skip header

printable version

sitename

go GLOBAL HITACHI Home

Search by Google

Home > About Us > History

 
1910Foundation of the company and completion of Japan’s first 5-horsepower induction motor.

Hitachi's first three products delivered to the Hitachi mine of the Kuhara Mining Company.

Photo of Japan's first 5-horsepower induction motor

1920First Steam locomotive

Four small locomotives (two 12-ton tank locomotives(axle arrangement 0-4-0) and two 17-ton tank locomotives(2-4-0) ) delivered as the first set of locomotives from the Sasebo naval arsenal

Photo of First Steam locomotive

1924First Electric locomotive

Electric locomotives still had to be imported from other countries at this time, and the Hitachi president, Mr. Odaira, therefore decided to begin manufacturing locomotives in Japan, convinced that this would be quite feasible if the technology brought to bear on the manufacture of steam engines was combined with Hitachi's technology in the field of electricity. A 59-ton electric freight locomotive was completed in this year.

Photo of First Electric locomotive

1964Tokyo Monorail

Hitachi supplies 33 cars for use on the monorail built between Haneda Airport and Hamamatsu-cho at the time of the Tokyo Olympic Games. This marked Hitachi's first full-scale venture into the field of passenger transport in Japan.

Photo of Tokyo Monorail

1964Series 0 Shinkansen

Supply of cars for the Tokaido Shinkansen line that entered service between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations on October 1 at the time of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Photo of Series 0 Shinkansen

1964“MARS” seat reservation system

Reservations made by telephone formerly entered into a reservations ledger were now computerized. As the forerunner of on-line systems in Japan, this system had a considerable influence on the development of subsequent OLTPs (on-line transaction systems).

Photo of MARS seat reservation system

1972“COMTRAC” for the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines

A real-time control system with automated route control for use on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines with the start of the Okayama service.
This system contributed greatly to the subsequent development of Japanese real-time control systems not just in the field of railway operations control.

Photo of COMTRAC for the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines

1995“COSMOS” for the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen lines

COSMOS (Computerized Safety, Maintenance and Operation systems of Shinkansen) was developed as a new total system for the Shinkansen operation. New functions include train operation and maintenance schedulecreation, maintenance work execution management, maintenance car route control conventionally conducted by manual operations, and systemization of overall Shinkansen operations.

Photo of COSMOS for the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen lines

1996“ATOS” system for train traffic control in the Tokyo metropolitan area

The newly developed ATOS (Autonomous Decentralized Transport Operation Control System) train traffic control system for supporting super high-density transportation in the Tokyo metropolitan area has many features, including a decreased load on central controllers; increased operating efficiency, energy efficiency, and safety in station work; the ability to provide passengers with an adequate information service; and a step-by-step modular construction making initiation of independent station operations possible.

Photo of ATOS system for train traffic control in the Tokyo metropolitan area

2001“Suica” contact-less smart card ticketing system

Development and supply of an ID Control Central Server System to provide comprehensive and integrated management of large and complex smart card based ticketing system. It detects fraud in many ways, and manages any illicit, lost or stolen cards.

Photo of Suica contact-less smart card ticketing system

Copyright and Liability Notice, etc.