Kyocera Corporation or Kyōsera Kabushiki-gaisha is a Japanese company based in Kyoto, Japan. The company was founded as Kyoto Ceramic Co., Ltd. (京都セラミツク株式会社, Kyōto Seramikku Kabushiki-gaisha) in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori. It manufactures ceramics and printing-related devices, as well as a comprehensive line of imaging products. Kyocera acquired the famous Yashica Camera Company Ltd. in 1983, along with Yashica's prior licensing agreement with Carl Zeiss, and manufactured a line of high-quality film and digital cameras under the Yashica and Contax trade names, until Kyocera abandoned all film and digital camera production in 2005. In January 2000 Kyocera acquired photocopier manufacturer Mita Industrial, and a month later they bought the mobile phone manufacturing operations of San Diego, California-based QUALCOMM to form Kyocera Wireless.
Headquarters of Kyocera in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan
In the 1980s, Kyocera marketed high-end audio components, such as CD players, receivers, turntables, and cassette decks. These featured unique elements, including Kyocera ceramic-based platforms, and are sought by collectors to the present day. It also introduced a portable LCD screen computer in 1985, the Kyotronic 85. Kyocera also produces ceramics, such as their ceramic knives.
Kyocera are currently the shirt sponsor of Reading F.C., of the English Premiership, Kyoto Purple Sanga in the J-League, Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga, and Atlético Paranaense in Brazil. Kyocera also sponsor Atlético's stadium, the Kyocera Arena, and have their insignia on the back of Atlético Madrid's shirts.
In 2003, Kyocera Wireless California started the India subsidiary at Bangalore. It was named Kyocera Wireless India. KWI has tied up with several leading players for providing CDMA services in India. For 2005, Kyocera copiers and printers have received J.D. Power and Associates' highest ranking in their latest customer satisfaction survey.
