24) The Appearance of the Second Black Ship – TI’s Advance
to Japan
Sony’s Masaru Ibuka signing a joint venture establishment with TI
In 1964, a declaration was made by Texas Instruments (TI)
to open IC factories in Japan. As for the semiconductor industry in Japan,
the peaceful atmosphere at the time was disturbed by the appearance of this
black ship (Kuro-fune, American ships that came to Japan in the 19th century
to open up the country which had previously closed itself to the outside world).
At this time, Japan was still in the age of germanium in full swing, although
the production of silicon transistors had also started. It was feared that
if TI were to come into the Japanese market at this timing, Japan’s IC manufacturing
would fall to America’s before it could show its full potential.
The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), which was afraid
of such a situation, continued to postpone a conclusion, but in May 1968,
4 years later, they concluded with conditions: ① to establish a fifty-fifty
joint venture company with Sony , ② that TI fully open their patents to Japanese
industry, and ③ that the newly created company will be a complete subsidiary
of TI after 3 years, and so on.
The photograph is of Sony President Masaru Ibuka signing a joint venture establishment
with TI. To the right is TI Chairman, P. Haggerty, and to the left in the
back row is Sony Vice President, Akio Morita.
| To page top | To Part 2 index |