SHARP

Sharp is dedicated to improving people's lives through the use of advanced technology and a commitment to innovation, quality, value, and design. From Ultra HD Displays, to IZGO technology, to award-winning MFP solutions, to the latest in LED lighting, Sharp has always blazed the trail.

Sharp is proud of its accomplishments and excited about the future. We invite you to find out more about Sharp.

Come, Make Sharp part of your journey.

History

Sharp Corporation is one of the oldest Japanese multinational corporations and is headquartered in Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan.

The company was founded in September 1912 and takes its name from one of its founder's first inventions, the Ever-Sharp mechanical pencil, which was invented by Tokuji Hayakawa in 1915.

Since 2000, Sharp has heavily invested in LCD panel manufacturing plants; Kameyama in 2004, Sakai in 2009.

The Sakai plant is still the only 10th generation LCD manufacturing plant on the globe and best fit for production of 60 inch or larger panels.

Journey through Inventions

In 1912, Tokuji Hayakawa founded a metal workshop in Tokyo. The first of his many inventions was a snap buckle named 'Tokubijo'.

Another of his inventions was the Ever-Sharp mechanical pencil in 1915, from which the Sharp Corporation took its name.

After the pencil business was destroyed by the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, the company relocated to Osaka and in 1925 began designing the first generation of Japanese radio sets.

In 1953 Sharp started producing television sets.

Sharp developed the R-10, Japan’s first microwave oven in 1961. The following year, Sharp became the first company to mass produce microwave ovens.

In 1964 Sharp developed the world's first transistor calculator. In 1966 Sharp introduced its first IC calculator.

Its first LSI calculator was introduced in 1969. This was the first pocket-able calculator priced at less than ¥100,000 (less than US$300), and became very popular.

The company produced the world’s first LCD calculator in 1973.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Sharp’s engineers, the company achieved the first practical application of LCDs. The EL-805 COS-type pocket calculator introduced in 1973 was the first product on the market to use LCDs.

Sharp during the 1980s manufactured and developmented of the C1 NES TV (1983, later released in North America.), the Twin Famicom (1986), the Sharp Famicom Titler (1989), and the SF-1 SNES TV (1990). All of these units are considered collectors’ items on the secondary market.

Sharp's Mobile Communications Division created the world's first commercial camera phone, the J-SH04, in Japan in 1997.

On January 01, 2001 Sharp released the LC-20C1, LC-15C1 and LC-13C1 AQUOS LCD TVs, ideal units for the household of the 21st century. The first AQUOS models boasted the industry's highest brightness of 450 cd/m2.

In 2010 Sharp introduced the LV Series AQUOS Quattron 3D LCD TVs, which use four-primary-colour 3D LCDs, a world first.

World’s largest LED LCD TV -LC-90LE745U is a 90inches model developed in 2012, with brushed aluminum black bezel delivers one of the most natural, vibrant pictures available.

Come, Make Sharp part of your journey.