Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, Inc.

Sumitomo Copper Rolling Works, which formed the basis of Sumitomo Electric Wire and Cable Works, the predecessor to Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., was established in 1897. The nation was experiencing a severe recession as a reaction to an entrepreneurial boom following the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). In the wake of Sumitomo's acquisition of Japan Copper Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in March of this year, Sumitomo Copper Rolling Works was established.

Although the war had ended, plants had been hit hard by air strikes and were in a desperate situation. After expressing appreciation to the employees for all their past efforts, then-President Sadao Bekku said that Japan must now rebuild itself as a cultural nation, and that Sumitomo Electric's products are essential to achieving this, and therefore, the company must strive to manufacture products for achieving its mission in whatever form the company would take. In addition to electric wires, Sumitomo Electric also manufactured daily necessities, and other agricultural tools, using materials on hand.

Typhoon Jane was a large typhoon that hit Osaka in September 1950, inflicting damage with 336 people dead, 500,000 victims, and 15,000 houses collapsing mainly in the Kansai region. The western plant of Osaka Works was flooded by water. Aluminum overhead transmission cables bound for India were submerged by floodwaters. Although the products could have been made usable by washing them, management decided to re-make them all, with no thought of gain. This clearly shows our traditional spirit of devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to supplying quality products and placing prime importance on reliability.