TOKYO - IBM Japan, founded in 1937 as the Japanese arm of the global technology company IBM, has evolved from a maker of calculating machines and personal computers into a technology firm focused on solving social challenges, developing innovations ranging from AI systems that replicate skilled human judgment in fields such as food processing and mobility support for people with visual impairments to quantum computing technologies aimed at accelerating innovation and addressing long-term societal needs.
IBM Japan was founded in 1937 as the Japanese subsidiary of the global technology company IBM, initially handling calculating machines for statistical and accounting tasks, a development that marked a major step toward modernizing office work at factories and companies across Japan.
The company later contributed to the spread of computers by opening calculation centers that undertook corporate data-processing operations and by establishing domestic computer production, while its accounting systems linking bank headquarters and branch offices through dedicated communication lines helped drive the adoption of online banking. At a time when Japanese-language support remained limited, IBM Japan developed systems capable of using kanji and kana, which were introduced at newspaper companies, and by expanding those systems into fields beyond journalism, the company laid the groundwork for supporting languages around the world.
IBM Japan once manufactured personal computers, including the ThinkPad brand that became synonymous with business laptops, but has since withdrawn from PC production and transformed itself into a company focused more than ever on solving social issues through technology. Its developments include an AI-powered cod roe sorting machine that trains artificial intelligence on 400,000 images to replicate the judgment of skilled artisans, instantly distinguishing subtle differences such as whether products are suitable for gifts or home use, as well as an AI suitcase designed to support the mobility of people with visual impairments. The company is also placing strong emphasis on the social implementation of quantum computers, an area of development being pursued globally in collaboration with leading academic institutions.
Japan is home to many world-class corporate giants, and by introducing these companies to a wider audience, the program aims to foster pride and vitality across the country by highlighting how corporate strength underpins Japan’s economy. The series, titled Shiranarezaru Gulliver, introduces lesser-known global champions, with narration provided by Watanabe.
At a cod roe factory in Fukuoka Prefecture, pollock roe known as tarako is salted and then seasoned with chili peppers to produce karashi mentaiko, with the raw roe graded according to appearance, shape, and other factors that directly affect brand value, as top-grade tarako is often used for premium gift products. Until recently, this sorting was carried out by a small number of highly experienced workers, but the retirement of veteran staff led to labor shortages and made it difficult to maintain consistent quality.
The solution was an AI-based sorting machine operated by just two people, in which tarako placed on a conveyor belt is automatically separated into different trays. As the roe passes through stainless-steel boxes, it is photographed by three cameras, flipped over by the device, and photographed again to capture images from all angles, after which AI analyzes the data and determines the grade in about one second, sorting the products accurately and instantly.
IBM Japan cooperated in developing this AI, with a factory representative explaining that while they had consulted various IT vendors, few were willing to seriously engage with the challenges posed by natural seafood products, and that the partnership began when IBM Japan stepped forward believing the problem could be solved. Because no two pieces of tarako are the same, the AI was trained on 400,000 images—around 4,000 times more data than would be needed for uniform industrial products—achieving sorting accuracy comparable to that of skilled workers.
While many people still associate IBM Japan with manufacturing personal computers, the company has shifted away from hardware production to focus on developing systems and software aimed at solving social challenges, asking how far technology can go in addressing human concerns and societal issues. Its initiatives range from robots designed to enable people with visual impairments to walk freely through cities to quantum computers that accelerate innovation across multiple fields.
One of IBM Japan’s key bases is located in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, where the program explores the company’s inner workings through the perspective of university student reporter Hashimoto Nodoka, who greets IBM Japan President Akio Yamaguchi, who assumed the role in 2019. Asked about the company’s strengths, Yamaguchi explains that IBM has more than a century of global experience and nearly 90 years in Japan, giving it a deep understanding of how computers and technology have evolved, alongside ongoing research and development that looks 20, 30, or even 50 years into the future, allowing the company to identify and create the best solutions by viewing trends across Japan and the wider world.
With revenue of 853.7 billion yen, IBM Japan leverages the network of the IBM Group across more than 175 countries and regions to provide cutting-edge technologies to companies in Japan and overseas, including AI-based management systems that support rapid recovery when industrial equipment malfunctions and security-enhancing systems for the financial sector, while also developing products aimed at solving challenges across society as a whole.
One such product resembles a suitcase, prompting the question of whether IBM makes luggage, to which the explanation is given that it is in fact a navigation robot for people with visual impairments, designed to safely guide users to their destinations after they input where they want to go.
Source: テレ東BIZ
