Hitachi 日立製作所

Hitachi was founded in 1910 as an electrical repair shop for the Kuhara mining company in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture. Its founder, engineer Namihei Odaira, believed Japan could build its own electrical equipment rather than rely on imports, and the shop's first product was a domestically designed 5-horsepower induction motor. The company became independent as Hitachi, Ltd. in 1920.

Hitachi expanded over the 20th century into one of Japan's largest industrial conglomerates, making home appliances, railway rolling stock, power plant equipment, and semiconductors. After posting a record loss for a Japanese manufacturer in the 2008–2009 financial crisis, the company restructured around what it calls its 'social innovation business,' focusing on digital and IT solutions (branded Lumada) alongside its traditional infrastructure and rail businesses, including high-speed trains sold internationally.