Welcome Message
Tsugio Makimoto, Ph. D
Director of SHMJ
Welcome to the “Semiconductor History Museum of Japan”!
Since the invention of the transistor at Bell Laboratories in the United States in 1947, technological innovations have been made continuously in the field of semiconductors, which has become the foundation for building advanced information society in recent years.
In the early days of the semiconductor industry, Japan played a major role, as well as the United States. However, the pattern of development in the two countries differed greatly. In the U.S., the semiconductor industry was driven primarily by the military, space, and computer sectors, whereas in Japan it was consumer products such as radios, televisions, calculators, and VCRs that played such a role. Through such products, semiconductors became the most important basic industry supporting postwar recovery in Japan, which has been called the "Japanese Miracle".
The importance of semiconductors has not changed today, nor will it change in the future, and they are truly an indispensable industry for our country, which has few natural and energy resources. Furthermore, semiconductors play an immeasurable role in various fields such as smart grids, solar power generation and other renewable energies, LED lighting, electric vehicles (EVs), and AI-equipped robots that will support the “environmental age” of the future.
It is extremely significant to preserve the history of such an important industrial field going back to the dawn of time, and we believe that this will serve as a valuable guidepost for the future, as the proverb of “learning from the past” indicates.
We hope that the Japan Semiconductor History Museum of Japan or SHMJ will become a valuable information source not only for those working in the semiconductor industry, but also for the general public. And also, we sincerely hope Japanese semiconductor industry will continue to grow and develop furthermore.
SHMJ The Japan Semiconductor History Museum is a signpost toward the future!
