Shirakawa Olympus Corporation

Shirakawa Olympus Corporation (白河オリンパス株式会社) is a Japanese manufacturing and development company that serves as a dedicated production site for Olympus Corporation's medical endoscopy business. Established in November 1978 and beginning operations on 1 April 1979, the company is headquartered at 3-1 Oaza Odakura, Aza Oroyama, Nishigo Village, Nishishirakawa District, Fukushima Prefecture, in the southern Tohoku region of Japan. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus Corporation, with stated capital of 80 million yen, and operates under the Olympus Group umbrella. The company's core business is the development and manufacture of medical endoscopy systems, particularly the image processing units, light source units and related equipment that form part of endoscopy diagnostic systems. According to its own company profile, Shirakawa Olympus functions as a "responsible factory" (担当工場) for Olympus Corporation, handling everything from development through manufacturing of medical endoscopy systems. It describes its approach as "concurrent engineering," integrating development and manufacturing so that feedback from doctors and nurses who actually use the equipment is reflected in the products, with the aim of producing easier-to-use, higher-performance devices. Shirakawa Olympus positions itself around the philosophy of "respect for humanity" (人間尊重), a principle it says has guided it since its founding. The company states that it seeks to contribute to the advancement of medicine through every process from development to manufacturing of high-quality endoscopy products, while also valuing the self-realization and health of each employee and maintaining consideration for the surrounding environment. It aims to be a pioneering plant and a good corporate citizen coexisting with the local community. The company holds international certifications including ISO 14001 (environmental management) and ISO 13485 (medical device quality management). Its leadership includes Representative Director and President Ryō Tanaka (田中 亮) and Director and Plant Manager Seiji Morishita (森下 誠司). The site is located near Shirakawa City, roughly five minutes by car from the Shirakawa Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway and about five minutes by taxi from JR Shin-Shirakawa Station, which is around 1 hour 30 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen. Beyond manufacturing, Shirakawa Olympus engages in community and educational activities. Its news section reports hosting local school visits — for example, welcoming 26 first-year students from Shirakawa Minami Junior High School for an endoscopy classroom and factory tour — and participating in food education and local career events. The company also publishes a plant manager's message, management philosophy, quality and environmental safety policies, and health management initiatives on its website.

Shirakawa Olympus Corporation was established on 30 November 1978 and began operations on 1 April 1979. It was created as a manufacturing base within the Olympus group, and from the outset it was dedicated to medical endoscopy-related equipment. The company states that since its 1979 founding it has pursued steady development as a development and production site for endoscopy medical equipment, guided by the philosophy of "respect for humanity." Over the decades, the medical endoscopy field has advanced rapidly and expanded in many directions. Shirakawa Olympus describes itself as a "responsible factory" (担当工場) for Olympus Corporation, handling the development through manufacture of medical endoscopy systems. Its particular focus is on the image processing units, light source units and other components that make up endoscopy diagnostic systems. To keep pace with clinical needs, the company adopted what it calls "concurrent engineering," integrating development and manufacturing so that input from the doctors and nurses who use the products is built into the design and production process, aiming at more usable, higher-performance products. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus Corporation, with capital of 80 million yen entirely funded by Olympus. It holds international certifications including ISO 14001 and ISO 13485, reflecting its environmental management and medical device quality management systems. Its leadership has included Representative Director and President Ryō Tanaka and Director and Plant Manager Seiji Morishita. Alongside its manufacturing role, Shirakawa Olympus has maintained a community-facing profile. Its website documents educational and local engagement activities, such as hosting junior high school students for an endoscopy classroom and factory tour, being recognized in a food education case collection, and participating in local career events. The company also emphasizes employee well-being and health management, and states its aspiration to be a pioneering plant and a good corporate citizen that coexists with the local community in Fukushima Prefecture.

• Company established

• Operations began

• Participated in the "Oshigoto Festa" career event to communicate Olympus's appeal

• Company initiative featured in the "Food Education Excellent Corporation 2026" case collection

• Hosted 26 first-year students from Shirakawa Minami Junior High School for an endoscopy classroom and factory tour

A dedicated Olympus Group plant for medical endoscopy systems, combining development and manufacturing under a "respect for humanity" philosophy and concurrent engineering approach.

• Medical endoscopy systems

  Development and manufacture of endoscopy systems for medical use, as Olympus's responsible factory.

• Image processing units for endoscopic diagnosis

  Image processing equipment related to endoscopic diagnosis.

• Light source units for endoscopy

  Light source units forming part of medical endoscopy systems.

1. 1白河オリンパス株式会社 公式サイトshirakawa.olympus.co.jp
2. 2会社案内：白河オリンパス株式会社shirakawa.olympus.co.jp
3. 3交通アクセス：会社案内：白河オリンパス株式会社shirakawa.olympus.co.jp
4. 4会社概要：会社案内：白河オリンパス株式会社shirakawa.olympus.co.jp
5. 5Shirakawa Olympus Corporation (Japan) - Wikidatawikidata.org