Appeared as a Calculator Expert on "The World Only Yurindo Knows"

The other day, I appeared on YouTube. I had the privilege of appearing as a "Calculator Expert" on the super popular YouTube channel of the bookstore chain Yurindo, “The World Only Yurindo Knows” appearing as a “Calculator Expert”.

“The World Only Yurindo Knows” has 290,000 subscribers. That's amazing. The abbreviation is “Yuseka,” and the viewers are apparently called “Yurinchi.”

The program MC is R.B. Bukkorou. He is an honest owl, and Bukkorou even asked me, “From the perspective of someone from the royal road of Sharp, is your position like, ‘Wait, does our company even make calculators?’” (I wasn't angry at all!) So, representing the small but elite calculator group, I frankly conveyed the merits of calculators as an engineer who has been involved with them for over 15 years, about half of my career.

In preparation for the appearance, I also prepared in advance so that I could answer any questions Bukkorou might ask.

I went to inspect the stores operated by Yurindo. I visited four stores: the Isezakicho main store in Yokohama, Yokohama Minato Mirai, Yurakucho in Tokyo, and Nihonbashi in Tokyo.

The Isezakicho main store had a calculator corner in the stationery section on the 4th floor. But... it wasn't noticeable. The only Sharp calculators were the credit card type... The other three stylish stores didn't even have a calculator corner at all... I reflected that I might have chosen the wrong stores.

Even so, I thought perhaps the conversation might extend from calculator sales at Yurindo to the overall domestic market size and Sharp's calculator sales figures, so I had prepared materials.

But well, unfortunately, that expectation was off the mark. When Bukkorou asked a Yurindo employee, “Are calculators selling well at Yurindo?”

The reply was, “We stock them.”

Wait, you stock them?

“You idiot! I'm asking if they are selling or not. I'm not asking if you stock them or not!” I shouted, and I felt the same way as Bukkorou. Lol

Isn't a smartphone fine if you don't have a calculator?

Bukkorou thinks, isn't a smartphone fine instead of a calculator? According to Bukkorou, “With one word from Bukkorou, ‘Smartphones are the best!’, the warriors of paper maps, the warriors of paper timetables... various warriors have scattered.” Since Sharp is also a smartphone manufacturer, I have mixed feelings inside.

Furthermore, he says, “In the smartphone era, is there any merit unique to calculators?”

Of course, there is...!

With a smartphone, you have to launch an app to use a calculator, right? With a calculator, you can pick it up and start calculating immediately.

Furthermore, if you are participating in an important meeting and need to calculate, can you take out your smartphone?

Bukkorou-san also agreed, saying, 'Ah. But, that... actually might be true...?' so I wonder if I managed to get my point across at least a little bit. I felt relieved.

When you're using your smartphone in a meeting, it's hard to tell if you're working or doing something personal, but with a calculator, no one suspects a thing. If you announce the results calculated on a calculator, you also build an image of being good with numbers, and you might even get praised by your boss, like 'Oh, you're really on top of things!' Well, that's half a joke, but even in situations where a smartphone is hard to use, a calculator is never a problem. That's why I believe that in our company, no employee uses a smartphone to calculate during important meetings...!

A world where smartphones cannot be brought in

There are other places where smartphones cannot be brought in.

The mechanical engineering department of the university I attended several decades ago had many practical training sessions using machine tools. If you even slightly touch a machine tool, you could break a bone or have a finger severed. Since an unexpected injury can occur if your attention wanders, you cannot have a smartphone or computer at hand while working. We used calculators when we needed to do calculations.

Chemistry experiments are the same. Since you use hazardous chemicals, a calculator is better suited than a computer. The same goes for factories and research laboratories. In the unlikely event that you spill a hazardous chemical on a calculator, it won't hurt your wallet too much if it's just a calculator.

Speaking of places where smartphones are prohibited, exams are also one of them. You can connect a smartphone to the internet and cheat. However, there are certification exams where bringing in a calculator is allowed. From highly difficult exams like 'Certified Public Accountant,' 'Certified Public Tax Accountant,' and 'Real Estate Appraiser,' to the pinnacle of science and technology qualifications, the 'Professional Engineer,' and even the drafting exams for 'First-Class and Second-Class Architect.' It seems you can even bring a calculator or an abacus to the 'Nissho Bookkeeping Certification Exam.'An abacus... that's classy.

A world with calculator enthusiasts

After the broadcast, I was very happy to see the comments posted by the Yurinchii fans. There are few opportunities to hear from people who love using calculators, so thank you so much to everyone who left a comment!

As the comments suggest, there are many people in the world who say a calculator is essential. Science and engineering students like I used to be. If we're talking about jobs, there are those in accounting, finance, tax, and bookkeeping, as well as finance, engineering, real estate, and commercial sectors... All these calculator enthusiasts have extraordinary feelings toward their calculators. For those people, Sharp has been making various calculators for 60 years until today.

Various evolved calculators

The calculator industry in Japan flourished from the late 1960s to the 1970s. At its peak, over 50 companies were engaged in fierce competition, a period often referred to as the "Calculator Wars."

And 60 years ago, in 1964—the year the Tokaido Shinkansen opened, the Tokyo Olympics were held, and a radar was installed on the summit of Mount Fuji—Sharp's first calculator was born. It was the world's first all-transistor calculator, the "Compet CS-10A."

It measured 42cm wide, 44cm deep, and 25cm thick, and weighed 25kg. The price was 535,000 yen, which was about the same as a passenger car at the time. It had 100 key buttons. Unlike modern calculators, you had to select and press a button for each digit from 0 to 9 when entering numbers. Moreover, the buttons were stiff and required a pushing motion; I even heard people say it felt like they were going to get tendonitis. Even so, its calculation speed was orders of magnitude faster, it was quiet, and it reportedly caused a huge sensation in the world.

60 years later, calculators have evolved to palm-sized devices. I had Bukkorou-san experience various calculators from our company.

The "Professional Calculator" used by pros

When you think of the basic form of a calculator, this is it. It's a "professional calculator" for people like accountants. It can perform the four arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), percentages (%), and square roots (√). Now, let me introduce what makes it so amazing.

・High-speed rapid-fire input is twice as fast as a smartphone

You can't type on a smartphone calculator app without looking at the screen, but with a calculator that has physical keys, you can feel that you've pressed a key through the tactile sensation of your fingers. In accounting work where speed is paramount, professionals use touch typing without looking, tapping the calculator rapidly. What is required of a calculator in this case is to keep up with the professional's input speed.

In the case of a smartphone, it reacts about 0.1 seconds after touching the screen. In other words, you can input "10 times per second."

In contrast, a calculator can handle "16 times per second," and a professional calculator with a high-speed rapid-fire function can handle "20 times per second." In other words, it keeps up even if you tap it 1.6 to 2 times faster than a smartphone.

On "Yuseka," I had Bukkorou-san demonstrate this using a smartphone calculator and a real calculator.

I had him input "12121212..." by alternating between "1" and "2" as fast as he could.

Smartphone, unfortunately! It started with a "2" and ended with a typo of "221." The me shown on the screen has a huge smile on my face. In my heart, I was worried, "What if he doesn't make an input error?" If Bukkorou-san had succeeded, I was planning to goad him by saying, "Tap faster!" or "Next, do it with your eyes closed, please!"

Next, he tried "12121212..." on the professional calculator. A great success. The me on the screen is smiling even more than before. Bukkorou-san enjoyed it, saying, "Wow, it's fast... The screen looked super crazy. Trrr-trrr-trrr-trrr-trrr," and he even challenged himself to do it with both hands. I received the compliment, "That's insane..."

・Two-color molded keys are like Kintaro candy

Have you ever had the characters on a calculator or keyboard fade away? You end up having to guess, or write the numbers with a permanent marker... Since general calculators have numbers printed on them, they can sometimes rub off and become invisible with use.

If you use the 'two-color molded keys' adopted in high-end professional calculators, you don't have to worry about that. The photo shows a '3' key cut in half. Since the numbers are made of two colors of plastic, white and black, and extend all the way through, the structure ensures that the numbers continue to appear like a Kintaro candy even if the surface of the key wears down. I think Bukkoro-san was probably happy to hear that, saying, 'I learned something good... maybe?'

・Sloped keys that you can see from the side

Have you ever looked at calculator keys from the side? If you look closely, the keys in the top row '789' are high, the middle row '456' is lower, and the bottom row '123' is about halfway in between. When you place your middle finger on the '5' key, the '789' keys are at an angle that is natural to press, and the '123' keys are sloped to make them easier to hit when you curl your fingers slightly. This design is called 'sculptured keys'.

Please take a good look at each individual key as well. They are curved and indented in the middle to fit your fingers. These are called 'cylindrical keys'.

When I was preparing for the show, I heard that a new employee at Yurindo kept the show playing in the background, so I guessed that many viewers were 'listening' to it. Assuming they didn't have knowledge about calculators, I thought about making the content understandable just from the audio, even without subtitles.

I rephrased technical terms used within the company to make them easier for the general public to understand. For example, 'fitting' instead of 'kango' (mating), and 'up-and-down movement' instead of 'shudo' (sliding) when pressing a key.

'Sculptured keys' and 'cylindrical keys' are terms that are also listed in the catalog, so I thought I would use them as they are, but during a meeting with Yurindo, I realized that 'these are also hard to understand.' I am still in the process of learning myself.

・There are both plastic and rubber ones

I didn't introduce this on the show, but there are different types of materials for keys. The mainstream for Sharp calculators these days is 'plastic keys.' There is rubber underneath the plastic keys, and by adjusting the hardness of the rubber, we can adjust the keys to be light to press or have a clicky feel when pressed.

'Rubber keys' can be made thin, so they are used for thin calculators. They are characterized by being quiet with no sound when operated.

・Silent keys for use in quiet places

There are also keys with a silent structure that makes operation quiet. Keys have protrusions, and when that part hits the housing, it makes a clicking sound, but 'silent keys' have a cushion placed between the protrusion and the housing to make it harder for sound to be produced.

'Financial calculators' for loan and foreign currency deposit calculations

A financial calculator is a calculator specialized for finance, such as calculating loans and foreign currency deposits. It is used by people in the financial industry such as banks and securities companies, and by sales representatives at real estate companies. It is also recommended for the general public because it is convenient when making loan repayment plans or managing assets such as speculation. Since financial education has started in elementary, junior high, and high schools, the field for these calculators may expand even further in the future.

In the preparation for the show, I had prepared two patterns: 1) calculating the monthly loan amount, and 2) calculating the number of months until repayment. Seeing Bukkoro-san's reaction on the day, I decided to explain it using the monthly calculation.

The prompt was, 'I borrowed 1 million yen at a 6% interest rate. If I pay back 5,100 yen every month, how many months will it take to pay off?' When I had Buccoro-san enter it, the answer was 788 months. That's 65.7 years. You're basically just paying off the interest.

Next, I had Buccoro-san change the monthly payment amount to 5,000 yen and calculate it.

The month display turned to '0'! An '|E' (Error) appeared on the left side of the calculator screen. With a monthly payment of 5,000 yen, you're just continuing to pay interest, so the principal never decreases, resulting in an error.

Because it can do calculations like that, Buccoro-san was also very interested, saying, 'I learned something good... How much is this?' The EL-K632 used on the show costs 4,378 yen including tax. This price might just change your life.
I'll keep it a secret that Buccoro-san suggested to me, 'Iwatsuki-san, won't you borrow 1 million from me at 6% interest? 5,000 yen a month is fine.' Haha.

As an aside, the most difficult product to develop in my calculator career was this financial calculator. There are all sorts of patterns for loan repayment methods. I worried so much during the development process that my weight dropped rapidly, my colleagues worried, saying, 'You've looked a bit haggard lately,' my direct supervisor came to the dormitory where I lived at the time many times to check on me, and my superior even said, 'If something is really wrong, talk to me.' I pray from the bottom of my heart that if a successor model is to be made, it will be someone else in charge...

The 'Scientific Calculator' that firmly captures the hearts of science-minded people

Have you ever seen a 'fraction' displayed on a calculator's LCD? A scientific calculator is a calculator that can display mathematical expressions containing fractions, square roots, sigma, etc., exactly as they are written in textbooks.

Sine, cosine, tangent. There's also pi. Buccoro-san was very excited, saying, 'That's amazing... It's my first time seeing a fraction on a calculator!.' After calculating, I incorporated the operation of changing the display using the 'CHANGE' key to switch between 'improper fraction -> decimal -> mixed fraction' because it has a visual change and I thought it would be good for a video. I was deeply moved when Buccoro-san cried, saying, 'Mixed fractions... it's so nostalgic... I feel like I'm going to cry.'

The main users are science and engineering students and engineers like me. Recently, it is also used by those studying economics, sociology, and finance.

Scientific calculators were also very popular in the comments from the Yurinchi-san viewers.

Bukkorou-san's top pick: the 'Printing Calculator'

This is the printing calculator that Bukkorou-san said was the only thing he wanted, saying, That one. Everyone in the country wants one, right? It can leave a paper record of calculation results, and while its use is limited in Japan to places like hotel front desks and small shops, it is quite popular overseas. It seems it is highly valued because there is a rule that when filing tax returns—what we call 'kakutei shinkoku' in Japan—you must attach evidence of the calculation results.

That said, since there is little demand domestically, I was worried about whether I could keep the conversation going on the show. So, I prepared stationery and food items handled by Yurindo as examples for slip calculations. '100 yen for a ballpoint pen,' 'two notebooks at 210 yen each.' Around this point, Bukkorou-san took on the role of a shop clerk, and an impromptu skit began. Although it was cut from the video, I am very satisfied because I had a very fun time.

When the printer clicked and printed, Bukkorou-san went, 'Kyaa! Fuhohohooo!' At the end, you press a key to feed the paper to a position where it is easy to cut, but Bukkorou-san pressed it for too long, and we both screamed, 'Ahhhhhh...'

My personal recommendation is the 'School Education Calculator'

Although it was cut from the show, please let me introduce my recommendation as well. It is a school education calculator developed for people studying bookkeeping and accounting. I intentionally removed the tax-included and tax-excluded keys so that users can master the principles of calculation without relying on the calculator.

Now, may I have a moment? Is there anything different about the images of the following two calculators?

Please look closely. Where is the 3-digit separator comma ' , ' located?

The comma is not at the bottom, but at the top. This is a standard calculator.

In contrast, on the school education calculator, the 3-digit separator comma is at the bottom. This bottom comma display is even patented!

To be able to display both the decimal point '.' and the comma ',' at the bottom, you need to arrange the '.' and ',' side-by-side in advance, but there is no space for that. So, I developed a new display method. I created a display section for the decimal point, a section for the comma, and a common section that can be used for both. The decimal point is displayed slightly larger, and the comma is displayed in the familiar position at the bottom.

By the way, why do calculators have the comma at the top?

Actually, while the comma is at the 'bottom' in Japan and the United States, it is often at the 'top' in Europe and many other parts of the world.

It is said that Japan adopted the 'bottom' position following the 'Guidelines for Creating Official Documents' notified by the Chief Cabinet Secretary to each ministry in 1952. 'Separate every three digits with a comma. Write the comma at the bottom.' That eventually spread to the general public as well. 1952 was shortly after the end of the war. The GHQ occupation continued until that year. Perhaps there was a lot of deference to the United States.

Even so, most Japanese calculator manufacturers, including Sharp, place the comma at the top. One reason, I suspect, is for export to overseas markets. Calculators have much higher demand overseas than in Japan. Especially in the field of education, Japanese calculators are playing a major role.

Key buttons that exist but are not used

I hope you have become at least a little interested in the structure of the keys and the types of calculators. In addition to numbers and +, -, ×, ÷, calculators also have key buttons that people often say they 'don't know how to use.' Here, I will explain them very simply.

■ Clear Function 'C'

Clear: Please remember 'C' as Clear. 'CA' stands for Clear All, which erases everything, including values in the memory. 'CE' stands for Clear Entry, which is used when you want to cancel the number currently displayed. You can rest assured that the results of calculations performed up to that point will remain.

■ Memory Function

The memory function is a feature that stores information in a place separate from what is displayed on the screen. There are two types: 'GT (Grand Total)' and 'M (Memory)'.

・ 'GT'

'GT (Grand Total)' is a convenient key for accumulating calculated values.

For example, GT is useful when you want to accumulate the results of multiple calculation formulas, such as '5×4' and '2×4'.

・ 'M'

'M' keys are related to Memory. Please remember that 'M+' adds to memory, 'M-' subtracts from memory, and 'RM (Recall Memory)' views the contents of the memory. Unlike 'GT (Grand Total)', which only adds up calculation results, you can also subtract using 'M-'.

In calculations, first clear the memory contents with 'CM (Clear Memory)' before entering values. Finally, press 'RM (Recall Memory)' to call up the contents of the memory.

For example, let's calculate '5×4 - 2×4 ='.

In bookkeeping exams, the real test of skill is how quickly you can solve problems by managing these two memory functions separately or in combination. It can also be used when totaling items with 8% and 10% consumption tax rates separately under the invoice system.

The origin of the calculator, chosen as a historic achievement

Well, I have written at length about calculators up to this point, but the starting point for everything was that world's first all-transistor calculator, the 'Compet CS-10A'.

Perhaps because my home had various electrical appliances collected by my parents who loved rare items, I have liked electrical appliances since I was a child. When I was in elementary and junior high school, I would carry a large video camera like those used by TV stations on my shoulder to film, and play with calculators while reading the instruction manuals. Although it wasn't a Compet, there was also an early Sharp calculator in our house.

Given that background, I joined Sharp in 1998, 34 years after the birth of the Compet. It was a time when the internet was really starting to take off. Windows 98 and things like that bring back memories, don't they?

Time passed, and in 2005, some big news came in. The 'Compet CS-10A' had been recognized as an 'IEEE Milestone'.

The IEEE is the world's largest non-profit professional organization (society) for electrical and electronic engineers. Other historical achievements selected as milestones include Benjamin Franklin's work proving that lightning is electricity and the battery created by Volta, known as the father of electrochemistry.

There is no greater honor than to be ranked alongside such achievements. At the time, I was in a different department than the one for calculators, but I remember being incredibly happy that the work created by my seniors at Sharp was being recognized.

It wasn't just Sharp. This award was the result of the accumulated technology of many people, including those doing basic research leading to calculators and the manufacturers who developed the parts,an award built on the technology of many different peopleIt makes me nostalgic to remember how truly happy I was, as it felt like everyone was being recognized.

A New Face for the Calculator's 60th Anniversary

Sharp's calculators, which have continued in this unbroken line, celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2024. The new model for the 60th year features a flat-face design.

There are no bumps or dips on the keys. We focused on a 'satisfying click' that you can press firmly. With regular calculators, if you press the edge of a large key, it might not register properly, but this one is designed so that the key is less likely to tilt even if you press the edge. Aiming for a comfortable operating feel similar to a computer keyboard, Bukkoro-san gave us the novel evaluation that it feels 'smooth and tactile'.

In the comments from the 'Yurin-chi' fans, we saw feedback such as, 'It's great that it registers no matter where you press,' as a common experience for those who do bookkeeping, since pressing the corner of a key on a regular calculator often leads to calculation errors, and 'When I use a calculator while using a computer, there's a sluggish, awkward feeling, but I think I can use this calculator smoothly with these keys.' Thank you very much.

Unfortunately, domestic demand for calculators is declining, but there are places where calculators are in demand as an irreplaceable tool. Now that we have reached the 60th anniversary of the calculator, Sharp's calculator sales ratio is higher overseas than in Japan.

In developed countries like those in Europe and the United States, scientific calculators are used in regular classes. The teaching style seems to be to spend time learning logical thinking and to quickly use a calculator for the parts where you just need to calculate to get an answer.

Also, in emerging countries, increasing the number of scientists and engineers to boost industrial strength is considered a policy priority, and calculators are being incorporated into school lessons.

Also a big hit in South Africa!

In South Africa, we are working with local educational consultants to promote the use of calculators in schools.

The official languages of South Africa are English and Afrikaans. I was asked if I would like to go to South Africa for an inspection, but unfortunately, my English is terrible, and it goes without saying that I don't know any Afrikaans. Looking at the photos of the children sent from the local area, I am happy thinking, 'Our calculators are really being useful.'

Numbers, mathematical symbols, and formulas are a universal language. Just like the notes written on a musical staff or the melodies they play, they cross national borders.

It would be wonderful if our Sharp calculators could serve as a catalyst for children all over the world to develop an interest in mathematics and science.

And,I hope that there will be even more engineers like me, and people who use calculators as their partners, in South Africa, Canada, and Japan!
(As an aside, we actually boast a significant market share in Canada.)

Calculators are very long-lasting products, not limited to just the scientific calculators that are popular overseas. It seems that many business people continue to use the same calculator they bought when they were students even 10 years later.

When you use something for a long time, the size, button layout, and tactile feel become second nature. I am truly grateful to all the users who cherish our products in that way.

We receive inquiries several times a year from people saying, 'I've been using this for 10 or 20 years and it finally broke, and I want to buy a new one, but which model is closest to the one I have?'

When developing new products, there is always a temptation to incorporate new technology or change something, but because we have users who use our products for so long, I make it a point to keep the familiar features that people have loved for years while making them as easy to use as possible.

I hope that for the next calculator, and the one after that, people will continue to choose Sharp, and that we can continue to weave our history for another 100 or 200 years.

In closing...
I was very happy to have Bukkorou-san learn about the world of Sharp calculators on this 60th anniversary milestone.
If you carry a calculator instead of a smartphone that's hard to use in meetings, it might just change your life, Bukkorou-san.