The "Light" explained:
Optical Technology / Feature Stories | About Ricoh | Ricoh Global
Creating the Light
The "Ricoh" name comes from the "Ri" of "Riken" and "Coh", written with the character for light.
"Riken" is the name of an institute of physical and chemical research, founded in Japan in 1917 to carry out research in fields such as physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, and medicine*1. Ricoh was founded in 1936 as "Riken Kankoshi Co., Ltd.", in order to sell the photosensitive paper developed by Riken.
Its name was later changed to "Riken Optical Co., Ltd.", and then, with further expansions in the range of products and services, the name was changed again in 1963, to the current name, "Ricoh Company, Ltd."
Ricoh's "optical technology", which began with photosensitive paper, have gone on to include lenses, mirrors, lasers, and other optical components, as well as copiers and multifunction printers, printers, fax machines. These optical technologies have become the foundation of Ricoh's technical strengths, applied to fields such as office solutions, printing, imaging, and devices, creating a wide range of products and services.