Canon was established in 1937 by young people committed to developing a "high-quality domestic camera." Building on this enterprising spirit, Canon has grown to become a company that continues to use technology to contribute to human well-being.

Canon has a history of offering products and services that enrich the quality of life, all the while developing social and cultural support initiatives in a variety of areas. In addition to these activities, and to commemorate our 70th anniversary, we established the Canon Foundation as part of our effort to give back to society.

Recently, a series of technical innovations related to information & communications, economic globalization, and information networking have sparked rapid progress, enriching our lives in an unprecedented manner. At the same time, however, human society worldwide has been facing serious issues — such as environmental and resource challenges — that transcend national and regional boundaries.

We must address these problems at a national level, but it is also essential that human beings concentrate their wide-ranging wisdom and play positive roles in finding diverse solutions. Those involved in science and technology must make a particularly strong contribution to solve the various problems we now face as human beings.

In responding to these emerging needs, the Canon Foundation is dedicated to offering wide-ranging support to organizations and individuals, to businesses, and to educational institutions engaged in science, technology, and other academic and cultural endeavors. Our hope is to contribute to human happiness and the sustainable prosperity of human society.