Nikon has broken new ground – this week, the camera giant started construction on two manufacturing buildings designed to enhance lens production in Japan. On Wednesday, January 7, Nikon began construction on new facilities at Otawara, Tochigi – some 90 miles north of Tokyo.
Plans for the construction were originally announced in mid-2024, but construction has now begun on two buildings that will cover about 20,000 square meters, or about 215,280 square feet. The project is estimated to cost around 25 billion yen, which is about $160 million / £119 million / AU$238 million / CA$221 million.
The facilities will be used for manufacturing lenses, including interchangeable lenses for digital cameras, along with other optics such as microscope objectives.
But what’s perhaps the most promising is how Nikon says the expansion will help the company more quickly adapt to consumer demand. “The new buildings will feature a renewed production line, the introduction of a mixed-flow production system, and automated internal logistics. These advancements will create a flexible and efficient production system that can quickly respond to diverse business changes,” Nikon wrote in the press release.
A “mixed-flow production system” means that the same assembly line can be used for multiple products. That with Nikon’s comment about quickly responding to “diverse business changes” makes me think the new facility could help ease the delays that have come with some of the brand's most popular lenses.
Optics like the Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR and Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S Macro were so popular at launch that Nikon Japan issued apologies for delays due to initial orders exceeding expectations. Hopefully, the updated production line may help ease the wait for popular new lenses.
Nikon estimates that the two buildings will be completed around Summer 2027. The buildings will also have a walkway connecting the two, an exhibition area for visitor tours, and areas for meetings and relaxation. And, as a camera company understanding the importance of light, Nikon notes there will be open spaces with lots of natural light.
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