Shoden Corporation
Japanese engineering company founded in 1965 that supplies lightning-protection (SPD), seismic-isolation, network and building-facility systems for information and power infrastructure.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
Shoden Corporation (株式会社昭電) is a Japanese engineering and equipment company founded in October 1965 in Chiyoda, Tokyo, where it began manufacturing and selling power supplies for electronic computers and electronic communication equipment, along with related installation work. Over six decades it has grown into a specialist supplier of protection and infrastructure technologies for the information society, organized around several product fields: lightning protection (power SPD, communication SPD, general commercial-use arresters, railway arresters and external lightning protection systems), seismic countermeasures for machine rooms and computer equipment, network construction technology (IP networks, voice and visual integration, optical distribution frames and closures), security and access-control systems, redundant power and shelter facilities, and construction/engineering works. The company's identity is closely tied to lightning and earthquake protection. It holds a long relationship with Siemens of Germany, having obtained exclusive Japanese sales rights for Siemens arrester products in 1969 and later a license agreement for communication arresters. It developed seismic duct-floor methods, seismic-resistant rack frames and seismic-isolation devices, and it operates advanced test facilities including a 200 kA lightning impulse current generator and a 1200 kV lightning impulse voltage generator at its Techno Center. Its product brands include the ASLETE series of high-end power and communication/signal SPDs, the Thunder Blocker (サンダーブロッカー) line of surge protective devices, and LiRiMoS, a lightning-risk monitoring system. Shoden serves utilities, telecommunications carriers, financial institutions, railways and general industry, and provides one-stop engineering, construction and maintenance services through a nationwide network of offices and technical sites. Its headquarters moved to the SD Building in Sumida, Tokyo in 2004, and it maintains manufacturing and technical facilities including the Narita Factory and Osaka Factory. The company presents itself as providing "safety and reliability to the information society" and frames much of its offering around business continuity planning (BCP) against natural disasters such as lightning, earthquakes and flooding.
History
Shoden Corporation was established in October 1965 in Chiyoda, Tokyo, as 株式会社昭電, starting with the manufacture and sale of power supply units for electronic computers and electronic communication equipment, plus related installation work. In January 1969 it obtained exclusive Japanese sales rights for the arrester division products of Germany's Siemens, and in October 1970 it developed a seismic construction method for duct floors, applied to a Tokyo Electric Power Company communication machine room. In March 1971 it developed an information transmission line switching device and delivered the first unit to a financial institution; in July of that year it became a certified manufacturer under Electric Power Specification D-205 of the Federation of Electric Power Companies. In 1972 its products were certified under the Japan Electric Association's power security communication regulation FEAC-6011-1972, and it was certified as a designated manufacturer of self-owned public telecommunications equipment for Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (Denshin Denwa Kosha). In March 1975 the company built a new building in Koto, Tokyo (the SC Center) and began operations there as headquarters and Tokyo factory. In August 1976 it concluded a license agreement with Siemens for communication arresters. Following damage to communication equipment in the 1978 Miyagi-ken Oki earthquake, it developed the SD-type seismic-resistant rack frame in November 1978. In December 1983 it was certified as an equipment supplier to NTT, and in February 1984 its U/MF-type deep-buried grounding method won an invention award from the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation. In August 1985 it was certified as an arrester (signal-use) manufacturer for Japanese National Railways. In 1986 it received the Medal with Yellow Ribbon for developing and promoting the deep-buried grounding method, formed business alliances with Dynatech of the United States for matrix switches and with Nokia of Finland for modems/TDM, developed the SD-type seismic isolation device and delivered the first unit to Chubu Electric Power, and became a communication equipment dealer for IBM Japan. In September 1987 it built a new building in Chiba City, the Techno Center. In April 1988 the SD-type seismic construction method received a Science and Technology Agency Director-General's Award, and in May 1988 it developed optical cable closures and began supplying power companies and new common carriers. In 1989 it received invention merit awards for seismic rack frames and Ohm Technology Award and Shibusawa Award for the SD-type seismic isolation device. In January 1990 it received an invention merit award for lock-type switches. In September 1991 it delivered the SD-2 floor seismic isolation system and a new OA floor for the new Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. In November 1992 it won an Ohm Technology Award for an AC magnetic field measuring instrument. In 1993 it allied with Storage Technology and delivered the first unit to Tohoku Electric Power, and in 1994 it formed a business alliance with Lucent Technologies (formerly AT&T) for premises information wiring systems. In July 1995, learning from information equipment damage in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, it developed seismic isolation fixing devices and PC seismic devices, allied with Lucent (later Avaya) for digital PBX, and in August opened the Narita Factory in Katori, Chiba. In January 1998 then-president Shogo Ota received an excellent manager award from Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun; in August it allied with Erico Lightning Technologies of Australia, and in September completed a three-dimensional seismic wave generator at the Narita Factory test building. In December 1999 it obtained ISO 9001 certification for its equipment construction system. In May 2000 it built a new building in Konohana, Osaka, as the Osaka Factory. In October 2000 the Thunder Blocker SPR-TB-100BT-A1 won a Good Design Award. In October 2002 a 1200 kV lightning impulse voltage generator was completed at the Techno Center test building. In March 2004 it built the SD Building in Sumida, Tokyo, as its new headquarters; in May 2004 the Narita Factory obtained ISO 14001, and in December 2004 it began selling JIS Class I and Class II compliant SPDs. In April 2005 it developed the SD-5 type II seismic isolation device for racks. In January 2007 a 200 kA lightning impulse current generator was completed at the Techno Center test building, and in May 2008 the Techno Center obtained ISO 14001. The company continues to develop and market lightning, earthquake and flood countermeasure products and services, including the ASLETE SPD series and the LiRiMoS lightning-risk monitoring system, and exhibits at disaster-prevention events such as RISCON TOKYO.
- 1998
Then-president Shogo Ota received excellent manager award from Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun.
- 1998
Business alliance with Erico Lightning Technologies of Australia.
- 1995
Developed seismic isolation fixing devices and PC seismic devices after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake; allied with Lucent for digital PBX.
- 1995
Narita Factory opened in Katori, Chiba.
- 1994
Business alliance with Lucent Technologies (formerly AT&T) for premises information wiring systems.
- 1991
Delivered SD-2 floor seismic isolation system and new OA floor for the new Tokyo Metropolitan Government building.
- 1988
SD-type seismic construction method received Science and Technology Agency Director-General's Award.
- 1988
Developed optical cable closures; began supplying power companies and new common carriers.
- 1987
New building completed in Chiba City as the Techno Center.
- 1986
Received Medal with Yellow Ribbon for deep-buried grounding method; allied with Dynatech (US) and Nokia (Finland).
Products and positioning
Specialist engineering brand for lightning, earthquake and disaster countermeasures protecting information and power infrastructure, offering one-stop products, construction and maintenance.
ASLETE AFD series power SPD
High-end power surge protective device series.
ASLETE ACM series power SPD
High-end power surge protective device series.
ASLETE communication/signal SPD series
High-end communication and signal surge protective devices.
Thunder Blocker (サンダーブロッカー) Pro
High-performance SPD protecting PCs, network equipment and televisions from lightning.
LiRiMoS lightning-risk monitoring system
System that visualizes lightning risk in an integrated way to reduce damage.
SD-type seismic isolation device
Seismic isolation equipment for computer and communication facilities.
SD-type seismic-resistant rack frame
Seismic-resistant frame for communication racks.
Rack-mount inverter
Converts DC input to stable AC 100V output.
Trap-type fence sensor
Perimeter intrusion detection sensor.
Optical distribution frames and closures
Optical network infrastructure components.
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