Story #4 From Kanji Challenges to Market Domination: The Ichitaro Revolution

“Yes we can”

When Hatsuko and I launched JustSystems, choosing JBCC’s office computer was a key decision—it was one of the few that could handle Kanji, essential for our clients in Tokushima. Japanese text is complex, blending Kanji with kana, and back then, typing it was a real challenge. Hatsuko, with her background in OS development, envisioned integrating Japanese input directly into the operating system. This would make kanji-kana conversion accessible to anyone—a revolutionary idea at the time.

At a local trade show, we pitched this to a Logic Systems director, who invited us to Tokyo. After hearing our plan, their engineers suggested we develop it ourselves. I turned to Hatsuko: “Can we do it?” Her answer was immediate: “Yes.”

That moment changed everything. JustSystems shifted from distributing hardware to creating Japan’s first Japanese word processor. By 1982, we’d hired engineers and launched our software at a Tokyo show, where it generated buzz and even drew the attention of ASCII Microsoft. It was the beginning of something big, fueled by Hatsuko’s vision and a perfect alignment of skills and timing.

In 1983, JustSystems showcased their word processor, Hikari, at a Tokyo trade show, attracting NEC, which included it in their new PC after a tight three-month development of JS-WORD. With key contributions from intern Yutaka Fukura, the team worked tirelessly, leading to collaborations with IBM Japan and the release of jX-WORD in 1984. By 1985, our iconic Ichitaro software solidified JustSystems as a leader in Japanese word processing.

When we launched Ichitaro with the goal of becoming the best in Japan, it sold over 30,000 copies in less than a year—a massive success for PC software at the time. Why did it take off so quickly? The answer is simple: we created a revolutionary Japanese input system. It wasn’t just for our software; we made it compatible with other programs too. It may seem obvious now, but in the mid-1980s, this was groundbreaking. Hatsuko led a team of talented engineers who turned our vision into a product that redefined Japanese computing.

Another key to our success was our strategy of rapid version upgrades. We didn’t give competitors a chance to catch up; we kept evolving. I often held meetings with the team to plan the next version.

One day, our receptionist called urgently: “Mr. Ukigawa, something big has happened!” Rushing back, I discovered the issue wasn’t a disaster but an overwhelming number of upgrade payments sent by registered mail. Our makeshift vault was overflowing, and the receptionist’s finger was sore from opening envelopes—a chaotic yet dream worthy problem for any company.