Olympus Corporation

Olympus Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of optics and reprography products, headquartered in Hachioji, Tokyo. Olympus was founded on October 12, 1919 as Takachiho Seisakusho by Takeshi Yamashita, initially specializing in microscopes and thermometers, and later in imaging. In 1921, the name Olympus was registered as a trademark. In 1942, the company was renamed Takachiho Optical Industries, and in 1949 it was renamed Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. In 2003, the company adopted its current name, Olympus Corporation.

Olympus holds roughly a 70 percent share of the global endoscope market, estimated to be worth approximately US$2.5 billion. As of 2025, endoscopes and related surgical technologies are now Olympus's exclusive product line. It was formerly also a maker of cameras, camera lenses and dictaphones, until it divested this part to OM Digital Solutions in 2020. It divested from its microscopy and scientific imaging division in 2023, which spun off as Evident Corporation.

In 2011, Olympus attracted worldwide media scrutiny when it fired its CEO Michael Christopher Woodford for whistleblowing, and the matter snowballed into a corporate corruption investigation with multiple arrests. In 2016, it paid US$646 million (equivalent to $825 million in 2024) in fines associated with its illegal, long running, kickback scheme.