Connected for the Future

Fujikura is channeling 140 years of Japanese innovation into the infrastructure of tomorrow— from the optical fiber networks fueling artificial intelligence to the superconducting wires driving fusion energy. With a legacy defined by technology and enterprising spirit, Fujikura stands as one of Japan's most enduring symbols of reinvention and resilience.

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NAOKI OKADA PRESIDENT /CEO OF FUJIKURA

Founded in 1885, Fujikura began not as a sprawling conglomerate but as a single private venture competing against Japan's industrial giants.

At a time when the country's cable and wire industry was dominated by the powerful zaibatsu, the fledgling company—then known as Fujikura Electric Wire—was the independent manufacturer in the field. Its founder, Zenpachi Fujikura, named the enterprise after himself and dedicated it to producing electric wires and telephone cables that would connect Japan's rapidly modernizing cities.

That independence proved to be a defining trait. Lacking the deep financial and human resources of its zaibatsu competitors, Fujikura was forced to survive by sheer ingenuity. "We were told that the only way Fujikura could survive was through our technology," said CEO Naoki Okada. "That's what my seniors taught me when I joined the company." The belief that innovation could level the playing field became part of Fujikura's corporate DNA.

Equally important was what Okada calls the company's "enterprising spirit," a term rooted in the founder's own curiosity. The story goes that Fujikura launched his electric wire business after witnessing electric lanterns light up Tokyo's downtown or the first time. It was a moment of transformation that inspired him to join the new era of electrification rather than watch it unfold from the sidelines. "Fujikura is all about technology and the spirit of enterprise," Okada said. "These two elements define who we are—they are our metabolism, always changing and adapting."