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Introduction to the Exhibition Area - Tracing the History

The "Tracing the History" area presents the story of the rapid development of the technologies and services provided by Japan’s telegraph and telephone business, which started when Commodore Perry presented a telegraph machine to the shogunate in 1854, and also highlights the societal changes that accompanied this development.

Modernization of Japan and Progress of Telegraph and Telephone[B1F]

It was when Commodore Perry revisited Japan in 1854 and presented a telegraph machine to the shogunate that the Japanese people first encountered telegraph technology, which was an application of the friction-based static electricity generator invented by Hiraga Gennai.This section introduces the rapid development of Japan's telecommunications up to the mid-1900s.

Must-See Exhibits

The telegraph machine used by Japan's first telegraph service for transmitting charactersThe Breguet dial telegraph machine

Japan's first domestically produced telephone, fabricated one year after the invention of the telephoneJapan's first domestically produced telephone

Magnetic telephone / magnetic manual switchboard

The telephone business in Japan dates back to the early Meiji Era. At that time, calls were connected by "telephone operators."Magnetic telephone / magnetic manual switchboard

Age of Recovery and Growth [B1F]

This section traces the progress of the telecommunications business from the 1950s to the 1960s, characterized by the slogans "phones installed without waiting time" and "calls connected instantly," which were key goals for the business in this period.Telecommunications supported post-World War II recovery and further economic growth.

Must-See Exhibits

Born with postwar reconstruction
Completely domestically-produced telephone with world-leading acoustic performanceModel 4 automatic desk telephone

Installation of phones could not keep up with demand -- Pay phones for "shared use" proliferated at tobacco shops and similar locationsCommissioned pay phone

Transition from manual switching to automatic switching
Realizing goals of "phones installed without waiting time" and "calls connected instantly."Crossbar switch

Age of Technology Innovation and Diversity[1F]

The 1970s dawned spectacularly with the World Expo.Japan transitioned from a period of rapid growth to a period of economic maturity, and telecommunications provided more advanced and diverse services.

Must-See Exhibits

The wireless, single-handed "Phone of the Future"
Connecting Expo visitors to family members and friendsThe Osaka Expo "Wireless Telephone"

Even drawings and designs, which are difficult to convey by voice could be transmitted using a phone lineFax machine (telephone fax)

Calculation using a phone and inventory management via data communication
Access to diverse services
Dedicated DRESS/DEMOS terminal

Age of Digital Technologies and Multimedia[2F]

The collapse of the bubble economy and the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake ushered in an era during which previous values and various societal structures were reevaluated - the telecommunications business also underwent a transformation.

Must-See Exhibits

Business scenes and lifestyles transformed by the Internet and mobile communicationsSketches of the Era: Mobile multimedia

The devastating damage of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the long road to restoring communications to establish connections with the disaster-stricken areasPortable satellite earth station

Technological History Lounge [3F]

This lounge offers an overview of the entire "Tracing the History" exhibition area.
It also exhibits an experimental model of the "Engineering Test Satellite ETS-VI" antenna, which demonstrates the advancement of satellite communication technology.

Must-See Exhibits

Engineering Test Satellite ETS-VI (Experimental Model)

The development of technology essential to satellite communication
Japan's first large multi-beam antenna projectEngineering Test Satellite ETS-VI (Experimental Model)