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The beginning (& end) - Camera Taiyodo the shop (1947 - 2013)

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In 1946, an advertisement appeared in the January and July editions of Ars Camera($) - a Japanese magazine for photography enthusiasts. This sought to buy used cameras, stating "buy at a high price" (高價買入 囯産舶耒,高級) and "exchange welcome" (交換歡迎) (see Figure 1, which I'll examine  in more detail later). The advertiser's name was “Camera Taiyodo” (カメラ太陽堂) and their address was the Kanda-Jimbocho crossing in Chiyodo Tokyo.

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Various Japanese Bloggers claim there had been a camera shop at Kanda-Jimbocho crossing since 1920, but this was seemingly an enterprise unrelated to the story of Taiyodo. Evidence that Camera Taiyodo was founded in the 1940s rather than the 1920s can be found in a rather more recent source - a 2010 magazine($) published by Senshu University of Chiyoda (Figure 3), which included a feature on the store. This provides a clear statement that "the company was founded in 1947". Maybe they were simply stocking shelves in 1946? 

 

The article confirms Camera Taiyodo's connection to the camera manufacturer Taiyodo Koki, and states that the camera factory was located behind the shop. It reports that the store's focus (in more recent times) had become developing, printing and enlarging, and names a couple of former Prime Ministers who were regular customers (Ryutaro Hashimoto & Yasuo Fukuda). The article also names the company's President as "Kunio Doi". Elsewhere (e.g. here($)) I have read that the "Doimer" lens was named after Doi, and the "Teiko" named after his wife . It seems that the Chiyoda store was not the only Camera Taiyodo outlet; there was once a shop in Terminal 1 of Narita International Airport, and a branch at the Tokyu Hotel (here's a 1971 Camera Taiyodo catalogue cover which confirms these two addresses plus another store at Shijuku Station in Tokyo). 

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The main Camera Taiyodo Chiyoda store remained in business until 30th June 2013. Their closure was immortalised by a number of Japanese Bloggers who lamented the end of an appreciated shop ... but follow this link for details of other shops called "Camera Taiyodo".

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Here's a few examples of Blogs documenting the closure:

• Ani-Came! - Taiyodo, a long-established camera shop in Shimpo-cho, is closed.

• Mtntrillium - Taiyodo.

• Photography Diary - "camera taiyodo" closes.

• Stick to photos - long-established "Camera Taiyodo" closed.​

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The distributor myth debunked

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A distributor is an agent that supplies stock from manufacturers to dealers for onward sale to the public in their shops. Taiyodo is commonly stated to have been a camera distributor from early 1946. The source of this fallacy is Camera-wiki($), and the fantasy has been shamefully copied by almost all who have masqueraded as enlightened. The "evidence" cited is the Figure 1 Ars Camera advert, despite the content being related to buying and exchanging used goods rather than selling new to the trade. Worse yet, all web commentators have completely overlooked the fact that WWII left most Japanese cities severely damaged by fires and bombs, the economy was in ruins, and people were homeless and starving.

 

To quote from Wikipedia, the "Bombing of Tokyo($)" was a series of bombing air raids launched by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Known as Operation Meetinghouse, the raids were conducted by the U.S. military on the night of 9–10 March 1945, and was the single most destructive bombing raid in human history. 16 square miles of central Tokyo was destroyed, leaving an estimated 100,000 civilians dead and over one million homeless.

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According to Photoguide.jp($), the manufacture of civilian photographic equipment was forced to cease in order to focus energy and materials on supporting the Japanese war-effort, courtesy of a military supply law enacted in December 1943. For Japan, WWII officially ended on 2nd September 1945, and domestic camera production restarted in December 1946 (almost one year after Camera Taiyodo's Figure 1 advert) , but production volumes were low, and most of the output went to supply the Occupation Forces. Canon were one of the first manufacturers to resume production, and got a head-start in October 1945, but one year after the resumption of operations, a mere 560 “J II”s (the pre-war "standard model") had been made (see Canon History 1946($)). A more comprehensive study of who made what, and how much (little) in 1946 can be found here.

 

Only a moron could believe that "Taiyodo was already active as a camera distributor in early 1946". However, let's explore this utter nonsense in a little more detail and see where it leads. Elsewhere in its pages, Camera-wiki reports that Taiyodo distributed Gelto and Semi-Gelto cameras - made by Toa Koki (see Note #55 on the Gelto page($)). The evidence for this is two advertisements. I'll deal with each separately.

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The first was in an April 1948 trade journal Nihon Shashin Kogyo Tsushin($), which was reproduced in a 1967 book by the Japan Photo Industry News Agency called "Ten records for every 100 issues of the Photographic Industry News($)" (which I assume to be the same as page 84 of "Hyaku-go goto jukai no kiroku", which is also referenced as an information source?). The wiki assertion that Taiyodo was a Gelto distributor, is supported by a line of quoted Japanese text - ゲルト製品販売店 (which I assume was copied from the advert). This actually translates as "Gelto Product Dealers", or with the characters for Gelto removed, it reads "Product Store". I have been unable to find an actual copy of this advertisement.

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The second "briefly mentions the Silver Gelto" in a May 1948 magazine for amateur photographers - Kohga Gekkan($), which is similarly known through reproduction in a later journal -  Camera Collectors' News($) no.239. Again, I have been unable to find an actual copy of this advertisement.

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​​I have however, found other examples of Camera Taiyodo advertising Gelto models. One was from a December 1947 issue of Kohga Gekkan (Figure 8) detailing Planet accessories with an inset picture of a Gelto. It's been translated here. The other was for Taiyodo's first camera - the Meteor - from the May 1948 issue of Ars Camera (Figure 9), which has been translated here. It includes the separate bullet-points "Gelto products" and "Planet products distributor" (see Odds & Ends for more on Planet products).

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In summary, the "evidence" does not tell us what Taiyodo were distributing in 1946, but what they were selling to the public in 1948. One does not "distribute" cameras by advertising them in theatre pamphlets (see Figures 6&7), and amateur photography magazines. Camera Taiyodo was nothing more than a shop with Gelto products in stock. I can only speculate that the original Camerapedia author (whose work was copied into Camera-wiki) did not understand the difference between a distributor and a dealer (and hadn't heard of WWII).

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Taiyodo Koki - the manufacturer (1948 - 1957)

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Mercifully, everyone seems to agree that, in January 1948, Camera Taiyodo developed a manufacturing arm which was named Taiyodo Koki K.K (太陽堂光機㈱), where Koki translates as "Optical machine". Cameras were made at their Kanda-Jimbocho address, since this is a large building with four floors. The first camera was a sub-miniature called the Meteor. Taiyodo Koki (or TKK) made a spread of cameras in different formats, but with the exception of the Meteor (and its variants), these were named using variations of “Beauty”; the Beauty Six (a 6x6 folder), Beauty 14 & Beauty 16 (subminiatures), Beauty Flex, Beautycord, Beautyflex & Beauty (6x6 TLRs), Reflex Beauty (6x6 SLR), Beauty 35 (35mm viewfinder), Beauty Super 35 & Canter Beauty (35mm rangefinders).

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Taiyodo magazine advertisements published between 1949 and 1950 were usually in two parts: one half publicising a TKK product, and the other inviting people to sell and exchange cameras at their Chiyoda shop, employing phrases such as "exchange welcome" and "highest purchase price" (see Figure 10). There can be no doubt that Camera Taiyodo and Taiyodo Koki were different faces of a single enterprise.

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A change of name to the Beauty Camera Company (1957 - 1963) - the bankruptcy myth discredited

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The earliest record of Taiyodo Koki using the name Beauty Camera Company (ビューティカメラ㈱) is December 1957, according to the book "Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935–1965" (Nihon Kamera No Rekishi($)). In my personal opinion (agreed by a few Japanese Bloggers), Taiyodo Koki simply changed their company name to match that of their core product (as did Orion to Miranda, Nippon to Nikon, Seiki Kogaku Kenkyojo to Canon, Takachiho to Olympus, and Tokyo Kogaku to Topcon), thereby enhancing their appeal to Western markets.

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But, according to Camera-wiki, this happened due to bankruptcy occurring in September 1957. The evidence is literally paper thin - page 104 of Gordon Lewis’ 1991 book "The History of the Japanese Camera($)". Lewis did not research and write this book - he merely edited a translation (by William and Amy Fujimura) of an earlier publication - "Nihon Kamera No Rekishi" (which translates as "Japan Camera History"), and combined its content with a 1984 exhibition catalogue from the International Museum of Photography (at George Eastman House) called “The Evolution of the Japanese Camera($)". I have never seen page 104, but it would appear, based on other Camera-wiki  citations of manufactures that became bankrupt, to comprise little more than a list.

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Bankruptcy is a lengthy procedure whose main purpose is to manage and exchange debtor's property and distribute it fairly to creditors. Plenty of Japanese companies vanished completely due to bankruptcy, e.g. Aires, Nicca, and Zunow, to name a few of the period. If Lewis's claim is to be believed, then Taiyodo Koki was the only company to have survived the process, and completed the procedure with uncommon speed! 

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​However, Taiyodo Koki appear to have been doing rather well prior to September 1957. In addition to selling their own cameras (including the rebrand Gen), Taiyodo Koki made models for Santa Monica based photographic equipment manufacturer and retailer "Miller-Outcalt", the Chicago based mail order giant "Montgomery Ward" and the "United States Camera Corporation($)", the mysterious Canadian "SCL", plus the Dutch distributer "Fodor", through which almost 99% of Japanese photographic equipment apparently entered the Netherlands (according to Barry Toogood($)).

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1957 was a pivotal time for Taiyodo Koki, as early in the year they decided to abandon TLRs, and focus on 35mm cameras, starting with the Beauty Canter. Their intentions were published in an advertisement in the 23rd March 1957 edition of "Army Times". This record can be viewed at archive.org($), (Tokyo Firm Readies New 35 For Export) or the extracted text read here. 

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This is a very significant document, since it reveals details of the extent of Taiyodo Koki's market, manufacturing capabilities, and future product development intentions. Usually, a business in difficulties changes direction following a take-over, because the old strategy was not working. However, in this instance, the "new company" followed the path of the old, and the March 1957 plans were delivered in 1958.

 

I cannot offer proof that Taiyodo Koki did not become bankrupt, in the same way that Lewis provides no evidence that they did, however, in my opinion, the claim seems quite improbable. It is generally expected that proof relieves on evidence to show that something happened rather than demonstrate it did not.