History
| 1875 | Genzo Shimadzu Sr. started the manufacture of educational physical and chemistry instruments in Kiyamachi-Nijo, Kyoto. |
|---|---|
| 1877 | Succeeded in Japan’s first manned balloon flight. |
| 1896 | Succeeded in taking radiographs. |
| 1897 | Started the manufacture of storage batteries. |
| 1909 | Built Japan’s first medical X-ray device. |
| 1915 | Started manufacture of optical measuring instruments. |
| 1917 | Reorganized Shimadzu as joint-stock company, with storage battery department established as separate company. |
| 1920 | Established Dalian office. |
| 1930 | Genzo Shimadzu Jr. was invited to the Emperor’s dinner party as one of the ten greatest inventors of Japan. |
| 1933 | Developed industrial X-ray device. |
| 1934 | Developed Japan’s first spectrograph. |
| 1936 | Started manufacture of aircraft equipment. |
| 1952 | Developed Japan’s first photoelectric spectrophotometer. |
| 1956 | Developed Japan’s first gas chromatograph. |
| 1961 | Developed world’s first remote-controlled fluoroscopy system. |
| 1963 | Established New York office. Established Tokyo Research Center. |
| 1968 | Established Shimadzu (Europa) GmbH in F.R. Germany. |
| 1975 | Established Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. in U.S. |
| 1979 | Established Shimadzu Precision Instruments, Inc. in U.S. |
| 1980 | Established Shimadzu Science Foundation. |
| 1983 | Started manufacture of analytical instruments in U.S. |
| 1987 | Started manufacture of analytical instruments in Germany. |
| 1989 | Acquired Kratos Group Plc. in U.K. |
| 1991 | Established Keihanna Research Laboratory. Established Hadano Works. |
| 1992 | Established Beijing Shimadzu Medical Equipment Co., Ltd. in China. |
| 1994 | Established Tianjin-Shimadzu Hydraulic Equipment Co., Ltd. in China. |
| 1996 | Established Shimadzu Philippines Manufacturing, Inc. in Philippines. |
| 1997 | Established Shimane Shimadzu Corporation in Japan, a manufacturing company. Established Shimadzu Vietnam Medical Hi-Tech Co., Ltd., in Vietnam |
| 1998 | Established Shimadzu (Hong Kong) Ltd. Established Shimadzu (Suzhou) Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in China. |
| 1999 | Developed world’s fastest DNA sequencer. |
| 2000 | Established Dong-il Shimadzu Corporation in Korea. |
| 2001 | Established Life Science Research Center in Kyoto and Tsukuba. |
| 2002 | Koichi Tanaka awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry and Japan’s Order of Cultural Merit. |
| 2003 | Developed world’s first diagnostic X-ray imaging system equipped with a direct-conversion flat panel detector (FPD). |
| 2005 | Strengthened measures to develop molecular imaging instruments, a next-generation medical technology. Established Shimadzu Device Corporation to manufacture optical components. Established Shimadzu A-tech Manufacturing Corporation to manufacture analytical and measuring instruments. Established Shimadzu Analytical (India) Pvt. Ltd. in India. |
| 2006 | Established three companies in Europe including Shimadzu UK Ltd. Established Shimadzu (Guangzhou) Analysis & Technology Services Co., Ltd. in China, to perform contract analysis. |
| 2008 | Took over Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ turbomolecular pump business. |
| 2011 | Established new R&D center for analytical and measuring instruments in China. |
| 2012 | Released the FOODSEYE Food Radioactivity Inspection System. |
| 2013 | Established Shimadzu Latin America S.A. in Uruguay. Established Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (Taiwan) Co., Ltd. in Taiwan. |
| 2014 | Established Shimadzu Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia. Shimadzu Corporation Celebrates Its 140th Anniversary This Year. |
| 2016 | Established Shimadzu Manufacturing Asia Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia. |
| 2017 | Established Shimadzu Aerotech Manufacturing, Inc., in Japan. Established Innovation Centre in Singapore. Acquired Alsachim SAS in France. |
| 2018 | Acquired infraserv Vakuumservice GmbH in Germany. Established Shimadzu Industrial Systems CO., Ltd in Japan. |
| 2019 | Established Innovation Center in China. Established Healthcare R&D Center in the head office. Established Shimadzu Scientific Korea Corporation in Korea. Acquired Core Medical Imaging, Inc. in U.S. |
| 2020 | Established Shimadzu Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Vietnam. Released the Ampdirect™ 2019-nCoV Detection Kit (only available in Japan). Released the AutoAmp Genetic Analyzer (only available in Japan). |
| 2021 | Release of World’s First TOF-PET System Specialized for Head and Breast Examinations (only available in Japan). Release of Amyloid MS CL System for Measuring Candidate Substance Potentially Causing Alzheimer’s Disease (only available in Japan). New Hydraulic Equipment Plant Completed in China. |
| 2022 | Established Shimadzu Trustech Corporation in Japan. Making Nissui Pharmaceutical as a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary. |
Shimadzu’s Emblem
The corporate emblem, “the Circle Crossed” originates with Genzo Shimadzu, the founder of Shimadzu Corporation, who decided to use it as our trademark in 1912. Later, the emblem was scientifically re-designed into the present trademark.
The solid circular margin has a width of 1/8 the outer diameter of the circle while the cross bars are another 10% thicker. This design is based on scientific data used to optimize the beauty of uniformity as the dimensional ratios used correct the illusion of difference in widths leading to a pleasing perception of balance.
In late 16th century, when Yoshihiro Shimadzu, the lord of Satsuma Province, passed through Banshu Himeji to visit his land newly given to him by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, one of the three warriors who reunited Japan, Sohbei Inoue, an ancestor of Genzo Shimadzu was given a role to attend the lord. In recognition of the services of Sohbei Inoue, it is reported that Lord Yoshihiro Shimadzu allowed him to use the name of Shimadzu and the family emblem, “the Circle Crossed.”