Toshiro Shimoyama, supreme adviser to optical instruments manufacturer Olympus Corp., was inducted into the International Photographic Council's Hall of Fame on Tuesday in a ceremony at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
The 80-year-old Shimoyama first came to New York in 1955 and established what was known as the Japan Camera Center, where he displayed cameras at a location on Fifth Avenue. The center became a foundation upon which Japanese firms made inroads into overseas markets.
At the time, Shimoyama faced American consumers who regarded his products with skepticism and often considered them inferior or cheaply made.
"I recall those days when I was desperately trying to sell Japanese cameras in New York, where people knew nothing about our products, and we were called 'Japs' because it was only a little while after the end of World War II," Shimoyama said.
"This hall of fame is very special, and I feel very emotional today," he added.
The IPC is recognized as a nongovernmental organization associated with the U.N.