FURUNO Receives IEEE Milestone Recognition for World's First Commercial Fish Finder (1949)
Note 2: IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world's largest professional organization for electrical, electronics, information, and communications engineers, headquartered in the United States, with over 460,000 members in more than 190 countries
About the IEEE Milestone Award
Established in 1983, the IEEE Milestone Award recognizes groundbreaking innovations in electrical and electronic engineering that have made significant contributions to society and industry for at least 25 years since their development. Past recipients include Volta's battery, Fleming's diode valve, and in Japan, the two-dimensional barcode, Tokaido Shinkansen, and high-definition television. As of 2024, approximately 260 achievements worldwide have been recognized. In 2025, FURUNO's fish finder (1949), along with the karaoke device (1967) and Hiraga Gennai's Elekiter (1776), received this prestigious recognition.
(Reference: Past Award Recipients)
https://ieee-jp.org/activity/jchc/milestone_jusho.html
We are deeply honored to receive this prestigious award. On behalf of our two founders, brothers Kiyotaka and Kiyokata Furuno, who invented the fish finder, and representing the entire company, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to all involved. Our continued development stems from the founders' philosophy: "Every moment is a new beginning" - a principle embodying the pride of engineers that has become embedded in the DNA of every FURUNO employee. Moving forward, we remain committed to contributing to societal development and environmental coexistence through new discoveries and inventions yet to be realized.
About the Recognized Fish Finder Technology
Fish finders operate by transmitting ultrasonic waves into water through a transducer. These waves reflect off fish schools and are converted back into electrical signals, creating visual images for detection. FURUNO improved the receiving amplifier of acoustic depth sounders used for ocean depth surveys at the time, enabling detection of weak ultrasonic signals reflected from fish schools. By installing the transducer on the ship's bottom, they minimized noise interference from air bubbles, successfully commercializing the world's first fish finder in 1949.
The successful detection of sardine schools using this fish finder dramatically increased catch volumes, making it indispensable equipment that rapidly spread throughout the fishing industry. The increased catches helped secure protein resources that were scarce in post-war Japan, contributing to the stability of Japanese life. By providing a "scientific eye" to fishing that had previously relied on fishermen's intuition and experience, FURUNO brought revolutionary change not only to Japan but to the global fishing industry. Today, fish finders are installed on fishing vessels worldwide.
with IEEE representatives at Nishinomiya Headquarters Showroom
From left: Professor Emeritus Isao Shirakawa (Osaka University), IEEE 2020 President Toshio Fukuda,
IEEE President Kathleen Kramer, FURUNO President Yukio Furuno, IEEE Past President Tom Coughlin,
Professor Emeritus Shojiro Nishio (Osaka University), FURUNO Fellow Yasushi Nishimori,
IEEE Kansai Section Chair Takao Onoye
FURUNO will continue pursuing technological innovation toward realizing "safe, secure, comfortable navigation and a society friendly to people and the environment."
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Long-term Vision: Ocean 5.0
A society of co-existence and co-prosperity with the seaIn the future, all living things will benefit from the sea and give back even more. In the era of Ocean 5.0, FURUNO, a company nurtured by the sea, aims for a sustainable future that balances economic development with solutions to social issues.
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DX Business Vision
A total digital transformation of our marine businessThrough marine digital transformation (DX), FURUNO strives to connect people with the sea, using technology to link our devices worldwide, collect essential data, and protect marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and coastal communities.
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Sea Pulse to the Future Project
Our initiative to safeguard and shape the future of our seasBecause we owe everything to the sea,We will shape a sustainable tomorrow for it. Through this initiative, We want to spread love for the seaby showing how vital yet fragile it is. This love will encourage protecting it and its ecosystem,as we protect what we cherish. And together, we will build the sea of tomorrow, sustainable, abundant, and intertwined with us, humans.
