Difference between revisions of "Yamasaki"

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(history header, moved a paragraph around, removed the 1943 addresses that concerned Yamasaki Seiki and linked the latter)
(more about the early period, more sources)
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== History ==
 
== History ==
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The company was founded in 1924 by Mr Yamasaki (山崎光七)<!-- I don't know how to read the first name. Baird says Koichi but this is unclear. -->, a former employee of [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]].<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]. </REF> It made efforts to produce a camera lens from the beginning, and it released its first commercially available lens in 1931.<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]. </REF> Yamasaki has used the name "Congo" (コンゴー, Kongō) for its lenses since that date. This comes from the Japanese battleship ''Kongō'' (金剛, usually spelled "Kongo" in English contexts), built in Britain as a battle cruiser in 1911 and sunk in 1944. (The ship was itself named after the 1112m-high Mt Kongō (金剛山, Kongō-san) on the Ōsaka/Nara border.)<ref> Niimi, p. 102. </ref>
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K.&nbsp;Yamasaki (山崎光七),<REF> The first name perhaps reads Kōichi. See Baird, p.&nbsp;59. </REF> founder of the company, was a former employee of [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]].<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]; Inoue, p.&nbsp;130; Baird, p.&nbsp;59. </REF> He opened a camera shop called Shūzandō Yamasaki Shōten (秀山堂山崎商店) in 1924 and worked in the shop's basement after business hours to develop a camera lens.<REF> Name of the shop: Inoue, p.&nbsp;130. 1924 date: [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page] and Baird, p.&nbsp;59. Working after office hours in the basement: Inoue, p.&nbsp;130; Baird, p.&nbsp;59. </REF> The result of this hard work was the Congo 210/4.5 lens released in 1931.<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]; Inoue, p.&nbsp;130. Baird, p.&nbsp;59, says 1932. </REF> Yamasaki has used the name "Congo" (コンゴー, Kongō) for its lenses since that date. The Japanese word ''kongō'' means "great strength" and "diamond", but it is said that the lenses were named after the Japanese battleship ''Kongō'' (金剛, usually spelled "Kongo" in English contexts), built in Britain as a battle cruiser in 1911 and sunk in 1944.<ref> Niimi, p.&nbsp;102; Inoue, p.&nbsp;130. </ref> (The ship was itself named after the 1112m-high Mt Kongō (金剛山, Kongō-san) on the Ōsaka/Nara border.)<REF> See [http://military.sakura.ne.jp/navy/b_kongo2.htm this page about the battleship]. </REF>
  
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The company became '''K.K. Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūsho''' ({{kabu}}山崎光学研究所, Yamasaki Optical Co., Ltd.) in 1955.<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]. </REF> It is based in Hino-shi, suburban Tokyo (山崎光学研究所) since 1972.<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]. </REF> It has concentrated on lenses for large-format cameras.
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The company was incorporated as '''K.K. Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūsho''' ({{kabu}}山崎光学研究所, Yamasaki Optical Co., Ltd.) in 1955.<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]. </REF> It is based in Hino-shi, suburban Tokyo (山崎光学研究所) since 1972.<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]. </REF> It has concentrated on lenses for large-format cameras.
  
 
Yamasaki seems to buck stereotypes about Japanese companies. It caters for a niche market, advertises little, and sells directly via mail and its website; the FAQ in its website answers just three questions, of which the first is of why the prices are so ''low.''<ref>[http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/faq.htm Yamasaki Optical FAQ].</ref>
 
Yamasaki seems to buck stereotypes about Japanese companies. It caters for a niche market, advertises little, and sells directly via mail and its website; the FAQ in its website answers just three questions, of which the first is of why the prices are so ''low.''<ref>[http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/faq.htm Yamasaki Optical FAQ].</ref>
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== Sources / Further reading ==
 
== Sources / Further reading ==
 +
* {{Baird Japanese}} Pp.&nbsp;58&ndash;61.
 +
* Inoue, Mitsuo (井上光朗). "Shashin renzu no yoake. Renzu-ya Funsenki" (写真レンズの夜明け・レンズ屋奮戦記, Dawn of the photographic lens &ndash; Fierce war tales between lens shops). {{KKS014}} Pp&nbsp;128&ndash;132.
 
* Niimi Kahee (新見嘉兵衛). ''Kamera-mei no gogen sanpo'' (カメラ名の語源散歩, Strolls in the etymology of camera names). 2nd ed. Tokyo: Shashin Kōgyō Shuppansha, 2002. ISBN 4-87956-060-X
 
* Niimi Kahee (新見嘉兵衛). ''Kamera-mei no gogen sanpo'' (カメラ名の語源散歩, Strolls in the etymology of camera names). 2nd ed. Tokyo: Shashin Kōgyō Shuppansha, 2002. ISBN 4-87956-060-X
  

Revision as of 13:32, 24 February 2007

Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūsho (山崎光学研究所, meaning Yamasaki Optical Laboratory) is a Japanese lens maker.

See also the company Yamasaki Seiki Seisakusho which made the Bonny cameras in the first half of the 1940s and is probably unrelated.

History

K. Yamasaki (山崎光七),[1] founder of the company, was a former employee of Asanuma Shōkai.[2] He opened a camera shop called Shūzandō Yamasaki Shōten (秀山堂山崎商店) in 1924 and worked in the shop's basement after business hours to develop a camera lens.[3] The result of this hard work was the Congo 210/4.5 lens released in 1931.[4] Yamasaki has used the name "Congo" (コンゴー, Kongō) for its lenses since that date. The Japanese word kongō means "great strength" and "diamond", but it is said that the lenses were named after the Japanese battleship Kongō (金剛, usually spelled "Kongo" in English contexts), built in Britain as a battle cruiser in 1911 and sunk in 1944.[5] (The ship was itself named after the 1112m-high Mt Kongō (金剛山, Kongō-san) on the Ōsaka/Nara border.)[6]

The company was incorporated as K.K. Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūsho (㈱山崎光学研究所, Yamasaki Optical Co., Ltd.) in 1955.[7] It is based in Hino-shi, suburban Tokyo (山崎光学研究所) since 1972.[8] It has concentrated on lenses for large-format cameras.

Yamasaki seems to buck stereotypes about Japanese companies. It caters for a niche market, advertises little, and sells directly via mail and its website; the FAQ in its website answers just three questions, of which the first is of why the prices are so low.[9]

Cameras fitted with Congo lenses

Notes

  1. ↑ The first name perhaps reads Kōichi. See Baird, p. 59.
  2. ↑ Yamasaki history page; Inoue, p. 130; Baird, p. 59.
  3. ↑ Name of the shop: Inoue, p. 130. 1924 date: Yamasaki history page and Baird, p. 59. Working after office hours in the basement: Inoue, p. 130; Baird, p. 59.
  4. ↑ Yamasaki history page; Inoue, p. 130. Baird, p. 59, says 1932.
  5. ↑ Niimi, p. 102; Inoue, p. 130.
  6. ↑ See this page about the battleship.
  7. ↑ Yamasaki history page.
  8. ↑ Yamasaki history page.
  9. ↑ Yamasaki Optical FAQ.

Sources / Further reading

Links

In English:

In Japanese:

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