Although consumer electronics made in Japan don’t quite have the reputation they did a couple of decades ago, many people are still looking for alarm clocks made in Japan. If you landed here, chances are you’re one of them.
While there are many famous Japanese consumer electronic brands – do any of them still sell alarm clocks made in Japan?
As so many companies have moved production overseas due to cheaper labor, I did some research to see if there are still any Japanese alarm clock manufacturers out there. Let’s get straight to it!
Do Any Brands Sell Alarm Clocks Made in Japan? (The Short Answer)
After doing some research, I found one brand that offers alarm clocks made in Japan – Punkt.
Punkt
Punkt is a Swiss consumer electronics company founded in 2008 that focuses on stylish designs. Famous British designer Jasper Morrison is the company’s art director. Punkt likes to keep its products slick and simple, without many wires and complex functions.
Punkt only offers two alarm clocks, the AC01 alarm clock, and the AC02 alarm clock. The AC01 was made in Thailand (it now appears that production takes place in China though), but it’s very commonly mistaken as being made in Japan.
The reason for this is that it was initially intended to be produced in Japan, but as that proved impractical, the company decided to manufacture the alarm clock in Thailand.
The ACO2, on the other hand, was produced in Japan according to Punkt. This was also confirmed by Yusuke Nagatani, who produces the alarm clock in his factory in Ibaraki, Japan, for Punkt, as you can see above.
Here is Punkt’s alarm clock made in Japan.
Alarm clocks that are commonly mistaken as being made in Japan
I found some companies that people seem to confuse as being Japanese manufacturers.
Sony
Sony Group Corporation, also simply known as Sony, is a multinational technology conglomerate founded in Nihonbashi, Japan in 1946. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of electronic products.
Sony electronic products are manufactured both in-house and at third-party factories overseas. Sony has factories in Japan, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Mexico, Malaysia, China, India, Russia, and Spain. But it was impossible to find the exact plant where Sony alarm clocks are manufactured.
So, I decided to look at some Amazon and eBay listings of Sony alarm clocks. From this research, I’ve concluded that Sony used to manufacture alarm clocks in Malaysia and Japan, as you can see here and here, and finally with the popular Dream Machine made in Japan here.
But it gets confusing as the Dream Machine, which was discontinued in 2010 was also manufactured in China. So, I decided to look at more modern Sony alarm clocks, such as the Sony ICF-C1.
It gets even more confusing, as you can see that this one is made in the USA, while this one is made in China.
There are many more examples of this alarm clock online, and most are manufactured in China, while some are manufactured in the USA. In conclusion, it seems like Sony no longer produces any digital alarm clocks made in Japan.
Casio
Casio is a multinational electronics conglomerate founded in Japan in 1946. It is famous for being the first to produce a compact electronic calculator. Also, Casio is known for its watches with many functions, like the G-Shock.
Once upon a time, Casio did manufacture its alarm clocks in Japan, which might be why some people think Casio alarm clocks are made in Japan. You can see it in this or this listing of vintage Casio alarm clocks.
However, when you look at listings of newer models, you can see that they are all made in China. Here is an example. Casio’s main factory is located in Yamagata, Japan.
However, the company has plants in Japan, China, Mexico, Thailand, and California. It wasn’t possible to locate the exact plant that manufactures Casio alarm clocks, but as you can see below, the company produces its electronic diaries in China.
As those include alarm clocks as a function, there is a good chance Casio produces its alarm clocks in one of these two factories in Zhongshan or Zhuhai, China.
So, in conclusion, Casio manufactures its alarm clocks in China.
