The Great Kantō earthquake struck Japan in 1923 . 140,000 people were killed and 3.4 million were left homeless . Four of NEC 's factories were destroyed , killing 105 of NEC 's engineers and workers . Thirteen of Tokyo 's telephone offices were destroyed by fire . Telephone and telegraph service was interrupted by damage to telephone cables . In response , the Ministry of Communications accelerated major programs to install automatic telephone switching systems and enter radio broadcasting . The first automatic switching systems were the Strowger-type model made by Automatic Telephone Manufacturing Co. ( ATM ) in the United Kingdom . NEC participated in the installation of the automatic switching systems , ultimately becoming the general sales agent for ATM . NEC developed its own Strowger-type automatic switching system in 1924 , a first in Japan . One of the plants almost leveled during the Kanto earthquake , the Mita Plant , was chosen to support expanding production . A new three-story steel-reinforced concrete building was built , starting in 1925 . It was modeled after the Western Electric Hawthorne Works
Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
NEC