IPSJ Computer Museum is a virtual museum where you can find information about historical Japanese computers and the people engaged in the development of those computers. Half a century has passed since the development of Japan's first electronic computers, FUJIC and ETL Mark III in 1956. Explanations and photos of computers developed during this period and related many materials are displayed at this museum.
It is said, “If you want to know what's to come, look into the past." We are very happy if these historical materials can give you hints for the future..
For more information regarding the founding of this museum, please refer to the message from Takahashi Shigeru, the first chairman of Special Committee for the History of Computing.
February 20, 2006
Hatta Hiroshi
Chairman of Special Committee for the History of Computing
Special Committee of the History of Computing set up by Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ) in 1981 published two books: "History of Japanese Computers" (1985, Ohm-Sha, Tokyo) and "History of Japanese Computer Development" (1998, Ohm -Sha, Tokyo). The former tells history before 1960 and the latter from 1961 to 1980. Recently, we have helped IPSJ Magazine to publish historical articles in series or in a special issue.
On the other hand, the recent rapid technological progress has brought into existence open systems, downsizing of computer systems, and wide use of computer networks such as Internet, all of which have caused the drastic change of information technology and computer industry after 1990s.
Mainframes as well as peripheral equipments produced before1990 are quickly vanishing, and it is now getting more and more difficult to see them as real objects. Input and output media such as paper tape and card and storage media such as disk pack are also disappearing.
In view of passing historical facts of Information technology to coming generations, it is not sufficient only to write about them in books or magazines. It would be more desirable for some organization to collect and keep them as real objects together with relevant materials.
In foreign countries, particularly in U.S., exist several museums for computers, in which historical computers and related objects have been carefully kept and displayed. In Japan, we have no museum dedicated for computers, though the National Science Museum plays a part of such a role.
In 2001, the National Science Museum held a special exhibition, "Leaders in the Information Century" and IPSJ held an exhibition, "Epochs in Information Technology," in the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its founding. However, these were only temporary exhibitions. Since it is difficult for an academic society such as IPSJ to collect and keep real objects, we decided to limit ourselves to cooperation with the National Science Museum as for real objects. Instead, we have set up a virtual Computer Museum in IPSJ’s web pages to collect and keep valuable historic information in a way more appropriate to IPSJ.
Here, we show photographs of historic computers and parts with their explanations relative to the time line of technological development.
We are very much indebted to those who provided us with photographs and explanations.
May 13, 2003
Chairman, Special Committee for the History of Computing
Takahashi Shigeru
Notes:
1.The materials shown in this Computer Museum are copyrighted either by IPSJ or by the providers of the materials. All rights reserved. Any name of company or of its product that appears in the materials is either a trademark or a registered trademark.
2.Kindly please notify IPSJ office if you find any error in the materials shown.
*This Database was partly supported by International Communications Foundation.