January 2006, Nikon Kenkyukai Tokyo, Meeting Report

Tokyo Meeting with Hans Braakhuis

Hans Braakhuis from the Netherlands

Mr. Hans Braakhuis, a Nippon Kogaku historian also a member of the Nikon Historical Society (NHS), visited Japan to join the Tokyo meeting.
You can browse the his cool website Nikon Catalogus .

Hans Braakhuis-san is a super expert concerning the old story in the age when Nippon Kogaku was born.
He brought Japan a lot of valuable literature and photos from the Netherlands.
We enjoyed studying an old history with him.

The meeting was held in Shintomi-cyo in Tokyo near Ginza.
We enjoyed meeting in the Japanese traditional style conference room of the tatami mat.
Yes, you can see the beautiful little lenses and filters on the table.

Beautiful little lenses and filters

Cine Nikkor 38mm F1.9, 13mm F1.9 and 13mm F1.9

Cine Nikkor 6.5mm F1.9, 38mm F1.9 and 13mm F1.9

Nikon S3 Olympic model and Nikon S3M

The main theme of the meeting was the special research of Nikon S3 Olympic model and Nikon S3M.
Also Nippon Kogaku's level type E-3 and Ultra Micro Nikkor 155mm were on the table.

Nippon Kogaku's level type E-3 (1958)

Nikon S3 Olympic model

Ultra Micro Nikkor 155mm's wooden box and Nikon S3

Left, Nikon S3 Olympic and Right, Nikon S3M

Nikon S3's half frame shutter curtain

Nikon S3 on the table

Hans Braakhuis's special lecture

Hans-san lectured on the history story concerning the Nippon Kogaku's very old optical instruments. As you know Mr. Ryuzo Fujii is the father of Nippon Kogaku.

Mr. Ryuzo Fujii established the Fujii Lens Seizosho(factory) in 1908.
He was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy and held a degree in mechanical engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology .
He studied optical design and production method in Germany for two or three years.
He returned to Japan in 1901 and quit the navy in 1908 to start his company, the Fujii Lens Seizosho(factory). His younger brother Kozo joined the company.

The Fujii Brothers were the first binocular manufacturer in Japan, producing their first model in 1911. This model was the Fujii Brothers Victor 8x20. This binocular was sold to the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Also Hans-san lectured on the old microscope JOICO story.
It was a very interesting story.
Thank you Hans-san for attending the Tokyo meeting.

Tokyo Meeting with Hans Braakhuis

Big motor drive collection

The old history of the microscope JOICO

His field of research concerning Nikon is wide

Tokyo Meeting with Hans Braakhuis