikura Europe Ltd.
  • Development of world's first CS trolley wires.
  • Development of world's first multi optical fiber fusion splicers.
 1988  
  • Establishment of Tohoku Fujikura Ltd., Aomori Fujikura, Fujikura Engineering (Thailand) Ltd. and LTEC Ltd.
  • Commence delivery of fiber monitoring systems (Suzuki Giken Co., Ltd.)
 1989
  • Introduction of consumption tax in Japan.
  • Development of EDFA (erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier).
  • Establishment of Syscom Ltd.
  • Completion of New Fukagawa Head Office Building.
 1990  

1991 Globalization newtech

Age of Globalization and New Technologies

  • Completion of optics system development center.
  • Establishment of Fujikura Precision Ltd. and Fujikura Zhuhai Ltd.
  • Completion of Futtsu Plant (Futtsu-shi, Chiba)
 1991  
  •  

Futtsu Plant

  • The corporate name changed to Fujikura Ltd.

celebration of 'Fujikura Ltd.'

  • Shigenobu Tanaka becomes the 9th president.

Shigenobu Tanaka, the 9th president

 1992
  • Shinkansen "Nozomi" enters services.
  • Completion of the Tokyo R&D center.

R&D center

  • Delivery of 500 kV CV cables and Hokkaido-Honshu optical fiber intergrated submarine cables.
 1993  
  • Establishment of Fujikura (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
  • Development of super low loss multi-fiber optical connectors.
 1995
  • The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
  • Development of super low loss multi-fiber optical connectors.
 1996  
  • Delivery of World's largest 500 kV DC OF submarine cables to Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. and J Power (Electric Power Development Co., td.)
 1998
  • Nagano Winter Olympics.
  • Akira Tsujikawa becomes the 10th president.

Akira Tsujikawa, the 10th president

  • Development of a new signal cable for the "Shinkansen" bullet train.
  • Delivery of 500 kV DC CV cables to Tokyo Electric Power Co.,Inc. for the Shin Keiyo oyosu line (a power line between two power stations in Chiba and Tokyo).
 1999  
  • Completion of a major urban redevelopment project on the site of the previous Fukagawa Plant, and opening of the "Fukagawa Gatharia" complex.

Fukagawa Gatharia

 2000  
  • Establishment of Fujikura (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
  • Commercialization and marketing of FTTH optical fiber products.
  • Development of a seat sensor for automobiles.
 2001  
  • Live wire insulation diagnostic device for high-voltage CV cables wins Shibusawa Award.
  • Delivery of cables for a deep-earth exploration vessel.
  • Launch of wafer-level package manufacturing.
 2002
  • 2002 FIFA World Cup Koria/Japan
  • Development of dye-sensitized solar cells.
    • Establishment of Fujikura (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd. to oversea Chinese market operations.
2003  
  • Delivery of cables for ultra-high speed elevators.
 2004  
  • 120th anniversary.
  • Kazuhiko Ohashi becomes the 11th president.
  • Adoption of new management principles: "MVCV (Mission, Vision, Core Value)"
  • Establishment of VISCAS Corporation , a joint venture company in high voltage business with The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    • Establishment of Fujikura Dia Cable Ltd. in a joint venture with Mitsubishi Cable Industries Ltd.
  • Establishment of America Fujikura Ltd.
2005  
  • Establishment of America Fujikura Ltd.
  • Acquisition of a 60% stake in Spain ACE Automotive Group.
 2006  
  • Renovation of head office showroom

Head office showroom

  • Shatters the critical current record with an yttrium-based oxide superconducting wire.
  • Acquisition of Fibertech Co., Ltd.
 2007
  • The Chūetsu Offshore Earthquake
  • Spanish ACE company becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura
 2008  
  • Yoichi Nagahama becomes the 12th president.

Yoichi Nagahama, 12th president

 2009  
  • Establishment of Fujikura Electronic (Thailand) Ltd. by unifying seven Thai group companies
  • Acquisition of OPTOENERGY Inc.
  • Completion of ‘Fukagawa Gatharia’ (Fukagawa re-development project)
  • Open "Millennium Woods", Fujikura Bio-Garden
 2010
  • Entire Tohoku Shinkansen is opened (Tokyo-Shin Aomori)


  • Fujikura Group's manufacturing bases were damaged by flood in Thailand

2011


  • Great East Japan Earthquake
  • Flood in Thailand


  • The VAD Method is Recognized as a Prestigious IEEE Milestone for the Excellent Mass Production of High-quality Optical Fiber

The VAD Method

2015



  • Masahiko Ito becomes the 13th president.
  • The Fujikura group's declaration of reconstruction from floods in Thailand
  • Integration of manufacturing and sales of industrial wire & cable and related products to Fujikura Dia Cable Ltd.
  • Establishment of Fujikura Group Environment Long-term Vision 2050
  • Power distribution line and overhead power  transmission  line  business were transferred from VISCAS

2016


  • Kumamoto Earthquake
  • G7 Ise-Shima Summit


  • Registration for the Edo-Midori Green Area Registration (excellent green space) in Tokyo

Edo-Midori Green Area Registration

2017



  • Opening of the Innovation Hub "BRIDGE"

Opening of the Innovation Hub


2018


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