About the Company
Fujiya (often branded Fujiya Electric Co. Ltd. or simply Fujiya) was a Japanese manufacturer of reel-to-reel tape recorders, producing predominantly consumer-oriented portable and home audio machines. These units were manufactured in Japan and distributed overseas, including to the U.S., where the Fujiya Corporation had a distribution office in New York City (405 Lexington Avenue).
It’s likely that **Fujiya’s name and business were connected to or derived from Japanese industrial electronics firms such as Fuji Denki (Fuji Electric), given branding overlap in early models.
Production Timeline
Late 1950s – Tube Era Beginnings
Late 1950s (~1958–1960): The earliest Fujiya Corder machines were tube-based reel-to-reel recorders, aimed at the burgeoning portable recording market.
Examples include the Fujiya Corder EX-311, a 4-tube mono unit sold around 1959 with 3¾ ips (some variants had two speeds) and marketed both domestically and in the U.S.
Other early tube models like the FL-351 and FL-555 are documented from the same period — typical portable recorders using removable small open reels.
1960s – Transition to Transistors
Mid-1960s: As transistor electronics overtook tubes in consumer gear, Fujiya shifted to transistorized tape recorder designs, producing smaller, battery-powered portable units. Examples include Fuji Corder 4 transistor models from roughly 1967 that used a handful of transistors for amplification and simple tape transport.
During this era, the brand was competitively positioned with many Japan-built portable recorders that catered to hobbyists and casual home recording markets alongside products from other Japanese makers (although Fujiya was never a top-tier hi-fi brand).
Later 1960s & Decline
Late 1960s: Production continued into the transistor era with models sometimes exported or rebadged in overseas markets (e.g., minor listings of models like FSR-304 survive in collector/sales listings).
After this point, like many smaller Japanese audio names, Fujiya’s presence diminished as the consumer tape market rapidly shifted to compact cassette technology in the late 1960s and 1970s. Dedicated reel-to-reel consumer sales declined sharply industry-wide.
Known Product Examples
Tube Era (late 1950s–early 1960s):
Fujiya Corder EX-311 — early mono reel recorder with 3¾ ips, typical home unit.
Fujiya Corder FL-555 — another 1950s transistor model seen in contemporary catalogs and collections.
FL-351, FL-771, MTR-252, TBR-31 — additional Fujiya-branded models documented by vintage listings.
Transistor Era (mid-1960s):
Fuji Corder 4 Transistor — portable transistor-based tape recorder.
Various “Corder”-branded portable units appear into the late 1960s, reflecting simpler consumer designs typical of the era.
Market Position & Legacy
Market Focus: Fujiya primarily targeted the consumer/home audio segment, particularly the portable open-reel recorder niche, rather than high-end professional gear.
Distribution: Many units were exported and sold under the Fujiya brand in markets like the U.S. during the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Technology Shift: Transitioned from tube-based designs in the 1950s to solid-state/transistor models in the 1960s as the electronics industry modernized.
Industry Shift: Like many smaller reel-to-reel makers, Fujiya’s presence faded as compact cassette formats—introduced in the mid-1960s—became the dominant consumer recording medium.
Summary
Fujiya reel-to-reel recorder history in brief:
Brand: Fujiya Electric Co. Ltd., Japan; likely linked historically to broader Fuji electronics industry.
Active in reel-to-reel production: late 1950s through the 1960s.
Early technology: Tube-based portable recorders (EX-311, FL-555, etc.).
Later technology: Transistorised portable open-reel recorders.
Outcome: Brand faded from the reel-to-reel market as the industry shifted to cassette and other formats in the late 1960s/1970s.