History

With the spreading popularity of the electronic desktop calculator (denshisiki takujyo keisanki in Japanese), the name was shortened for convenience to dentaku. Through the appearance of integrated circuits (IC) containing complete electronic circuits on one chip, and then large-scale integration (LSI) that further increased the level of integration, calculator manufacturing became much simpler. In 1965, many new manufacturers began to enter the calculator market due to the strong corporate demand for the product. As a result, Japanese calculator production continued to double each year, and in 1970 the market exceeded 100 billion yen in total value. At its peak, there were over 50 companies in the market, and this meant a period of severe competition in development and sales, called the "calculator wars."

It was during this time that CASIO released a new product based on a completely new concept. Released in August 1972, it was called the CASIO Mini. The product concept was articulated like this: "Although the market for calculators is limited as long as calculators only exist to improve office efficiency, an even larger market can be realized if every household or individual could use a calculator. After all, people also need to do calculations at home. We will develop a calculator that is affordable for individual consumers, priced at about 10,000 yen, and thereby create a personal calculator market."

The production volume was set at 100,000 units per month, which was an incredibly high amount at that time. Many people inside and outside the company voiced their misgivings about this high production level, but the release of the CASIO Mini resulted in an explosive hit, and production had to be raised to 200,000 units per month. Only ten months after its release, deliveries of one million units were achieved. Subsequent improvements were made to the CASIO Mini, and it went on to become a huge hit, with a final production total of ten million units. Due to the success of the CASIO Mini, CASIO secured the number-one position among calculator manufacturers.

Nevertheless, the calculator wars continued. It seemed as if new products were being released every day, and prices continued to fall while producers battled for survival. Except for a very small portion of manufacturers, companies with poor development, technical, or sales abilities were forced to downsize or leave the market. Finally, only a few companies remained, and this brought an end to the most intense competition.

Main Models up to the CASIO Mini

Release	Model	Price	Component
1957	14-A	EUR 3.610	Relay
1965	001	EUR 2.830	Transistor
1968	152	EUR 1.860	IC
1969	AS-A	EUR 820	LSI
1971	AS-8	EUR 290	LSI
1972	CASIO Mini	EUR 95	LSI

To meet the intense individual demand that was ignited by the huge success of the CASIO Mini, the Hachioji Factory (now Hachioji Laboratory) went into operation alongside the Kofu Factory in June 1973. Production was also expanded to affiliated plants in Japan and overseas, and a large-scale production system was created.

The popularization of the pocket calculator, including the CASIO Mini series, has a special place in the history of electronics production in Japan. The Japanese semiconductor industry, which was still in its infancy at the time, realized many advances by applying its technical capabilities to the large-scale production of pocket calculators. In this sense, pocket calculators can be seen as the pioneer that helped pave the way for the development of Japan as an electronics superpower.