Japan 3cannot be seen with the naked eye.”
That’s not to say Mitarai is ignoring the con-
ventional applications of network cameras
and their potential to help realize a safer, more
secure society.
Mitarai also sees uses in marketing: “Net-
work cameras can be used in places like super-
markets to gather data on purchases made by
certain demographics from specific shelves. I
believe that this technology can be used to
create a more convenient society,” he says.
He cites potential smart cities as a catalyst
for the future development of the network
camera market, envisaging the technol-
ogy connecting such institutions as schools,
broadcasters and hospitals.
Mitarai’s M&A strategy is also proving a suc-
cess in the field of commercial printing, identi-
fied as one of Canon’s new core businesses.
Canon acquired Océ, based in Venlo, the
Netherlands, in 2010, but the company that is
expected to revolutionize high-volume, high-
speed printing continued to operate under
its original name. Last year, Océ’s business
division recognized the advantage of adopt-
ing the Canon brand name, and effective
from January 2020, the company has been
rebranded as Canon Production Printing—
making Océ, already a fully fledged member
of the Canon Group, a member in name as
well.
Serving Professionals and
Innovating Imagery
The Canon name has long been synonymous
with consumer cameras, but this market has
matured as many of the original user needs
can now be met by smartphones. Mitarai
wants his company to focus its efforts else-
where, including the professional user market.
“When we talk about the shrinking camera
market we are really only talking about con-
sumer cameras. The market for professional-
level cameras used by the media and those
who shoot sporting events will not disappear.
These are areas where smartphones can’t
meet user needs,” he says.
Beginning with the Rugby World Cup in
2019, Japan is set to host a number of global
sporting events over the next several years.
Mitarai himself played a leading role during
the Rugby World Cup as Chairman of the
Organizing Committee.
Canon maintains a strong connection
to sports, including event sponsorship and
media support, and has actively honed its
technological capabilities, including the Free
Viewpoint Video System, capture and display
of high-resolution 8K images, and immersive
widescreen viewing experiences. Canon pro-
duced video content that allowed viewers to
feel like they were right in the middle of the
action.Canon’s Free Viewpoint Video System is
comprised of cameras installed around the
perimeter of the field, producing computer-
generated video that provides a new perspec-
tive of the game.
“The images from the cameras are immedi-
ately processed by computers and television
viewers can observe events from virtually the
same level as the crowd in the stadium. It is
also possible to trace individual on-field plays,
and to use computer processing to view them
from different perspectives,” Mitarai says.
He sees possibilities for strategic analysis in
such sports as American football and to help
referees determine rule violations from posi-
tions they cannot see for themselves. “This will
transform the way people watch sports,” he
adds.
Looking ahead, you can be certain that
Mitarai and his staff have plans for Canon to
continue to create new image expressions
that change the way people view sports
as the third decade of the 21st century gets
underway.A native of Kyushu, Japan, Fujio Mitarai decided not to follow his father and brothers into medi-
cal school, but instead joined Canon where his uncle served as the first President. Five years
later he was posted to Canon’s U.S. headquarters. He stayed for 23 years, eventually becoming
President of Canon U.S.A. Back in Japan, he was later appointed President of Canon Inc. before
becoming Chairman and CEO. Fujio Mitarai
global.canon Chairman and CEO, Canon Inc.
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