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Japanese

1935

Fujitsu began as a telecommunications manufacturer and quickly became a leader in Japan’s efforts to build domestic computer technology with its FACOM series. At the 1964 New York World’s Fair, the FACOM 231 demonstrated early algorithmic portraiture by generating real-time halftone images of Prime Minister Satō and President Johnson, showcasing the emerging ability of computers to translate data into visual form.

FACOM logo (Fujitsu Automatic COMputer), based on 1980s advertising material. Public domain as a simple text logo. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Full Bio

Fujitsu Limited, originally founded as Fuji Tsushinki Seizo in 1935, emerged from a collaboration between Furukawa Electric and Siemens. While it began as a telecommunications manufacturer, the company quickly turned its attention to computing and launched the FACOM line, an early sign of Japan’s ambitions to develop homegrown computer technology. In 1954, it introduced the FACOM 100, the country’s first domestically developed relay-based commercial computer. By the 1960s, Fujitsu Limited had become a leading force in Japan’s efforts to build an independent computing industry.

The 1964–65 New York World’s Fair was a major international event held in Queens, New York, featuring exhibits from 80 countries and hundreds of companies. It aimed to spotlight innovation, culture, and technology under the theme “Peace through Understanding,” reflecting hopes for global unity during a time of rapid change. The fair’s symbol was the Unisphere, a giant stainless-steel globe that became an iconic reminder of the event’s vision. At the Fair, Fujitsu Limited showcased the FACOM 231 at the Japanese Government Pavilion. As part of the demonstration, the machine generated halftone portraits of Prime Minister Eisaku Satō and President Lyndon B. Johnson, printed in real time using micro-dot characters (most visibly “#”). The phrase “Peace through Understanding” appeared above them in dot-matrix lettering. Distributed as souvenirs, the printouts offered one of the earliest live examples of algorithmic portraiture, transforming data into image on the fly and signaling a future where computers could process and communicate visually.