Production of Home Appliances
The onset of 1955 saw the age of home appliances begin in earnest. The television boom reached a new peak with the wedding ceremony of the Crown Prince and Michiko Shoda (now the Emperor and Empress) in 1959. Sharp completed construction of a mass-production plant for home appliances in Yao City, Osaka Prefecture, which was capable of producing a broad range of home appliances at a single location, setting a precedent for the industry.
Cutting-Edge Plant and Equipment
Sharp has always used the most advanced production system available. The new Yao Plant was no exception, featuring the largest automatic plating facility in Asia as well as cutting-edge plastic molding equipment. It produced some of the industry's most successful new products.
A Succession of Creative Home Appliances
Products Dedicated to the Japanese Way of Life
Sharp's products continued to diversify. An air cooler used cold water from underground. "The higher the room temperature, the higher the cooling efficiency," it claimed. A kitchen roaster used a heater installed inside the top cover to prevent smoking. Both were original products inspired by traditional Japanese sensibilities, and were well-received by consumers throughout the country.
Dedicated to Home Electronics
Other unique and ground-breaking products included electric fans with plastic blades, and a refrigerator with an ultra-compact bipolar compressor which increased storage space.
Completion of the Yao Plant helped transform the company into a comprehensive home electric and electronic manufacturer.