Below is a follow-up on the topic of FTTH, focusing on connectors—a key component of fiber-optic communication—and explaining how this SC connector gained significant global importance.

The fax

I received a fax from my contacts in Japan. The internet had not yet been widely adopted by the late 1980s. Fax machines functioned as a combination scanner and printer. Documents were scanned and transmitted electronically via the telephone network, which used metal cables. The recipient's printer would then print out the information, which could be text, images, or both.

The fax I received was a message asking if I was interested in a new type of fiber-optic connector. I was suspicious because the housing was made of plastic. However, the specifications were excellent. Therefore, in my reply, I asked for more information.

I was convinced the moment I received it and realized the new connector could be a significant advancement. Minimizing signal loss in these components is crucial for fiber-optic telecommunications systems and FTTH. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my colleague Dr. Rune Lidholt had spent a long time at his company, Holtek Optronic AB in Uppsala, working to minimize signal loss in such connections.

Despite limited resources, he had made significant progress and had become a leader in this technology in Sweden. This new type of device was developed by Nippon Telephone and Telegraph (NTT) in collaboration with the Japanese industry.

MITI

At that time, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) was one of the world's most influential economic ministries. It directed, coordinated, and developed Japan's industrial and technological initiatives. The most attractive jobs were in MITI and organizations like NTT. Jobs in the private sector were considered lower in status; however, internal competition within that sector was fierce.

For example, if a company received a large export order that it could not fulfill, it would coordinate with other industries for assistance. Well-known brands such as Casio, Citizen, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, and Yamaha maintain only a small management, R&D, design, quality control, and marketing staff. They fully or partially outsource production through a modular supply chain, shifting manufacturing between factories depending on cost, volume, and technique. Casio is a textbook example of this strategy, employing only about 9,000 people in 2025.

Trading houses have long played a significant role in Japan’s international trade. At the time, few Japanese people spoke English. I was in direct contact with two men who both spoke English well. One worked at a trading house, and the other worked in research and development at an industrial company.

The NTT coordinator also spoke English. However, I only communicated with him about the connector project. The other two were involved with Japanese fiber-optic products in general.

In Japan 1989

I was the first person outside of Japan to be tasked with introducing the new concept of fiber-optic connectors and flat cables, and I did so in the Nordic market. It all began when I traveled there to learn the technology from the ground up between February 11 and 26, 1989.

From Monday, February 13, to Sunday, February 19, I spent time at Sankyo's factory in Ina. Two NTT engineers and I received training on the machine that polishes the end faces of the ferrules in the connectors. We learned how to use the machine and how it works. We also gained hands-on experience by disassembling and reassembling a machine.

The training included splicing fiber-optic cables. We learned how to inspect the end faces of ferrules with specially designed, precision microscopes. Then, we learned how to evaluate the results and measure the losses of the finished connectors.

Of the group assigned to train us, only one person spoke English. He told me that he had taken a break from the company and worked elsewhere in the U.S. for a while. When he returned, he was punished by having to start at the bottom again and work his way up. He had broken the unwritten rule of staying loyal to his original employer.

At the time, middle managers were the key figures in Japan’s major organizations. They held the real power. Several older employees who could no longer keep up with the times were given higher-level positions in appreciation for their loyal service.

Now, let's return to the factory in Ina. After spending a week there, I was eager to learn more. If I recall correctly, the two engineers were trained in different aspects of what I mentioned, rather than the entire concept.

The week after that, I visited the Citizen factory in Tokorozawa, Saitama. There, I received additional insight in the technology and was given a demonstration of a machine designed to automate the process.

During the train ride, we passed the factory that was capable of drilling extremely precise holes. My contact, who was traveling with me, mentioned that this detail was important for producing ferrules for the connectors.

A major NTT meeting

At the end of the second week, there was a major meeting at NTT that many senior executives attended. At the conclusion of the meeting, I was given a custom-made display case with a transparent lid in a ceremonial presentation. Inside the case, all the components of the SC (Subscriber Connector) concept were neatly arranged on a green backing. It was probably the first one made to market the SC connectors. I was also treated to a fine Japanese dinner.

The SC concept features a push-pull mechanism that makes it easy to plug into and unplug from the connectors at subscriber locations for both telecommunications and data communications. Earlier versions, including one developed by Dr. Lidholt, had a screw- or bayonet mount.

Back in Sweden

When I returned to Sweden, I needed someone to maintain the machines included in the concept. I got in touch with Uwe Böttcher, who was originally an engineer from Germany, if I recall correctly, and had a Diplom-Ingenieur degree. While working at the Ericsson Group, he was a pioneer and world leader in developing machines for splicing optical fibers. By the time production was up and running, he had left the company to start his own firm, Nyfors Teknologi AB, in 1987. The company specialized in optical fiber handling.

The concept was quickly embraced in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. However, it was not embraced in Denmark, despite the very good relations I had maintained with them during the development of the first WDM system. This gave industries and operators in the Nordic region a head start over their counterparts around the world before SC connectors became the global standard in the 1990s.

The Foreplay

In conclusion, I will describe the enigmatic Japan that we international scientists encountered in the 1980s. At conferences, Japanese speakers delivered presentations in broken English and were unable to answer questions. However, we could tell from the printed and visual materials that they were leading experts in their field.

My colleagues in Sweden and elsewhere told me that they were treated very politely and generously during their visits to Japan. However, they didn’t get to see anything significant. They also had a hard time traveling on their own because few people spoke English and the signs were in Japanese.

I realized that traveling there without a local contact or knowledge of Japanese business culture would be pointless. So, I took a course on the topic offered by Lund University. It was excellent and extremely helpful.

During a coffee break at a meeting in Stockholm, I met a man who worked for Procordia Nova in Stockholm. He had received a request from Japan asking if there was a fiber optics expert in Sweden they could contact.

He introduced me to a point of contact Mr. Yoshiaki Ando director at the Musashino Corporation trading house in Tokyo. When we first met, we hit it off right away. We were the same age and shared several personal interests. He spoke English well and told me that he had learned American English as a young man when he came into contact with American soldiers stationed there after World War II.

He then became my most important connection in Japan. Thanks to him, I gained an understanding of Japanese business culture and Japanese culture in general. He took me to various industrial sites. Although I didn’t understand everything that was said, I got a glimpse of how research and development actually took place in Japan.

My mother trained as a textile artist later in life and befriended several younger Japanese classmates in Sweden. On one occasion, she came to Japan and stayed with the parents of one of her classmates. They owned a house, which was unusual at the time. Through her, I gained insight into the female side of Japanese culture, which differed greatly from the male side I was familiar with at the time.

Fierce competion within Japan

As I mentioned earlier, there was fierce competition among factories. Whenever a company introduced a new product, its competitors would purchase it, disassemble it, and analyze it in great detail before developing their own improved, cost-effective model. Furthermore, a commitment to precision and to never passing on subpar work permeated production throughout the Japanese industry.

I learned how day-to-day work operates in an industrial setting, particularly at the factory where I spent a week. Among other things, there was a communal cafeteria where everyone ate company-provided lunch together. The workdays were long and, as I mentioned earlier, included Saturday and Sunday in my case.

Geographical barriers

Japan has a mountainous terrain, and only a small portion of it is suitable for habitation. As a result, it is densely populated, and men often have to travel long distances to provide for their families. Men living outside Tokyo often stayed in simple hotels on weeknights instead of going home after work. One source states that only 5% is considered suitable for housing and only about 30% is inhabited.

Another limitation is the frequent occurrence of earthquakes. High-rise buildings, in particular, are built on foundations designed to withstand them. I experienced one in Tokyo while staying at a hotel, shortly after I had arrived at my room somewhere between the 20th and 30th floors. It struck while I was speaking with a telephone operator who was connecting me to my wife in Sweden. It was an unpleasant experience. Just when I thought the danger was over, an aftershock hit.

The important industry representative was Dr. Yoshio Shimada, manager for the Opto Electronic Department of Shimatso Corporation. He told me that his family lived in a small apartment with his mother-in-law.

There is much more to tell about my stays in Japan, but that will have to wait for another time.

Next Blog

My next blog post is scheduled to be published on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. It discusses the company Scan Fiber Opto AB and a personal hardship I experienced.

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