Japan has played an important role in Intel business since the beginning of the company’s history. The invention of the Intel® 4004, Intel's first microprocessor, was triggered by a request from a Japanese calculator company. Intel has had sales and marketing offices based in Japan since 1971, only three years after Intel was founded in 1968. The "Anshinkan Program," a Vendor-of-Choice program initiated by Intel Japan in late 1980s, led Intel's quality improvement activities worldwide. Aside from sales and marketing efforts, Intel Japan also comprises quality assurance and technology manufacturing organizations.
