Gokoku and Ricohl

The Gokoku and Ricohl are Japanese cameras taking 3×4cm pictures on 127 film, made by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō (the predecessor of Ricoh) from 1938 to the war. They have a focal plane shutter and look like the Leica screw models, without a rangefinder. (It is said that the Roico 4×4 leaf shutter camera used the body of the Gokoku and Ricohl in a slightly modified form.)

The Gokoku and Ricohl were not the only 3×4 camera with a focal plane shutter: other examples are the Foth Derby, the Ensign Multex or the French Lumière Elax, Gallus Derlux and Pontiac Lynx II. However they were perhaps the only ones with an exposure counter and film advance fully coupled to the shutter winding.

Possible predecessors: the Lausar and the Baika

The Lausar is only known from a letter by Ōishi Hiroshi (大石博) to the Japanese magazine Kurashikku Kamera Senka. It is a 3×4 camera with a focal plane shutter, of which about ten prototypes were made by the company Tomioka: this was confirmed to Mr Ōishi by the company, the date being told as "at the time of the China events" (支那事変当時), an euphemism designating the war with China which broke out in 1937. According to the pictures, the camera's general aspect and the layout of the controls are very similar to the Gokoku but the body is slightly more angular. The name Lausar is engraved on the top plate above the viewfinder, together with a logo, the company name Tomioka Kogaku Tokyo and the serial number. The speed dial seems to have Z, 30–500 settings. The lens is a collapsible Tomioka Lausar 5cm f/3.5 with a focusing tab and an infinity stop. It is not known if it is interchangeable. The striking design similarity leads to the hypothesis that Riken took over the Lausar project from Tomioka and developed it into the Gokoku.

The Baika (バイカ) is only known from Kokusan kamera no rekishi, quoting a column in the April 1937 issue of Camera Club. It is said to be a 3×4 camera with a focal plane shutter giving B, 25–500 speeds, automatic stop film advance, chrome fittings and a collapsible Lausar f/4.5 lens. It seems that it was presented as a Leica copy, and the name "Baika" itself is very close to Leica (ライカ, raika in Japanese). It is attributed to the department store Ōsaka Daimaru Hyakkaten which was obviously only the distributor. The presence of the Lausar lens by Tomioka and the similarity of the specifications suggests that the Baika was another name for the Lausar camera.

The Riken No.1

The Gokoku itself was first announced by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō as the Riken No.1 (理研NO.1) or Riken Camera (理研カメラ) in advertisements and articles dated October 1938. The pictured camera is identical to the Gokoku but it seems to have no markings above the top plate. The shutter speed range goes from 1/20 to 1/500. The lens looks like it is interchangeable but this is not mentioned anywhere in the original documents. It has a large focusing tab, different from the part normally found on the Gokoku lenses. The lens was said to be a Ukas Anastigmat f/3.5 in the October 1938 Asahi Camera article but it was announced as a Riken Kōgaku Anastigmat f/3.5 in the advertisements and the pictures show the engraving RIKEN 1:3.5 F=50mm.

The Riken No.1 was available for ¥195 to subscribers only (the same price as the Weha Chrome Six and Auto Semi Minolta). It seems that the camera was never produced under that name and no surviving example has surfaced so far. It is said that the delivery was delayed and that this caused complaints.

The Gokoku

The Riken No.1 was actually sold in 1939 and 1940 under the name Gokoku (or Gokoku No.1). The word gokoku (written 護国) means "protector of the country", it is an example of the "patriotic" wartime names often used by Riken.

Description

The camera has a metal body, leather covered with chrome top and bottom plates. The viewfinder is offset to the left and is contained in a short top housing. The name GOKOKU N°1 is engraved above the finder (with a stylized G) together with the R.K.K initials of Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō. The accessory shoe, speed dial and shutter release are above the top housing, to the right of the viewfinder. The speed dial has Z, 20, 30, 40, 60, 100, 200, 500 settings. The serial number is engraved in front of the accessory shoe. At the left end of the top plate there is a fake rewind knob what looks like a rewind knob: the camera does not need rewind and it is only there to look like the Leica. The advance knob is at the right end, it turns in the counter-clockwise direction and is surrounded by the exposure counter. The film is advanced and the shutter is wound in the same movement. Because of the absence of perforations, the film advance mechanism only relies on feeler-rollers and it was plagued with reliability problems.

The back and bottom plate are removable together and they are locked by keys at both ends. The bottom plate also has a tripod thread. The back contains a single red window at the left end, used to set the position of the first exposure. It is protected by a cover that is retracted by a thumbwheel surrounding the red window.

Advertising

In an advertisement dated February 1939 by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō, the Gokoku was listed among the camera range for ¥195 (the name was written 護国). A full advertisement for the Gokoku was inserted in the October 1939 issue of Shinkō Graph. The camera was presented with a fixed Gokoku Anastigmat f/3.5 lens and the price was ¥170. The Gokoku was listed again in another advertisement dated October 1940 in Asahi Camera. It was also listed for ¥190 in the list of set prices compiled on October 1940 and published in January 1941.

Variations

The Gokoku is known both with an interchangeable lens and with a fixed lens. On the cameras with an interchangeable lens, the lens mount is the standard Leica thread mount. It is said that regular Leica lenses can be mounted on the Gokoku but that they end up in the upside down position, with the focusing scale at the bottom. The only lens that was made for the camera is a close copy of the collapsible Leitz Elmar 50mm f/3.5. The lens rim is engraved Ofunar 1:3.5 f=50mm N°xxxxx, the aperture scale goes from 3.5 to 18 and the distance scale goes down to 1 meter. The lens looks very similar to that of the Lausar camera (see above); the similarity between these two Elmar copies might be fortuitous, or might indicate that the Ofunar was a rebadged version of the Lausar. The name Ofunar might give a further hint in favor of the Tomioka connection: it might come from the place name Ōfuna, near the city of Kamakura, where a plant was set up by Tomioka in the late 1930s or early 1940s, which would become Ōfuna Kōgaku after the war. Only one example of the Gokoku has been observed so far with the interchangeable Ofunar lens; it has body no.1887 and lens no.48010.

Rangefinder for the Gokoku. Picture courtesy of eBayer facemin. (Image rights)

The cameras with a fixed lens have a slightly larger helicoid, focusing down to 0.5 meter. The lens rim is engraved GOKOKU ANASTIGMAT 1:3.5 F=50mm and the lens number is engraved on the distance scale. On some lenses, the aperture scale is 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18 and on others it is 3.5, 4.5, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22. There is a metal lens cap engraved RKK. Examples have been observed with body numbers ranging from 1168 to 2954 and lens numbers ranging from 10168 to 12043. It seems that about 1,500 to 2,000 examples of the Gokoku were produced.

Variations are known in the feeler roller system advance system, presumably because of an attempt of making the troublesome mechanism more reliable. Some cameras have a roller attached to the back and facing the main roller inside the body. On others there is a metal bridge forcing the film onto the main roller and the pressure plate is accordingly modified.

Accessory rangefinder

An external rangefinder was available for the camera. It is marked RKK and GOKOKU RANGE-FINDER, and it was copied on the external rangefinder of the Leica Standard, with a shorter base.

The Ricohl

Ricohl I no.3309, Gokoku Anastigmat 50mm f/3.5 lens no.11275. Picture courtesy of Pacific Rim Camera. (Image rights)

Riken launched the Ricohl, successor of the Gokoku, around late 1940. It is said that Ichimura Kiyoshi (the founder of Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō) sought the help of Fujimoto Sakae (藤本栄), who would later design the Ricohflex III, to make the camera more reliable.

Description

(Image rights)

The Ricohl has a longer top housing covering the whole top plate. The finder is larger and the fake rewind knob has been suppressed. The accessory shoe, speed dial and release button are similar to the parts mounted on the Gokoku. The advance knob is different, it turns in the clockwise direction and contains the exposure counter. There is an index next to the advance knob, pointing to the frame number. The advance mechanism was completely reworked: it is said that the shutter is wound first and the film is advanced next, and that this needs about three turns of the knob. The feeler roller was again modified too.

The name Ricohl is engraved above the viewfinder, together with the model number and the initials R.K.K for Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō. The serial number is engraved in front of the accessory shoe.

Ricohl I no.3522, Gokoku Anastigmat 50mm f/3.5 lens no.11168. (Image rights)

Versions

The Ricohl I (リコールⅠ型) has the same fixed mount Gokoku Anastigmat 50mm f/3.5 lens as the Gokoku. The aperture scale usually goes from 3.5 to 18, but at least one advertising picture shows f/22 minimum aperture. Examples have been observed with body numbers ranging from 2750 to 4143 and lens numbers ranging from 10642 to 12285. It seems that the serial number sequence continues the sequence of the Gokoku, with some overlap at the beginning of the production, and that about 1,000 to 1,500 examples of the Ricohl I were produced.

More pictures of the Ricohl I no.3309. Pictures courtesy of Pacific Rim Camera. (Image rights)

The Ricohl II (リコールⅡ型) was perhaps a rangefinder version. It was briefly advertised (see below) but no picture is known and no surviving example has ever surfaced.

The Ricohl IIB (リコールⅡB型) has an interchangeable lens with a specific screw mount. The lens is a collapsible four-element Neutar 50mm f/3.5. The aperture scale goes from 3.5 to 18 and the lens rim is engraved NEUTAR 1:3.5 F=50mm. No lens number is visible. Very few examples of the Ricohl IIB has been observed so far, and the only observed serial number is in the 44xx range. Variations are known in the size and shape of the focusing tab of the Neutar lens: it is either small with a striated tip, or large with a smooth tip (reminiscent of the focusing tab visible on the pictures of the Riken No.1).

Case with Riken embossing. (Image rights)

Two models of ever-ready case are known. One is hinged to the back and is embossed Riken at the front and the other is hinged at the bottom and is embossed Ricohl.

Advertising

The camera was already listed in the list of set prices compiled in October 1940, in two versions: the Ricohl for ¥190 and the Ricohl II for ¥335, with no further detail. These prices were set according the camera characteristics, and the price of the Ricohl II is on par with the original Leotax and with the rangefinder versions of the Canon. This might indicate that the Ricohl II was a rangefinder version.

The Ricohl I was advertised in February, March and October 1941 for ¥190 It was also featured in the new products column of the April 1941 issue of Asahi Camera.

The Ricohl IIB was offered for ¥256 in an advertisement dated February 1942. In another advertisement dated 1942, the Ricohl II was listed for ¥314 and the IIB for ¥256. The price of the Ricohl IIB later rose to ¥291.48. The Ricohl IIB was advertised until mid 1943. The Ricohl was mentioned in the "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943. In that document, the focal plane shutter is said to give B, 1–500 speeds, probably by mistake.

Bibliography

• Arimura Katsumi (有村克巳). "Rikō Ryakushi" (リコー略史, Ricoh short history). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.6–7.
• Asahi Camera (アサヒカメラ) editorial staff. Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi (昭和10–40年広告にみる国産カメラの歴史, Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935–1965). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994. ISBN 4-02-330312-7. Items 105, 172, 309 and 312–3. (See also the picture on p.14.)
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Gokoku" (ゴコク[護国]). In Camera Collectors' News no.39 (September 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Rikōru I-gata" (リコールⅠ型, Ricohl I). In Camera Collectors' News no.40 (October 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
• Dokusha-dayori (読者だより, Readers' letters) Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.161–2.
• Hayashi Taneomi (林胤臣). "Rikōru no omoide" (リコールの思い出, Records of the Ricohl). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). P.85.
• Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Advertisement by Fujii Shōten on p.19.
• "Kokusan shashinki no kōtei kakaku" (国産写真機の公定価格, Set prices of the Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of October 25, 1940 and setting the retail prices from December 10, 1940. Published in Asahi Camera January 1941 and reproduced in Shōwa 10—40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi (昭和10〜40年広告にみる国産カメラの歴史, Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935—1965). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994. ISBN 4-02-330312-7. Pp.108—9. Type 5, sections 1 and 2.
• Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), ISBN 0-935398-16-3 (hard). P.55.
• McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). P.833.
• "Senzen no rikō kamera — hoi" (戦前のリコーカメラ・補遺, Prewar Ricoh cameras — appendix). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.21–2. (On the body of the Ricohl being recycled for the Roico).
• Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Items 3022–4 and 3047–8.
• Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Rikō kamera no nagare" (リコーカメラの流れ, Evolution of the Ricoh cameras). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.8–11.
• Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Senzen no kamera 4: Gokoku to Rikōru" (戦前のカメラ4・ゴコクとリコール, Prewar cameras 1: Gokoku and Ricohl). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.23–5.

Links

General links

In English:

• The Gokoku, an article by David Silver from the issue #154 of Camera Shopper, in the International Photographic Historical Organization website
• Ricohl I picture by Pacific Rim Camera at pbase.com
• Neutar 50mm f/3.5, lot no.675 of auction no.5 (29 May 2004) by Westlicht Photographica Auction (this particular lens is missing the base mount and distance scale)

In Japanese:

• Pages of the Ricoh official website:
  • Gokoku and Ricohl in the Ricoh camera list, with pictures of a fixed lens Gokoku, a Ricohl I and a Ricohl IIB (from top to bottom), the page is copied in this page of the Kitamura Camera Museum
  • article about the Ricohl, with a technical drawing of the mechanism
  • article about the Riken wartime camera names
• Gokoku in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology (the camera is identified as a "Riken Camera", but it seems to have the regular "Gokoku" markings)
• Ricohl I at the All Japan Classic Camera Club website
• Picture of a Ricohl I in a short page on the Ricoh Camera Museum at Kazuo Unno's website
• http://www.collection-appareils.fr/general/html/listeQ_imagettes.php#Ricoh Ricoh] on www.collection-appareils.com by Sylvain Halgand

Original documents

• Advertisement for the Riken range (on the left, listing the Gokoku) published in the 26 February 1939 issue of Sunday Mainichi, reproduced in the camera company page of the Gochamaze website
• Advertisements reproduced in Nostalgic Camera, a page of old Japanese advertisements by Toshio Inamura:
  • Advertisement for the Ricohl IIB dated 1942
  • Advertisement for the Heil C dated 1942, also listing the Ricohl II and IIB
• Advertisement for the Ricohl IIB published in Asahi Camera February 1942, visible in this page about old camera magazines of Xylocopal's photolog