History
1938-1964
《Era of Turbulence》
Independence from RIKEN
1938-1964
《Era of Turbulence》
Independence from RIKEN
1938
Kenichiro Hayashibe becomes the company's first president
RIKEN Sangyodan purchases Fukoku Machinery Co., Ltd. to manufacture and sell optical gas indicators, photo-elasticity apparatus, and other precision equipment invented and developed at the Tsuji Laboratory of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN).
Manufacture and sale of optical gas indicators and photo-elasticity apparatus commence following acquisition of patent licenses belonging to Tsuji Laboratory. Kenichiro Hayashibe becomes the company’s first president (office held from December 1938 until May 1944). Capital of JPY450,000 and workforce of approximately 100 employees.
1939
Company founded as RIKEN KEIKI Co., Ltd.
Company founded; name changed to RIKEN KEIKI Co., Ltd. Thirty higher elementary school graduates taken on as technical apprentices.
1941
First sales office opened in Sapporo
First sales office opened in Sapporo to expand sales in Hokkaido, where numerous coal mines were located.
1944
Jiro Tsuji appointed company's second president
Factory commandeered as munitions factory by the Minister of Munitions. Jiro Tsuji appointed company’s second president (office held from May 1944 until October 1968).
1946
Approved by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as a major important factory for the manufacture of coal mining safety equipment
Reversion to civilian production following approval from GHQ. Approved by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as a major important factory for the manufacture of coal mining safety equipment. Becomes approved gas indicator manufacturer, contributing significantly to improved safety in coal mines.
1952
Gas indicators pass certification examination of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Resources Research Institute
Gas indicators pass certification examination of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Resources Research Institute. Development and introduction of Type 17 and Type 18 gas indicators.
1959
Development and introduction of combustible gas alarm and detector
Development and introduction of combustible gas alarm and detector (catalytic combustion type).
1961
Listed on Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
1965-1989
《Era of Growth》
Period of sensor and product range expansion
1965-1989
《Era of Growth》
Period of sensor and product range expansion
1965
Development and introduction of GP-105 catalytic combustion type fixed automatic gas alarm
1966
Development and introduction of GP-300 catalytic combustion type portable automatic gas alarm
Development and introduction of GP-300 catalytic combustion type portable automatic gas alarm.
1967
Development and introduction of OX-1 oxygen monitor
Development and introduction of OX-1 oxygen monitor based on newly developed galvanic cell type sensor.
1968
Hideo Oshima appointed third president
Hideo Oshima appointed third president.
(held office from November 1968 until July 1980)
1969
Development and introduction of GX-1 oxygen deficiency and explosive gas alarm
1970
Nara Factory begins operating to expand the manufacturing division
Development and introduction of FP-200 hydrogen sulfide detector.
Nara Factory (in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture) begins operating to expand the manufacturing division.
1971
RIKEN SERVICE Co., Ltd. established to spin off and expand the Service Division
RIKEN SERVICE Co., Ltd. established to spin off and expand the Service Division (merged with RIKEN KEIKI in 2015).
1972
Nara Factory spun off to form RIKEN KEIKI NARA MFG. Co., Ltd
Nara Factory spun off to form RIKEN KEIKI NARA MFG. Co., Ltd. Development and introduction of Gascon household gas leak alarm.
Introduction of infrared-based devices.
1974
Awarded Ota Award (present-day Technology Award) from The Japan Gas Association for the development of a gas identification device
Awarded Ota Award (present-day Technology Award) from The Japan Gas Association for the development of a gas identification device.
GX-1B and GX-110 toxic gas detectors approved as certified products by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (present-day NTT).
Development of GL-100 gas leak detector in collaboration with Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. and device certification by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (present-day Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry).
1975
Development and introduction of EC-231 carbon monoxide detector
1976
Development and introduction of BL-1000 bus line gas leak monitoring system
1978
Development and introduction of portable automatic suction type combustible gas detector
Development and introduction of portable automatic suction type combustible gas detector (intrinsically safe explosion-proof type).
1979
Manually pushed gas leak inspection car receives Ota Award (present-day Technology Award) from The Japan Gas Association
Manually pushed gas leak inspection car based on hydrogen flame ionization receives Ota Award (present-day Technology Award) from The Japan Gas Association.
Development and introduction of GX-7 combustible gas and oxygen detectors.
1980
Yoshio Nakajima appointed fourth president
Yoshio Nakajima appointed fourth president (held office from July 1980 until June 2006).
Development and introduction of ultra-compact personal toxic gas and combustible gas detectors; development and introduction of LP gas alarm for fishing vessels.
1982
Development and introduction of 82 series gas alarms
Development and introduction of 82 series of personal single gas alarms (capable of detecting four different gas types).
1983
Riken introduces portable IR unit for CO2 monitoring, RI-411
Riken introduces portable IR unit for CO2 monitoring, RI-411.
1984
Development and introduction of GASMAN (GX-82) gas alarm
Development and introduction of GASMAN (GX-82), the world's first 3-gas belt worn gas monitor.
1984
Riken offers a portable IR monitor for Freon detection, RI-413
Riken offers a portable IR monitor for Freon detection, RI-413.
1986
Development and introduction of AC-1 and IF-774
Joint development and introduction of AC-1 atmospheric photoelectron spectrometer with RIKEN.
Development and introduction of the IF-774 optical interferometric calorimeter.
1986
Riken presents world’s first 4-gas belt worn portable monitor, GX-86
Riken presents world’s first 4-gas belt worn portable monitor, GX-86.
1990-2014
《Era of Stability》
Refining quality and expanding after-sales service
1990-2014
《Era of Stability》
Refining quality and expanding after-sales service
1990
RIKEN KEIKI ESAN MFG. Co., Ltd. established
RIKEN KEIKI ESAN MFG. Co., Ltd. established in Esan in Hokkaido (present-day Hakodate City) to expand the manufacturing division (merged with RIKEN KEIKI in 2008 to form the present-day Hakodate Plant).
1991
Awarded 23rd Ichimura Industry Award (Contribution Prize) for the development of the AC-1
Awarded 23rd Ichimura Industry Award (Contribution Prize) from the New Technology Development Foundation for the development of the AC-1 atmospheric photoelectron spectrometer.
1992
Development and introduction of FP-250 toxic gas monitor
Development and introduction of FP-250 paper-tape photoelectric photometry high-sensitivity toxic gas monitor.
1994
RKI INSTRUMENTS, Inc. established in the USA with capital funding (spun off as subsidiary in 2017).
Riken presents the GX-94, a 4-gas portable monitor equipped with data recording and automatic calibration functions.
1995
Listed on First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
1996
Acquired ISO 9001 international standard quality assurance certification
1997
Acquired ISO 14001 international standard environmental management certification
1999
Riken introduces the GD-K77D smart transmitter with greatly simplified calibration and maintenance
Riken introduces the GD-K77D smart transmitter with greatly simplified calibration and maintenance.
2000
Development and introduction of GX-2000 gas detector
Development and introduction of GX-2000 portable suction-type four-gas detector.
2001
Development and introduction of GX-2001 and FI-21
Development and introduction of GX-2001, the world's smallest four-gas detector; development and introduction of FI-21 optical gas concentration meter.
2002
Further shares in EPI SYSTEM Co., Ltd. purchased to make it a wholly-owned subsidiary
Further shares in EPI SYSTEM Co., Ltd. purchased to make it a wholly-owned subsidiary (present-day RIKEN KEIKI TAIWAN Co., Ltd.).
Development and introduction of Gas Watch series of wristwatch-style monitors.
2003
Development and introduction of FI-800 optical interferometric gas concentration meter
2003
Five-sensor sample drawing personal monitor that measures % LEL and % volume methane, GX-2003
Five-sensor sample drawing personal monitor that measures % LEL and % volume methane, GX-2003.
2006
Takeshi Koido appointed fifth president
Takeshi Koido appointed fifth president (held office from June 2006 until June 2008).
The AC-3 atmospheric photoelectron spectrometer awarded ADY2006 First Prize at Finetech Japan and Manufacturing & Equipment Division Award at Orgatechno 2006.
2008
Tadashi Iwasawa appointed sixth president
Tadashi Iwasawa appointed sixth president (held office from June 2008 until December 2013).
2009
RIKEN KEIKI COMMERCIAL (SHANGHAI) Co., Ltd. established as sales subsidiary in China
2009
The smallest confined space 4-gas monitor, GX-2009
The smallest confined space 4-gas monitor, GX-2009.
2012
Five-gas sample draw with 3 operating modes and auto-ranging display of % LEL and % volume, GX-2012 multi-gas monitor
Five-gas sample draw with 3 operating modes and auto-ranging display of % LEL and % volume, GX-2012 multi-gas monitor.
2013
Hisayoshi Kobayashi appointed seventh president
Hisayoshi Kobayashi appointed seventh president (held office from December 2013 until March 2021).
2014
Development and introduction of FI-8000 optical interferometric gas concentration meter
2015-2024
《Era of Innovation》
Advancing to the next generation
2015-2024
《Era of Innovation》
Advancing to the next generation
2015
Completion of development center in Kasukabe City in Saitama Prefecture; development and production division relocated from head office
Completion of development center in Kasukabe City in Saitama Prefecture; development and production division relocated from head office.
Development and introduction of GX-6000 portable gas monitor, capable of detecting six gas types simultaneously; development and introduction of SDWL-1 Series of fixed wireless gas detectors (meets ISA 100.11a wireless communication standards).
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2016
Development and introduction of SP-220 leak checker for 40+ fumigant and toxic gases, freons, and combustibles
Development and introduction of SP-220 leak checker for 40+ fumigant and toxic gases, freons, and combustibles.
2017
Subsidiary RIKEN KEIKI GmbH established in Germany
Additional shares of RKI Instruments, Inc. purchased to make it a subsidiary.
The subsidiary RIKEN KEIKI GmbH established in Germany to expand shares in European market and provide maintenance and servicing.
Development and introduction of OX-08 drop-in type portable oxygen monitor.
2018
Completion of new head office
2019
Development and introduction of GX-3R/GX-3R Pro
Development and introduction of the world's smallest and lightest portable 4-gas monitor GX-3R, as well as its upgraded model, the GX-3R Pro, the first of its kind in Japan to be equipped with Bluetooth.
Development and introduction of a new type of gas detector, GX-2100, which uses a diffusion type detector for hazardous gas detection for work in manholes and pits.
2020
Completion of production center
Gas detector production center completed on premises of the Development Center (Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture).
Development and introduction of GW-3, the world's smallest and lightest portable gas monitor.
Development and introduction of the SD-3 fixed explosion-proof gas detector, a global product which conforms to various international standards.
Development and introduction of the GD-84D, a multi-gas detector for semiconductor factories which combines four detectors in one.
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2021
Junichi Koyano appointed eighth president
Junichi Koyano appointed eighth president (held office from April 2021 until March 2023).
2023
Tetsuya Matsumoto appointed ninth president
Tetsuya Matsumoto appointed ninth president (held office from April 2023).
2024
Production subsidiary RIKEN KEIKI (Changzhou) Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. established in China to strengthen production in anticipation of further expansion of the Chinese semiconductor market.
