Nunotani Nautical Instruments Mfg.Co., Ltd. Corporate History

March 1892: Since around 1889, Founder Itaro Nunotani was regretting that no magnetic compasses had been produced in Japan, and continued painstaking efforts toward its production. He finally established Nunotani Compass Factory in 1 Honden, Nishi-ku, Osaka, and succeeded in producing the first magnetic compass in Japan, thus establishing the ground for Nunotani.

1895: Established a new factory with enhanced production equipment, and relocated to, 2-3, Matsushima-cho, Nishi-ku, Osaka.

1900: Exhibited a magnetic compass at the Osaka Municipal Product Fair, and received a prize.

1902: Exhibited at the Tenth Domestic Beneficial Product Exhibition, and received a golden trophy for the "first prize and prize of honor for the excellence of invention".

1908: Exhibited at the Second Domestic Product Fair, and received a golden trophy for the first prize. Subsequently, continued to exhibit at the fair every year, and received many prizes.

1917: Enhanced the equipment and restructured the factory into a corporation.
Celebrated figures in the marine transport and shipbuilding industries in the Kansai region joined the company as board members.
Thus Nunotani Keiki Co.,Ltd. continued its operation and development.

1921: Established an expanded factory in Deyashiki, Amagasaki, Hyogo.
Following the First World War, the company returned to private management under Itaro Nunotani, and changed its name to Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho. It achieved a steady performance even during the general recession.

1935: The factory was registered by the Marine Force Shipbuilding Headquarters, and was designated by the Department of Marine Force.

July 1939: Founder Itaro Nunotani passed away.
Korehisa Nunotani succeeded to the presidency. At that time, all the three brothers (Korehisa, Koremitsu and Isaosi) were at their battlefields. All the staff joined forces to retain the factory.

April 1941: Received a certificate from the Director of the Navy Force Shipbuilding Headquarters for "enabling successful planned shipbuilding and making substantial contribution to the nation".

January 1946: Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho was re-opened. Korehisa Nunotani took office as the director, Koremitsu Nunotani as the factory manager, and Isaosi Nunotani as the supervisor.
Under contracts with related governmental agencies and the marine transport and shipbuilding industries, the factory overcame material shortage and concentrated on production.

October 1946: Established Osaka Factory of Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho at 1-16 Taisho-dori, Taisho-ku, Osaka, which mainly undertook repair and service-related activities.
Koremitsu Nunotani took office as the factory manager and engineering general manager.
Isaosi Nunotani took office as the factory manager of Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho.

April 1948: Joined the enactment of the JES standard for navigation instruments, and was designated by the national government as a specialized member in navigation instruments.

February 1952: Restructured Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho into a corporation.
Korehisa Nunotani took office as the president, and Isaosi Nunotani as the Senior Managing Director.

September 1952: Opened the Tokyo Office. Designated by the national government as a member for the enactment of the JIS standard.

October 1952: Restructured the Osaka Factory into a corporation, and established it as Osaka Nunotani Seiki Co., Ltd.
Koremitsu Nunotani took office as the president, and Korehisa Nunotani as the Senior Advisor.

June 1954: Because its performance developed, Osaka Nunotani Seiki relocated to 2-29 Matsushima-cho, Nishi-ku, Osaka with enhanced equipment.

February 1957: In the 65th year of foundation of Nunotani Instruments, the company was relocated to the present location, at which a new factory was established with enhanced equipment.

August 1958: In Tokyo, Nunotani exhibited at the Third General Exhibition for Marine Transport and Shipbuilding, which was visited by the Crown Prince of the time (present Emperor Emerita). The Nunotani brothers were honored to present the Prince a tabletop precision magnetic compass, as the oldest compass manufacturer in Japan.

November 1959: Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd. was licensed to label its products with the JIS mark.

August 1964: Osaka Nunotani Seiki established a range finder testing field in Nagaosan, Kirihata, Takarazuka, Hyogo.

August 1965: Due to increased demand, Osaka Nunotani Seiki renovated its factory building in the present location to a three-story, steel reinforced concrete structure, with the total floor area of 750 square meters, with enhanced equipment.

March 1966: Because sales developed remarkably at both Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho and Osaka Nunotani Seiki, Nunotani Nautical Instruments Mfg.Co., Ltd. was established to facilitate the rationalization and sales promotion of the two companies. Isaosi Nunotani took office as the president. Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho was called as Amagasaki Factory of Nunotani Nautical Instruments Mfg., and Osaka Nunotani Seiki as Osaka Factory of Nunotani Nautical Instruments Mfg., thus integrating the product portfolios and sales forces of the former two companies.

May 1968: The Osaka Factory (Osaka Nunotani Seiki) was licensed to label its products with the JIS mark.

March 1974: In order to rationalize production at the Amagasaki Factory and the Osaka Factory, centralized production of magnetic compasses was planned. For this purpose, the Kasumi Factory of Osaka Nunotani Seiki was established in Kasumi-cho, Kinosaki-gun, Hyogo, with the site area of 1,477 square meters, a factory building of two-story, reinforced concrete structure with the floor area of 1,001 square meters, and company housing with the total area of 210 square meters. Production of magnetic compasses was started at this new factory, which is equipped with all related equipment.

September 1996: The Osaka Factory (Osaka Nunotani Seiki) relocated its main factory to 1-14-22, Kobayashi-nishi, Taisho-ku, Osaka.

March 2006: The Amagasaki Factory (Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho) acquired the ISO 9001:2000 and JIS Q9001:2000 certifications.

November 2015: Nunotani Nautical Instruments Mfg.Co., Ltd. relocated its head office to 1-15-20, Edo-bori, Nishi-ku, Osaka.