Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. On Line MUSEUM INDEX |
JB/JE Japanese binoculars manufacturer codes. JB/ JE codes fabricants sur les jumelles japonaises. JB/ JE Herstellercodes auf japanischen Ferngläsern. JB/JE 日本 の双眼鏡のメーカーコード . JB/ JE оды производителей японских биноклейк. JB/ JE códigos de fabricantes en binoculares japoneses. JB/ JE codici dei produttori sui binocoli giapponesi. JB/ JE tillverkarens koder på japanska kikare. JB/ JE Fabrikantcodes op Japanse verrekijkers. JB/ JE Japon dürbünlerinde üretici kodları. JB/ JE Кодове на производителя на японски бинокли. JB/ JE 日本双筒望远镜上的制造商代码 . JB/JE Kódy výrobců na japonských dalekohledech. |
The true value of an on line binoculars museum concept is the ability to gift information to everybody everywhere. A pioneer of posting binoculars and optics information on the internet was researcher Peter Abrahams, on his website Europa, and I probably used the information that he posted (especially JB codes) literally 1,000 plus times in doing my own research. His gifting to everyone of that research information certainly influenced my own thinking. The information he presented and which everybody relied on for even the most cursory research into Japanese binoculars was the lists of Japanese JB and JE manufacturer codes marked on Japanese binoculars for many decades. Sadly Peter Abrahams has passed away, but I am exceptionally pleased to have the permission of his daughter Katie Abrahams in making this information again easily accessible to everybody everywhere, and to have the privilege of promoting the tradition of facilitating this type of optics research data. |
Peter & Katie Abrahams |
J |
L |
The marking is actually “JL” (Japan light machinery) plus a “B” for the binoculars assembling manufacturer or an “E” for the manufacturer of the frame/body (metalwork), and a number representing the manufacturer identity. |
JB/JE manufacturer code list in ascending numerical order |
JB221 Akabori Kogaku Kikai Seisakujo JB184 Akatsuki Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB69 Akebono Kogaku Kogyo Co JB162 Akebono Kogaku Seiki Seisakuju JB60 Akebono Optical, Tokyo JB232 Akira Ishii JB207 Aporon Koki Seisakujo JB114 Arai Kogaku JB136 Araki Kogaku Seiki Seisakujo JB6 Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd., Tokyo. JB220 Ato Kogaku Co. Ltd. Art Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB193 Atorasu Koki Seisakujo Inc. (Atlas Koki Seisakujo) JB272 Atsugi Optical, Tokyo. JB139 Busho Kogaku Seisakujo. Inc. (Bushu), Saitama. JB174 Chitose Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB109 Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko Co. Ltd. JB204 Chuo Koki Seisakujo JB81 Copitar Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB188 Daiichi Seiko Co. Ltd. JB213 Daito Kikai Seisakujo Co. Ltd. JB151 Daito Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB135 Eikosha Sagyojo Co. Ltd. JB55 Enshu Kogaku Seiki Co. Ltd.,Tokyo. JB67 Esaka Kogaku JB185 Fuji Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB225 Fuji Kogaku Kenkyujo JB96 Fuji Koki Seisakujo Inc. JB8 Fuji Sbashin Koki Co. Ltd. JB28 Fuji Seinñtsukiki Seisakujo. Inc. JB19 FujiKogeisha Co. Ltd. JB250 Fujimori Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB203 Fujita Kogaku Kogyo Co. I.td. JB206 Fujita Koki Seisakuio. Inc.,Tokyo. JB79 Furukawa Kogaku Seisakujo JB26 Futaba Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB161 Hakko Seiki Co. Ltd. JB116 Hattori Koki Seisakujo JB92 Hayashi Kokisha JB101 Hifumi Kogaku Kikai Co. Ltd. JB230 Higashi Nippon Kogaku Kikai Kyodo Kumiai JB168 Hirabayashi Kogaku Seisakujo JB231 Hiroyuki Tochihara JB207 Hitachi Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB56 Hiyoshi Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB207 Hiyoshi Optical Co.,Ltd.,Tokyo JB192 Hoja Koki Seisakujo. Inc. JB102 Hoya Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB114 Hoya Optical Co.,Ltd.,Tokyo JB94 Ibuki Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB155 Ichihara Kogaku Renzu Seisakujo JB24 Ichikawa Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd.,Tokyo JB224 Ikko Seiki JB167 Ikkosha JB205 Ileiwa Koki Co. Ltd. JB122 Imai Kogaku Seisakujo JB125 Inoue Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB53 Inoue Koki Seisakujo Inc. JB23 Ishii Kogaku Co. Ltd.,Yokohama JB22 Itabashi Kogaku Kikai Seisakujo Inc., Tokyo JB113 Ito Kogaku Kikai Seisakujo. Inc. JB183 Izumi Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB76 Izumi Seiki Seisakujo. Inc. JB36 Jiyama Seiko Co. JB39 Josei Koki Inc. JB227 Jya Seikosha JB202 Jyohoku Kogaku Kogyo Kyodo Kumiai Sogankyo Chosei Daiichi Jigyojo JB107 Jyonan Kogaku Kikai Seisakujo. Inc. JB215 Jyosei Koki Seisakujo JB133 Kamakura Koki Co. Ltd., Warabi-Shi JB115 Kanagawa Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd, Kamakura-Shi JB228 Kanagawa Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB222 Kanda Koki JB123 Kansai Kogaku Seisakujo JB52 Kanto Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB229 Kanto Seimitsu Sogankyo Chosei Gijutsu Kyodo Kumiai JB208 Katon Kogaku Seisakujo Inc. (Carton Kogaku Seisakujo) JB2 Katsuma Kogaku Kikai Co.Ltd. JB137 Katsuno Koki Seisakujo JB85 Kawashima Kogaku Seisakujo JB195 Kawashima Seisakujo JB217 Kawashima Seisakujo JB241 Kazuo Tsuchihashi JB48 Kazusa Koki Seisakujo Inc. JB177 Keihin Seiko Co. Ltd. JB199 Keihoku Kogaku JB112 Keizan Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB108 Kenkosha Inc. JB145 Kimura Kogaku Seisakujo JB153 Kitano Koki Seisakujo Co. Ltd. JB345 Kobayashi Co., Ltd., Kyoto JB64 Kobayashi Kogaku Scisakitjo. Inc. JB127 Koei Seiki Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB30 Kofu Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB88 Kofuku Sangyo Co. Ltd. Kowa Koki Seisakujo JB274 Kohiyama Seisakusho, Tokyo JB21 Kokisha Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB196 Kokoku Seiki Seisakujo Co Ltd. JB166 Komiya Kogaku Kenkyuio JB130 KomiyaKogakuSangyo Co. Ltd. JB77 Koronbia Kogaku Co. Ltd. – Columbia Kogaku Co. JB170 Koseiki Seisakujo. Inc. JB134 Kozan Kogaku Seisakujo Co. Ltd. JB150 Kuramochi Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB78 Kuribayashi Kogaku Seisakujo JB157 Kuroki Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB187 Kurumada Kogaku Kogyojo JB104 Kyanon Kamara Co. Ltd. - Canon Camera Co. Ltd. JB257 Kyoshi Optical Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB44 likura Kogaku Seisakujo Inc. JB61 Meiho Kogaku Seisakujo Inc. JB5 Meiji Seiko Co. Ltd. JB29 Meikosha Inc. JB148 Misuzu Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd JB59 Mitsui Kogaku Seisakujo JB20 Mitsui Koki Seisakujo Co. Ltd. JB194 Miyagaki Kogakusha JB32 Miyako Seiki Co. Ltd. JB214 Miyama Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB237 Motooka Yoshikimi? JB31 Muraki Koko Co. Ltd. JB34 Musashi Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB40 Mutsu Koki Inc. JB159 Myoko Kogaku JB160 Myoko Kogaku JB143 Nagashima Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB38 Nakabishi Kogaku Inc. JB83 Nakamura Kogaku Kogyo Seisakujo Inc. JB200 Nansei Koki Seisakujo. Inc. JB129 Narimasu Koki Seisakujo JB116 Nichiryo Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB86 Niigaki Kogaku Seiki Seisakujo JB96 Nikkei Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB117 Nikken Kogaku JB186 Nikko Seisakujo Co. Ltd. JB42 Nippon Garasu Kogyo Co. Ltd. Takinokawa Syuchojo JB7 Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB100 Nippon Koki Co. Ltd. JB156 Nippon Sogan Co. Ltd. JB119 Nisshin Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB190 Nitto Koki Co. Ltd. JB171 Noguchi Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB216 Noguchi Koki Seisakujo JB120 Noppon Koki JB124 Oda Kogaku Seiki Co. Ltd. JB84 Oei Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB63 Ofuna Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB239 Ogoshi (?) JB210 Oishi Kogaku Kogyosho. Inc. JB121 Oizumi Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB57 Oji Kogaku Kikai Co. Ltd. JB173 OkayaKogakuKikai Co. Ltd. JB11 Omiya Kogaku Kikai Seisalcujo, Tokyo JB74 Omori Sogo Kogaku Kogyo JB248 Opal Optical, Tokyo JB277 Orient Co., Saitama JB12 Orora Kogaku Co. Ltd. - Aurora Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB62 Oshiro Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB169 Ota Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB226 Otake Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB17 Otake Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB179 Otaki Kogaku Seiki Seisakujo JB46 Otsuka Kogaku Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB230 Palus Optical, Tokyo JB35 Raito Koki Seisakujo Co. Ltd. - Lite Koki Seisakujo Co. Ltd. JB72 Rubina Koki Co. Ltd. JB58 Ryuko Seisakujo JB154 Sanei Kagaku Kenkyojo JB147 Sankaku Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB16 Sankei Koki Seisakujo Inc. JB106 Sanko Kogaku Seisakujo Inc. JB197 Sankyo Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB49 Sankyo Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB80 Sansei Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd JB82 Sanwa Kogaku Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB212 Sanwa Seiki Co. Ltd. JB27 Sanyo Koki Co. Ltd. JB176 Sanyo Koki Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB9 Sato Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB189 Sawama Kogaku Seisakujo JB93 Seiwa Kogaku Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB191 Seiwa Optical Co., Ltd., Wako-Shi JB98 Seiwa Seiki Seisakujo Inc. JB75 Seki Kogaku Kikai Co. Ltd. JB89 Sekiguchi Kogaku Seisakujo. Inc., Tokyo JB41 Shinsei Kogaku Seiki Co. Ltd. JB256 Shinsei Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB178 Shinyo Koki Seisakujo JB172 ShowaKokiSeizoCo. Ltd. JB233 Shuzaburo Ishikawa (Ishikawa Optical Ind.), Tokyo JB236 Shuzaburo Wakabayashi JB90 Someno Koki Seisakujo JB97 Soneda Kogaku Kenkyujo Inc. JB68 Sono Kogaku Kikai Co. Ltd. JB142 Subaru Kogaku Kikai Co. Ltd. JB70 Sugamo Kogaku Seisakujo JB243 Suwa Koki Co. Ltd. JB54 Suzuki Kogaku Seiki Co. Ltd. JB132 Taiei Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB45 Taisei Kogaku Kogyo Co; Ltd. JB128 Taishin Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB152 Taito Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB110 Taiyo Kogaku Seisakujo Inc. JB81 Takahisa Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB235 Takeo Saito JB201 Takeuchi Shokai Seisakujo JB45 Tamron Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB50 Tanaka Koki Seisakujo. Inc. JB103 Teihoku Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Tohoku) JB240 Teiji Hirose JB33 Teito Koki Co. Ltd. JB198 Tenwa Seiki Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB138 The Oriental Trading Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB1 Toa Kogaku Co.Ltd., Tokyo JB231 Tochihara Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB4 Toei Kogaku Co. Ltd., Hatogaya-Shi JB3 Toei Kogaku Seisakujo Co.Ltd. JB71 Toho Koki Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB251 Toho Optical Mfg. Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB211 Toho Seiki Co. Ltd. JB10 Toko Seiki Co. Ltd. JB219 Tokoki JB144 Tokuei Seiki Kogyojo Co. Ltd. JB47 Tokuhiro Koki Seisakusho Inc., Tokyo JB99 Tokushu Kogaku Seisakujo Co Ltd. JB18 Tokyo Kogaku Kikai Co. Ltd. JB163 Tokyo Koki Seisakujo JB15 Tokyo Oputikaru Co. Ltd.- Tokyo Optical Co. Ltd. JB141 Tonan Kogaku Co. Ltd., Tokyo JB242 Tornoaki Ogawa JB111 Tosco Co., Ltd., Tokyo JB244 Tosei Kogaku JB238 Toshio Maruyama JB158 Towa Koeki Co. Ltd. JB138 Toyo Jitsugyo Co. Ltd. JB175 Toyo Kogaku Kenkxuio. JB140 Toyo Kogaku Kogyo Co Ltd JB176 Toyo Koki Kogyo Co. JB105 Toyoshima Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd JB164 Toyoshima Koki Seisakujo JB43 Tozaki Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB73 Tsuchida Kogaku Seisakujo. JB110 Tsukuba Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB180 Tsukumo Seisakujo JB14 Ueta Seiki Co. Ltd. JB149 Urawa Kogaku Seiki Seisakujo Co. Ltd. JB60 Wakaba Koki Seisakujo Inc. JB146 Warabi Kokisha JB126 Yabe Kogaku Kiki Seisakujo Co. Ltd. JB165 Yabuki Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. JB87 Yachiyo Kogaku Co. Ltd JB181 Yamagami Kogaku Seisakujo JB131 Yamanoi Kogaku Co Ltd JB182 Yarnato Koki Seisakujo JB191 Yoko Sangyo Co. Ltd JB118 Yoshikawa Koki Co. Ltd. JB51 Yoshimoto Kogaku Co. Ltd. JB37 Yoshinon Kogaku Kikai Co. Ltd. JB234 Yoshitada Matsumaru JB223 Zaika Co. Ltd. JB25 Zuiho Kogaku Seiki Co. Ltd., Tokyo |
JB/JE manufacturer code list in ascending alphabetical order by name |
For JE codes the manufacturer identification number is the same as those listed for JB. |
JB/JE BINOCULARS MANUFACTURER CODE LIST VIEW COUNT UPDATED 6/2/2022 3,671 JB/ JE code views |
1959 Binoculars Manufacturers Addresses (Companion list to manufacturer JB codes) |
PLEASE DO NOT COPY AND REPOST |
PLEASE DO NOT COPY AND REPOST |
“After WW11 the Japanese people were desperate to find ways to become entrepreneurs while challenged by the circumstances that now existed in Japan. Former employees of the Japanese war efforts who were experienced in building binoculars, all recognized there was an opportunity in the peace time market for binoculars. These employees were scattered through out mainland Japan, and many were former employees of the first 20 companies on the J/B manufacture list. These few original companies begin building binoculars with good quality control that were a great value for Americans who had been paying dearly for that precious pair of Zeiss, or Bausch & Lomb. The market exploded, in the United States, thanks to people like Dave Bushnell, Humphrey Swift, and many others. With that explosion, just about everyone in Japan, who could, jumped on the band wagon building binoculars, some were very good, some fair, and some were junk. Some of the early group recognized the need for a quality control board. The Japanese Telescopes Inspection Institute was formed, and developed an Export standard.” The JB /JE codes marked on binoculars were an internal industry way to link binoculars meeting those standards (and entitled to those “passed” stickers) back to their assembling and parts manufacture. In the early 1980’s Bill Beacom met an optics dealer who mentioned having seen a complete list, and Bill contacted and obtained the list in Japanese from the Japanese Telescopes Inspection Institute/ associated Japanese Binoculars Promotion Association in NYC. Around 1990 Bill engaged a Japanese student to translate it, and the translation was given to eight people, and Fred Schwartzman formatted his copy to go onto Peter Abrahams binoculars website. I mention this to emphasize how chance, and perceptions of value, and individual efforts, preserved and made available this important data tool in understanding Japanese binoculars production. |
Quoting Bill Beacom, who originally obtained the list of JB identification codes assigned to Japanese binoculars manufacturers through a formal request to the Japanese Telescopes Inspection Institute through the Japanes Export Promotion Association which took a year to arrive from Japan as Japanese language documents, which he had translated… |
Bill Beacom |