[Advantest corporate logo]






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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        |
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Torben Gronning
Advantest America, Inc.
408.844.7805
email: t.gronning@advantest.com

Dori Jones
MCA
650.968.8900
email: djones@mcapr.com


          ADVANTEST AMERICA NAMES R. KEITH LEE AS NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

SANTA CLARA, Calif., January 15, 2004--Advantest America, Inc., a subsidiary of
Advantest Corporation (NYSE: ATE, TSE: 6857), today announced that it has
promoted general manager R. Keith Lee, 48, to the position of president and
chief executive officer, who will report to the board of directors. The
appointment follows the resignation of Nick Konidaris, who was recently
appointed president and chief executive officer of Electro Scientific
Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESIO).

Lee is an industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in technology
companies, primarily at Advantest America, which he joined in 1984. At
Advantest, he has held senior management positions in design and development,
sales and marketing, and applications and systems engineering. Prior to
Advantest, he worked for Megatest Corporation, Mitel Corporation, and AT&T in
senior marketing management and engineering positions. He holds a bachelor's
degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University.

"Lee has demonstrated strong leadership throughout his career at Advantest, and
he is the ideal candidate to lead the company in providing our customers with
high-performing test solutions and outstanding service," said Toshio Maruyama,
President and COO of Advantest Corporation and chairman of the board of
Advantest America Corporation. "I have known Keith for almost 20 years, and I am
strongly confident that he will bring both operational and strategic leadership
to our U.S. operations."

"I am pleased with this opportunity to serve Advantest in a new role," said Lee.
"This past year brought great developments for Advantest, and 2004 looks even
more promising. I look forward to working with Advantest's customers, the
executive management team and our employees to ensure our continued and mutual
success."




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ADVANTEST AMERICA NAMES NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO.......................Page 2 of 2


About Advantest:
Advantest Corporation is one of the world's leading automatic test equipment
suppliers to the semiconductor industry, and is also a producer of electronic
and optoelectronic instruments and systems. A global company, Advantest has long
offered total ATE solutions, and serves the industry in every component of
semiconductor test: tester, handler, mechanical and electrical interfaces, and
software. Its logic, memory, mixed-signal and RF testers, and device handlers,
are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor fabrication lines in the
world. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its North American
subsidiary in 1982. Advantest America, Inc.; Advantest America R&D Center, Inc.;
and Advantest Test Engineering Corporation are based in Santa Clara, Calif.
Advantest America Measuring Solutions, Inc., based in Edison, N.J., distributes
Advantest electronic measuring instrument products in North America. More
information is available at www.advantest.com
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