Corporate Information

History 1874 - 1939

1874
  • Kibataro Oki enters Telegraph Bureau's School of Technology
1877
  • Kibataro Oki promoted to advanced technical apprentice 9th class
  • Kibataro Oki weds Take Kano
1881
  • Kibataro Oki establishes Meikosha, Ltd., in Shinsakanacho in the Kyobashi section of Tokyo
  • "Microsound" device (Edison-type telephone) receives second-place award in category at Second National Industrial Exhibition
1882
  • Delivers portable printers based on German model to army
1885
  • Displays lacquer-coated wire at International Exhibition of Inventions held in London and wins silver prize
1889
  • Changes Meikosha's name to Oki Electric Works
1890
  • Oki Electric Works opens temporary sales office in Osaka
1894
  • Completes construction of new factory in Kyobashi section of Tokyo
1896
  • Spins off sales department as Oki & Co.
1898
  • Western Electric of U.S. requests business ties with Oki & Co.; discussions end without agreement
1899
  • Produces Delville telephones and solid-back receivers
1906
  • Kibataro Oki passes away at age of 58
1907
  • Reorganizes as Oki & Co., Ltd.
1910
  • Relocates Head Office and sales department to Tamachi Plant
1912
  • Establishes Oki Electric Co., Ltd.; Soichiro Asano elected chairman
1914
  • First World War begins
1916
  • Receives order from Russia for portable telephones and electric wire
  • Produces prototype vacuum tube
1917
  • Merger of Oki & Co. and Oki Electric
1918
  • Installs common-battery switchboard at Takanawa branch office in Tokyo
1919
  • Completes construction of Osaki Plant
1920
  • Builds plant in Dainin, outside Osaka
1923
  • Great Kanto Earthquake hits Tokyo-Yokohama area
1924
  • Test production of radio receivers
1925
  • Appoints Kakichi Uchida, former vice minister of Ministry of Communications, as adviser
1926
  • Enters into technical ties with GEC (U.K.) for step-by-step automatic exchanges
1927
  • Completes first-stage construction of Shibaura Plant
1930
  • Delivers first in-house AEI-type automatic exchange to Nakano Telephone Office in Tokyo
  • Soichiro Asano passes away
1931
  • Soichiro Asano's son Soichiro appointed chairman
1932
  • Biography of Kibataro Oki published to commemorate company's 50th Anniversary
  • Develops Oki-type line finder switch
1934
  • Publishes technical magazine Oki Technical Review
  • Relocates Head Office to Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Annex Building in Marunouchi section of Tokyo
  • Begins producing Type-3 telephones
1936
  • Establishes Oki Electric Cable Co., Ltd.
1937
  • Second Sino-Japanese War begins
1938
  • Government places Shibaura and Takahama (still under construction) plants under control of military
1939
  • Second World War begins

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