Japan Corporate History & Strategy

Japan's office automation industry is one of the few sectors where Japanese companies continue to dominate globally—the world's multifunction printer market is effectively an oligopoly of Japanese makers including Canon, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Fujifilm (formerly Fuji Xerox), and Brother Industries. Canon pursues diversification into semiconductor lithography (nanoimprint) and security cameras (Axis acquisition) alongside its camera and MFP pillars. Fujifilm faced the existential threat of its film business disappearing with the rise of digital cameras but achieved a 'second founding' through transformation into cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and medical systems—a case study taught worldwide. However, with the printing revenue base shrinking due to digitization, all companies are urgently developing non-OA businesses in IT services and healthcare.