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YAMATO DENSHI / WORLD EDITION
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← All storiesBehind the decision / 08

The camera has been evaluated.
Still, I was refused. Conditions of trust faced by Takeshi Mitarai.

What prevented us from establishing a sales partnership in the United States was a problem that could not be solved by image performance alone. Read about the process by which Takeshi Mitarai, a doctor turned business owner, set up his company's name, factory, and sales base.

Takeshi Mitarai | One of Canon's founders and former presidentYAMATO JOURNAL · Approx. 7 minutes
Published Publisher 大和伝志Editorial principles
Canon IIb body and lens
Canon's rangefinder camera "IIb" (taken in 2010). A car that conveys the story of post-war product manufacturing. Photo: dw_ross/CC BY 2.0.

Cover photo: dw_ross／ Wikimedia Commons ／ CC BY 2.0. The image size has been adjusted for display purposes.

Takeshi Mitarai | One of Canon's founders and former president
A 3-page feature based on public historical records

When a product’s name fails to identify the company behind it.

If we make a good camera, will business increase? What Takeshi Mitarai experienced shows the distance between evaluating a product and trusting the manufacturer as a business partner.

Mitarai's main occupation was as an obstetrician and gynecologist. Canon's historical documents explain that he supported Seiki Optical Industry and became president in 1942 after serving as an auditor. There were already many engineers involved in the development of the camera, and Mitarai was not the only person responsible for everything from invention to production.[1]

In the official chronology, the institute was established in 1933, and the company was established as a corporation in 1937.[3] If you look at the birth of a company and the appointment of a manager separately, Mitarai's job can be seen as taking over advanced technology and business and preparing the company to be sustainable.

After the war, the different names of the camera, Canon, the lens, Serena, and the company, Seiki Kogaku Kogyo, made it difficult for overseas users to understand. In 1947, the company name was changed to Canon Camera. The changes made it easier to connect products and companies.[2]

This story isn't just about choosing a brand name that's easy to remember. Who should I contact after making a purchase? Which company is responsible for the product? Relationships that are obvious to manufacturers are invisible to users in distant countries. As the market expands, names become less of a decoration and more of a clue to where responsibility lies.

Interpreting YAMATO DENSHI

Customers do not know a company’s internal circumstances.

Even if the names and classifications are obvious within the company, first-time users may not understand them. Are there natural connections between the product name, contact point, and company that guarantees the product? If you imagine inquiries after purchase, you will find small confusions that hinder trust.

Sources and references