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> Toshiba, one of Japan's leading companies, was founded in 1875. It started as an electric appliance maker... This combination of facts seems extremely unlike

> Toshiba, one of Japan's leading companies, was founded in 1875. It started as an electric appliance maker... This combination of facts seems extremely unlikely.

o11c 3y ago
Clicking through a few Wikipedia articles, we get [1]: > Tanaka Seisakusho (田中製作所, Tanaka Engineering Works) was the first company established by Tanaka Hisashige, one of the most original and productive inventor-engineers during the Tokugawa / Edo period. Established in July 1875, it was the first Japanese company to manufacture telegraph equipment. It also manufactured switches, and miscellaneous electrical and communications equipment. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanaka_Seisakusho https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanaka_Seisakusho
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
chrisco255 3y ago
I dunno a lot of Japanese companies have old history like that. Nintendo is also from the 1800s, and started in playing cards.
- resoluteteeth 3y ago
  I think they mean that if it was founded in 1875 it couldn't have originally been making electrical appliances but that appears to be incorrect because according to Japanese Wikipedia the origin of the company was hisashige Tanaka establishing a telegraph equipment factory in Ginza in 1875
  - pests 3y ago
    Why can't it be making electrical appliances since 1875?
    - jeffbee 3y ago
      I guess it can but what was the worldwide market for toasters in 1875? One?
  - carlmr 3y ago
    Isn't a telegraph an electric appliance? It is electric and according to Oxford an appliance is: appliance /əˈplʌɪəns/ noun 1. a device or piece of equipment designed to perform a specific task. "electrical and gas appliances" 2. BRITISH a fire engine. "three fire appliances were rushed to the scene" I'm guessing it's electrically performing a specific task, i.e. an electric appliance.
charcircuit 3y ago
In Japan the PC market evolved out of the electric appliance market.

> Toshiba, one of Japan's leading companies, was founded in 1875. It started as an electric appliance maker... This combination of facts seems extremely unlikely.

o11c 3y ago

Clicking through a few Wikipedia articles, we get [1]: > Tanaka Seisakusho (田中製作所, Tanaka Engineering Works) was the first company established by Tanaka Hisashige, one of the most original and productive inventor-engineers during the Tokugawa / Edo period. Established in July 1875, it was the first Japanese company to manufacture telegraph equipment. It also manufactured switches, and miscellaneous electrical and communications equipment. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanaka_Seisakusho https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanaka_Seisakusho

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

chrisco255 3y ago

I dunno a lot of Japanese companies have old history like that. Nintendo is also from the 1800s, and started in playing cards.

resoluteteeth 3y ago
I think they mean that if it was founded in 1875 it couldn't have originally been making electrical appliances but that appears to be incorrect because according to Japanese Wikipedia the origin of the company was hisashige Tanaka establishing a telegraph equipment factory in Ginza in 1875
- pests 3y ago
  Why can't it be making electrical appliances since 1875?
  - jeffbee 3y ago
    I guess it can but what was the worldwide market for toasters in 1875? One?
- carlmr 3y ago
  Isn't a telegraph an electric appliance? It is electric and according to Oxford an appliance is: appliance /əˈplʌɪəns/ noun 1. a device or piece of equipment designed to perform a specific task. "electrical and gas appliances" 2. BRITISH a fire engine. "three fire appliances were rushed to the scene" I'm guessing it's electrically performing a specific task, i.e. an electric appliance.

charcircuit 3y ago

In Japan the PC market evolved out of the electric appliance market.