Japanese Transistor History

Silicon npn transistors from Toshiba and Hitachi
with an NEC pnp in the middle.
Following the development of the point contact transistor at Bell Laboratories (and subsequent grown junction transistor development), Tokyo Tsushin Kogyu became the earliest Bell Labs transistor licensee in Japan. They moved quickly, producing their first transistor radio in August 1955. This was one year after Texas Instruments introduced the TR-1, the world's first production portable transistor radio.

Tokyo Tsushin Kogyu, Hitachi, Tokyo Shibauro Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and Kote Kogyo became the first five Japanese transistor licensees of Bell Labs and Western Electric by July 1956.

Tokyo Tsushin Kogyu became Sony and Tokyo Shibauro Electric became Toshiba.

Semiconductor developments progressed quickly during the second half of the 1950s and by 1959 50% of transistor radios bought in the US were Japanese, or used Japanese transistors.

Unlike in the US where the Defense market was still a big funder and consumer of semiconductors, Japan was almost 100% focused on the consumer market. By then grown junction and alloy-junction npn and pnp transistors were being manufactured for other products including, table-top receivers, battery powered tape recorders, superhet pocket radio receivers, regenerative pocket radio receivers and hearing aids.


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