Olympus was founded on October 12, 1919. When it was founded, it was a company with the microscope business and thermometer business as its pillars.
The founder, Yamashita Takeshi, graduated from the Faculty of Law of Tokyo Imperial University in 1915 and opened a law firm after graduation. After serving in the military for one year, he worked for the trading company "Tokiwa Shokai" in 1918. As a reward for his outstanding achievements in increasing profits from the sugar trade, he received investment from the Tokiwa Chamber of Commerce. Together with his friend from the lawyer days, Mr. Terada, they founded "Takachiho Manufacturing Co., Ltd." in order to localize microscopes. Place".
Terada was the first person in Japan to use industrial techniques to produce a microscope from the late Meiji period to the early Taisho period. The microscope made by Mr. Terada was exhibited at the Taisho Exposition held in 1914 and won a bronze medal. After that, Mr. Terada received financial assistance from Mr. Matsumoto, the owner of the long-established medical device brand "IWASHIYA", and created the "EMUKATERA" brand microscope. The brand name "EMUKATERA" comes from the surnames of Matsumoto, Kato, and Terada who participated in the development of the microscope.
Terada has been mainly engaged in the production of thermometers in Hongo (place name), Tokyo, and is very proficient in the production of thermometers. Not only that, it also has remarkable achievements such as the above in the production of microscopes. Therefore, Yamashita conveyed his passion for making microscopes to Mr. Terada, asked Mr. Terada to use the equipment of Terada Manufacturing Co., Ltd. as a physical investment, and welcomed him to Takachiho Manufacturing Co., Ltd. as a director and chief technician.
After that, in February 1923, Olympus sold its thermometer business division. In order to further expand the microscope business, most of the funds obtained from the transfer of the thermometer business will be invested in the microscope business. In addition, companies that have acquired the thermometer business are allowed to continue to use the "Olympus" brand name.