About TOSHIBA

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Corporate InformationToshiba, a world leader in high technology, is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and materials, power systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems, and household appliances.
Under its mid term business plan, Toshiba is working for enhanced recognition as a highly profitable group of companies, active in both high growth and stable growth businesses.

HISTORY

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SummaryToshiba’s early history has two strands: 1875 saw the establishment of Tanaka Seizo-sho (Tanaka Engineering Works), Japan’s first manufacturer of telegraphic equipment. Its founder, Hisashige Tanaka (1799 - 1881), 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. In 1890, Hakunetsu-sha & Co., Ltd. was established as Japan’s first plant for electric incandescent lamps. Subsequent diversification saw the company evolve as a manufacturer of consumer products. In 1899, the company was renamed Tokyo Denki (Tokyo Electric Co.).

In 1939, these two companies, leaders in their respective fields, merged to form an integrated electric equipment manufacturer, Tokyo Shibaura Denki (Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd.). The company was soon well known as ‘Toshiba,’ which became its official name in 1978.

1875 -1875Hisashige Tanaka opened a telegraph equipment factory in Shimbashi, Tokyo.Kurume board of education 1890Ichisuke Fujioka and Shoichi Miyoshi established Hakunetsu-sha & Co., Ltd. in Kyobashi, Tokyo. Manufactured Japan’s first electric incandescent light bulbs.1894Produced Japan’s first waterwheel power generators (60 kW). Manufactured Japan’s first electric fans. 1895Produced Japan’s first induction motors. To Top

1900 -1915Manufactured Japan’s first X-ray tubes.1919Produced Japan’s first radio transmission tubes.1921Invented the “double coil electric bulb,” one of the six great inventions in bulb technology. 1924Started trial manufacture of cathode-ray tubes. Manufactured Japan’s first radio receivers.To Top

1925 -1930Manufactured Japan’s first electric washing machines and refrigerators.1931Released Japan’s first vacuum cleaners.1936Completed Japan’s first 150kilowatt broadcast transmitter for NHK. 1939Tokyo Electric Company merged with Shibaura Engineering Works Co., Ltd. and established Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd.1940Manufactured Japan’s first fluorescent lamps.1942Completed Japan’s first radars.1949Completed Japan’s first 1,500A-1,000kilowatt unipolar mercury rectifiers.To Top

1950 -1952Completed Japan’s first TV broadcast transmitters and TV microwave relay system.1953Manufactured Japan’s first 72,500 kVA umbrella type waterwheel generators.1955Released Japan’s first electric rice cookers.1957Completed aurora radars for Antarctic observation and radars to observe scattering phenomena.1959Developed Japan’s first transistorized televisions Developed Japan’s first microwave ovens.1963Completed Japan’s first 12,500kW nuclear power turbine generators. Developed transmitters for satellite communications.1964Completed one of the world’s largest centralized remote-control monitoring systems at electricity substations for Tokaido Shinkansen bullet trains.1967Completed the world’s first automatic zip code reader.1968Developed a 100,000 gauss superconducting magnet, the most powerful in Japan. 1970Developed the world’s first color video phone.1971Released the world’s first expanded IC color TV. 1972Completed Japan’s first 700,000kilowatt turbine generator. Released the world’s first color TV with black stripe-type cathode-ray tubes.To Top

1975 -
1975Celebrated 100th anniversary. Completed 1-million kilowatt turbine generator, the largest in Japan.1978Launched medium-sized experimental broadcast satellite, Yuri. Released the first Japanese word processor.1979Completed world’s first optical-disc based data filing systems.1982Developed Japan’s first Magnetic Resonance Imaging systems (MRI).1983Commercialized the world’s first OCR technology able to read Chinese characters.1984Completed new head office Toshiba Building. Started operation of experimental 50kilowatt fuel cell power plant, the largest in Japan.1985Developed Japan’s first transceiver device for HDTV systems. Developed 1-megabit CMOS DRAM. Developed superconducting MRI systems. Introduced world’s first laptop personal computers. 1986Developed 4-megabit dynamic RAM. 1988Developed 16-megabit dynamic RAM. 1989Introduced notebook personal computer, Dynabook. To Top
1990 -1991Developed the world’s first 4-megabit NAND-type Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-only Memory (EEPROM).1992Developed the world’s first 16-megabit NAND-type EEPROM. Developed technology to turn chlorine-based plastics into fuel oil.1993Produced prototype product of the world’s smallest MOS transistor, with a gate length of 0.04 microns.1994Introduced the sub-notebook personal computer, Dynabook SS.1995Began commercial production of Microfilter Cathode-ray tubes, the world’s first CRT with a filter incorporating the three primary colors. Developed high-density optical disc, DVD. DVD standardized1996Introduced the mini-notebook personal computer, Libretto. Introduced DVD video players and DVD-ROM drives.1997Introduced pocket size mobile communicator with build-in PHS, GENIO1998Manufactured flat TV, FACE. Developed the world’s first MPEG 4 graphical data compression and expansion LSI.1999Introduced in-house company system. Launched the world’s quietest MRI. Spun off Air Conditioning Equipment Division to a joint venture company with Carrier, Toshiba Carrier Corporation.To Top

2000 -2000Celebrated 125th anniversary. Manufactured BS digital TVs.2001Commercialized the world’s first HDD & DVD video recorder. 2002Established a joint venture with Matsushita Electric Industrial to unify LCD business. Developed the world’s first networked home appliances. Developed the world’s first 65-nanometer (nm) CMOS process technology for embedded DRAM system LSIs.2003Introduced a 2-gigabit (Gb) single-die NAND flash memory. Introduced to Japan a high-definition TV upgradable to receive terrestrial digital broadcasts. Adopted the “Company with Commitees” system.2004Joined United Nation’s Global Compact. Developed the 0.85-inch HDD, the world’s smallest. Introduced a 4-gigabit (Gb) single-die NAND flash memory. Developed the world’s smallest direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) with energy output of 100 mw. Developed SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display), the next-generation flat panel display, with Canon Inc.2005Developed 8-gigabit NAND flash memory chip, using 70nm process technology, with SanDisk. Announced details of Cell broadband processor, co-developed with IBM, Sony Corporation, and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.2006Announced the world’s first HD DVD players and recorders, and AV notebook PC with HD DVD drive. Acquired Westinghouse’s nuclear power business.