Omron

Founded in 1933 by Kazuma Tateisi and long called Tateisi Electric; the name Omron — after the Omuro district of Kyoto where an early plant stood — was adopted formally in 1990. It builds relays, switches, sensors and programmable controllers (PLCs) for factory automation, and in 1967 helped develop Japan's first automated ticket gate.

In the home it is the world leader in blood-pressure monitors. Few companies stretch so far across "sensing and control" — from the assembly line to your upper arm.