| 1874 |
The first generation, Shimadzu Genzo, founded the company in Kiyamachi Nijo, Kyoto, and started manufacturing educational physical and chemical apparatus. |
| 1876 |
Succeeded in launching the first private manned lightweight balloon in Japan. |
| 1881 |
Issued a catalog of physical and chemical apparatus. |
| 1896 |
Succeeded in taking X-ray photographs. |
| 1897 |
Started manufacturing storage batteries. |
| 1909 |
Completed Japan's first medical X-ray device. |
| 1915 |
Started manufacturing optical measuring instruments. |
| 1917 |
Reorganized into a corporation, spun off the storage battery division into a separate company. |
| 1920 |
Established a branch office in Dalian. |
| 1930 |
The second generation, Shimadzu Genzo, was recognized as one of Japan's top ten inventors and received imperial court gifts. |
| 1933 |
Developed industrial X-ray equipment. |
| 1934 |
Completed Japan's first spectrograph. |
| 1936 |
Started manufacturing aircraft equipment. |
| 1952 |
Developed Japan's first photoelectric spectrophotometer. |
| 1956 |
Developed Japan's first gas chromatograph. |
| 1961 |
Developed the world's first remote-controlled X-ray television system. |
| 1963 |
Opened a New York office and a Tokyo research institute. |
| 1967 |
Developed a vehicle driving simulator. |
| 1968 |
Established Shimadzu (Europa) GmbH in Germany. |
| 1971 |
Started selling Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) in 1971. |
| 1971 |
Started sales of Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) |
| 1972 |
Started selling High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (LC) in 1972. |
| 1972 |
Started sales of High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) |
| 1975 |
Celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1975 and opened the Shimadzu Memorial Museum. |
| 1975 |
Established Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. (SSI) in the United States in 1975. |
| 1975 |
Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the company opened the Shimadzu Memorial Museum in Kiyamachi Nijo, the birthplace of the company, and established Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. in the United States |
| 1975 |
Celebrated its 100th anniversary and opened the Shimadzu Memorial Museum of Founding |
| 1975 |
Established Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc (SSI) in the United States |
| 1976 |
Set up the Hydraulic Equipment Division (now Fluidics Division) in 1976. |
| 1976 |
Established Hydraulic Equipment Department (now Fluidics Division) |
| 1977 |
Opened the Middle East Office in Cairo. |
| 1977 |
Opened Middle East Office in Cairo |
| 1978 |
Started selling medical X-ray CT scanners in 1978. |
| 1978 |
Developed the first modular liquid chromatography system in Japan |
| 1978 |
Started sales of medical X-ray CT scanners |
| 1979 |
Opened an analytical instrument service station in Beijing. |
| 1979 |
Established Shimadzu Precision Instruments, Inc. (SPI) in the United States in 1979. |
| 1979 |
Established Shimadzu Precision Instruments, Inc. in the United States |
| 1979 |
Opened Analytical Instrument Service Station in Beijing |
| 1980 |
Opened the Latin America Office in Argentina in 1980. |
| 1980 |
Established to promote research and development, contribute to industrial development and welfare in Japan through grants and recognition of outstanding research (Shimadzu Prize). |
| 1980 |
Developed TMP utilizing turbine technology of aircraft equipment to create a vacuum state, and started selling the domestically produced air-cooled TMP. |
| 1980 |
Founded the Shimadzu Science and Technology Promotion Foundation |
| 1980 |
Opened Latin America Office in Argentina |
| 1980 |
Established Shimadzu Science and Technology Promotion Foundation |
| 1980 |
Started sales of the first domestically produced air-cooled TMP |
| 1981 |
Achieved sales of 100 billion yen and operating profit of 10 billion yen in 1981. |
| 1981 |
Achieved sales of 100 billion yen and ordinary profit of 10 billion yen |
| 1983 |
Started manufacturing analytical instruments in the United States |
| 1987 |
Started manufacturing analytical instruments in Germany |
| 1988 |
Co-developed the PET scanner |
| 1988 |
Co-developed |
| 1989 |
Acquired Kratos Group in the UK in 1988. |
| 1989 |
Established Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (SAP) in Singapore in 1989. |
| 1989 |
Acquired Kratos Group in the UK |
| 1989 |
Established Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (SAP) in Singapore |
| 1991 |
Founded Shimadzu Oceania Pty. Ltd. (SOP) in Australia in 1991. |
| 1991 |
Established Keihanna Research Institute and Hadano Factory |
| 1991 |
Established Shimadzu Oceania Pty. Ltd. (SOP) in Australia to handle analysis business |
| 1992 |
In 1992, established a new management philosophy to realize the wish for 'Health of People and the Earth'. |
| 1992 |
Established Beijing Shimadzu Medical Instruments Co., Ltd. in China |
| 1992 |
Formulated new management philosophy: 'Realizing the wish for 'Health of People and the Earth'' |
| 1994 |
Established Tianjin Shimadzu Hydraulic Co., Ltd. in China |
| 1996 |
Established Shimadzu Philippines Manufacturing Inc. in the Philippines |
| 1997 |
Established Shimadzu Shimane Co., Ltd. and Shimadzu Vietnam Medical Hi-Tech Company Ltd. in Vietnam |
| 1998 |
Established Shimadzu (Hong Kong) Limited and Shimadzu Instruments (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. in China |
| 1999 |
Developed the world's fastest gene analysis device |
| 2000 |
Established Dong-il SHIMADZU CORPORATION in South Korea |
| 2001 |
Launched Life Science Research Institute in Kyoto and Tsukuba |
| 2002 |
Kohichi Tanaka received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Order of Culture |
| 2003 |
Established the Tanaka Koichi Memorial Mass Spectrometry Laboratory at the headquarters and Sanjo Factory, and developed the world's first circulatory X-ray diagnostic device equipped with a direct conversion flat panel detector (FPD) |
| 2005 |
Strengthened efforts to develop molecular imaging devices, a next-generation medical technology, established Shimadzu Device Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and Shimadzu E-Tech Co., Ltd. |
| 2006 |
Established three companies including SHIMADZU UK Ltd. in Europe, established Shimadzu Analytical India Private Limited in India, and established Shimadzu (Guangzhou) Testing Technology Co., Ltd. in China |
| 2008 |
Acquired the turbo molecular pump business from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
| 2010 |
Developed Japan's first triple quadrupole liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer |
| 2011 |
Established a development center for analytical measurement instruments in China |
| 2012 |
Launched FOODSEYE, a food radioactivity inspection device |
| 2013 |
Established Shimadzu Latin America S.A. in Uruguay and Shimadzu Scientific Instruments Taiwan in Taiwan |
| 2014 |
Completed the headquarters building at the main office and Sanjo factory, developed Japan's first breast-specific PET device |
| 2015 |
Opened the Food Safety Analysis Center jointly established with Miyazaki Prefecture and established SSI Innovation Center in the United States |
| 2016 |
Established Shimadzu Manufacturing Asia Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia |
| 2017 |
Founded Shimadzu AeroTech Co., Ltd., established an innovation center in Singapore, and acquired Alsachim SAS in France |
| 2018 |
Started commissioned analysis to estimate amyloid accumulation in the brain from blood, acquired infraserv Vakuumservice GmbH in Germany, and integrated two group companies to establish Shimadzu Industrial Machinery Systems Co., Ltd. |
| 2019 |
Established China Innovation Center, opened Healthcare R&D Center at headquarters and Sanjo factory, established Shimadzu Scientific Korea Corporation in South Korea, and acquired Core Medical Imaging, Inc. in the United States |
| 2020 |
Established Shimadzu Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Vietnam, launched new coronavirus detection reagent kits and fully automated real-time PCR devices in Japan |
| 2021 |
Launched the world's first TOF-PET device specialized for head and breast examinations, launched |
| 2022 |
Established Shimadzu Trustech Inc. by merging two group companies, opened "Shimadzu Mirai Co-Creation Lab" at Keihanna Base Research Center, and fully acquired Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (now Shimadzu Diagnostics Inc.) |
| 2023 |
Opened "Shimadzu Tokyo Innovation Plaza" in Kawasaki City, acquired French software company Biomaneo, and opened "Shimadzu Nagasaki Collaboration Lab" in Nagasaki City |
| 2024 |
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. in the United States opened an R&D center, Shimadzu Middle East & Africa FZE in UAE built a new headquarters office, acquired U.S. analysis equipment maintenance and service company Zef Scientific Inc., and established Shimadzu Mexico, S. A. de C.V. in Mexico |
| 2025 |
Celebrated its 150th anniversary and launched a strontium optical lattice clock. The world's first commercial optical lattice clock, established Shimadzu Oceania Pty. Ltd. in Australia, merged French companies Alsachim SAS and Biomaneo SAS to establish Shimadzu Chemistry and Diagnostics SAS, and established Shimadzu India Pvt. Ltd. in India |
