GK

The G series was Olympus' standout brand after the Second World War. The revamped Showa GK was launched in 1946, 1 year after the war ended.During this period, there were serious problems at Olympus’ Ina manufacturing plant. Valuable blueprints and tools had been destroyed during the war, and technicians at the plant faced many challenges. If the Showa GK were to be delayed because they could not be manufactured, it would have been devastating to the company. In fact, there was even a plan to convert the Ina plant’s expansive grounds to agricultural use to grow castor-oil plants as food for silkworms and then to raise Eri silkworms to generate revenue. The castor-oil plants were planted but, thankfully, we did not have to start raising silkworms.