Tokuji Hayakawa

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Tokuji Hayakawa
Hayakawa (right) testing a crystal radio (1925)
Born	November 3, 1893 Tokyo, Japan
Died	June 24, 1980(1980-06-24) (aged 86)
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	businessman
Known for	founder of Sharp Corporation, inventor of the Ever-Ready Sharp Pencil

Tokuji Hayakawa (早川 徳次, Hayakawa Tokuji, November 3, 1893 – June 24, 1980) was a Japanese businessman and the founder of Hayakawa Kinzoku Kōgyō (the present-day Sharp Corporation). He invented and patented the “Tokubijō” belt buckle in 1912 (a belt which can fasten without perforating) and invented the "Ever Ready Sharp" mechanical pencil (from which his company would later get its name) in 1915.

The success of the “Tokubijō” belt buckle led to Hayakawa starting his own metallurgical processing, which then developed into the present-day Sharp Corporation.