Nouvelles
Nikon announces the 100th anniversary of the JOICO microscope
mars 31, 2025
Today Nikon Corporation announces the 100th anniversary of the launch of their JOICO microscope, marking the beginning of the company’s current healthcare business unit.
From this simple microscope product, this business grew into the microscope division which has evolved to become what is now the Nikon Healthcare Business Unit with greatly expanded optical scientific imaging technologies. From its simple beginnings, the JOICO microscope, whose namesake originated from the abbreviation of Nippon Kogaku which when translated to English is the Japan Optical Industry Company. During the 100-year span, Nikon has evolved into a world leading optical manufacturer across a wide range of scientific disciplines and applications and continues to create new value by offering solutions-based products utilizing microscope technology. With a bold vision for the next century, Nikon is committed to continued growth and driving further advancements in science and medicine to aid in the enhancement of quality of life for people worldwide.
In celebration of this milestone, Nikon Healthcare is looking to its future and reaffirming its vision and aspirations for the next century. Nikon invites you to help celebrate this milestone anniversary and reflect upon the many advancements in science and technology over the last 100 years and to look forward to what the next century can bring us in scientific discovery. Further information about the anniversary celebration will be announced as it becomes available.
*The 100th anniversary is marked by the release of the "JOICO Microscope."
Nikon Microscope 100th Anniversary Logo
Representative Director and President Muneaki Tokunari
Since its establishment in 1917, Nikon has consistently sought the limitless potential of light while meeting customer expectations and building trust. Microscopes have been one of Nikon's flagship products among its core offerings, and for 100 years since the launch of the “JOICO Microscope” in 1925, these technologies have played a significant role in human health and science. From development in academic research, medical and clinical fields, Nikon’s optical technology has been making the invisible world visible.
Today, Nikon's Healthcare business continues to provide solutions that help advance knowledge in life sciences, including drug discovery using advanced optical microscopy technologies and AI-based imaging analysis. Nikon is also helping change lives by providing tools that can help manage better eye care, including retinal imaging systems and contract cell manufacturing organization (CDMO).
As a partner with the science and medical communities, Nikon readily accepts the challenge to create technologies that offer ever greater innovation and value to not only help these areas of healthcare move forward but also to create a better customer and end user experience. Going forward Nikon is committed to focus on contributions for a more prosperous and sustainable society aiming to be "A key technology solutions company in a global society where humans and machines co-create seamlessly”.
Upcoming Activities
Netherlands: March 14, 2025 – September 30, 2025
Magnified (Exhibition of historical microscopes and Nikon Small World award-winning works)
Location: ARTIS-Micropia, Amsterdam
South Korea: April 19, 2025 – May 3, 2026
Exhibition of Nikon Small World 2024 Award-winning Works
Location: Seoul Science Center
Japan: April 1, 2025 –
JOICO 100th Anniversary - NIKON JOICO AWARD Exhibition (Celebrating 100 Years of Microscope Business. Featuring award-winning works and a commemorative message board for visitor comments.)
Location: Tokyo Showroom of Nikon Solutions Co.,Ltd.
The 100-Year Journey of the Nikon Microscope
Nikon's microscope journey began in 1925 with the launch of the JOICO microscope. This microscope was equipped with advanced optical technology for the time, brought about by innovation in the medical and research fields. Known for its high precision, the JOICO microscope became a key product that laid the foundation for Nikon’s current healthcare business. Today, Nikon’s microscope products play a vital role across a wide range of healthcare fields, including advanced research and development, drug discovery support, in vitro fertilization, personalized medicine and pathology diagnostics.
You can explore specific examples of their applications on this page:
https://www.healthcare.nikon.com/ja/well-being/index.html
Note: The products introduced here are based on their Japanese release dates, while these products are sold globally. Please note that product availability, release timing, and primary intended use may vary depending on your region/country.
- 1925: JOICO microscope
A highly precise microscope for the time, capable of magnifying up to 765 times. The trademark JOICO gave customers advanced optical technology and reliable durability in this new offering from Nikon (then known as Nippon Kogaku)
- 1976: CF (Chromatic Aberration Free) System
As Nikon’s optical product line evolved, the CF optical system was introduced with a new design concept capable of individually correcting chromatic aberrations in both the objective and eyepiece lenses. This innovative optical advancement was a significant step forward in objective lenses for microscopes and was the first in the world to be commercialized. It was praised as "the first innovation in 100 years."
- 1980: Nikon Diaphot TMD
The Diaphot TMD microscope played a key role in the first successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) birth in the United States in 1981. Since then, Nikon has been instrumental in advancing IVF technologies, offering new hope and possibilities to people facing infertility challenges.
- 2007: BioStation CT Cell Culture Observation System
This innovative system combined cell culture capabilities to maintain stable temperature and humidity, with a microscope, enabling low-stress cell observation. It has been widely adopted by top research institutes worldwide, including Professor Shinya Yamanaka’s lab at Kyoto University, where iPS cells were first successfully generated.
- 2021: AX and AX R Confocal Microscope System
Developed to address the need for observing fine structures in large, living specimens and studying rapid reactions and changes, the AX and AX R microscope systems provide high-contrast cross-sectional imaging and integrate multiple images for three-dimensional specimen observation. With a high-performance detector and scanner, this system achieves wide-area, high-resolution, and ultra-fast imaging, providing researchers with an advanced tool for efficiently and accurately studying biological phenomena.
- 2023: ECLIPSE Ui Digital Imaging Microscope
With a distinctive eyepiece-free design, this innovative microscope enhances the pathologist’s posture during observation. Its large display enables seamless screen sharing, helping to address issues such as the shortage of pathologists and fatigue from prolonged use. By reducing physical strain, it improves workflow efficiency in the pathology observation process.
- 2023: ECLIPSE Ji Smart Imaging System
Using AI, this microscope significantly automates the process from image acquisition to analysis, streamlining microscope operations and allowing users to focus on more creative activities such as analysis and interpretation of data. Despite its box-shaped design, it offers hardware expandability, helping to enhance and accelerate research and development in drug discovery.
- 2024: ECLIPSE Ti2-I Motorized inverted microscope for ICSI*1 and IMSI*2
With the growing prevalence of assisted reproductive technologies and the increasing number of infertility treatments, the workload of embryologists involved in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been rising. The ECLIPSE Ti2-I was developed to enhance efficiency and accuracy in ICSI procedures. By significantly reducing the number of microscope operations, it helps alleviate the workload of embryologists, contributing to improved fertility treatments and higher fertilization rates.
*1 Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection: A method of directly injecting sperm into an egg while checking it under a microscope.
*2 Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection: A method of selecting sperm to be used for ICSI by using a high-magnification microscope to observe and evaluate the sperm's morphology and structure in more detail.
Nikon boasts a large range of innovative core technologies including advanced optical, image processing and data analysis . This cutting-edge microscopy is designed to contribute to the advancement of science and medicine. In addition, Nikon is committed to further evolving medical devices and imaging analysis technologies, while also working on the development of new technologies for patient care. Building on its long history of optical expertise, Nikon aims to accelerate "visualization" in various fields such as advanced research, drug discovery, life sciences and healthcare, contributing to diagnostic support, improving treatment quality, and ultimately providing a better healthcare environment for people worldwide.