Press text: Olympus Corporation to Mark 100th Anniversary on October 12, 2019

Olympus issued the following press text:

Olympus Corporation today released the following statement about the upcoming Olympus 100th Anniversary on October 12, 2019.

We are sincerely grateful to all of our customers and stakeholders who have supported the Company’s development and progress since our founding 100 years ago. Going forward, Olympus will continue to contribute to society by making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling around the world.

Takachiho Seisakusho, the precursor of Olympus, was founded in 1919 to produce microscopes for the Japanese market. Takeshi Yamashita, the founder of the Company, had a strong desire to create something truly original, believing that mere imitations of imported products would not suffice. In the following year, Yamashita’s dream of producing a domestic microscope was realized with the introduction of the Asahi — the first microscope manufactured by Takachiho. Thereafter, the same optical technologies developed for our microscopes and the Company’s focus on specialist needs, continued to be applied and infused into additional innovations, including the Company’s first camera — the Semi-Olympus I — and the world’s first practical gastrocamera, a precursor to the endoscope. This approach has carried Olympus through to the present day.

Throughout our rich history, Olympus has been known for pioneering many “world’s first” products and providing innovative, advanced products and services in the medical, scientific solutions and imaging fields. As Olympus marks its 100th Anniversary, employees around the world will celebrate and reflect on the Company’s history, while also looking to the future as we move forward and continue to realize Our Purpose of “Making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling” as a forward-looking innovator.

Our 100th Anniversary logo commemorates our historic milestone and embodies the Company’s determination to reach new heights. During this Olympus 100th Anniversary year, all Olympus employees will take part in a variety of activities, uniting us across the globe and contributing to the communities in which we live and work.