Takahashi Metal: Making unique products
for diverse business needs
Takahashi Metal, whose business segments include parts processing and environmental solutions, makes a range of unique products serving diverse industries, including rolled screws and its ionized water system.

“Whilst somecustomers may notknow our company’s
name, they still cometo us for our unique
technologies.”
Yasuyuki Takahashi,
President & CEO,
Takahashi Metal Industries
Price competition is getting tougher globally, but Japanese companies continue to have a large shareof niche markets thanks to theirmulti-product, multi-functional
production. Takahashi Metal Industries is one of these businesses,
and its unique press technology
makes it possible to achieve mirror-like surface ﬁnishing throughthe press process without theneed for plating.
“Conventional screw products only utilize press technology, but our mirror surface
processing is a one-stroke process. Takahashi Metal is the
only company in the world thathas this capability,” explains
Yasuyuki Takahashi, President
and CEO of Takahashi Metal Industries. “The product’s uniquename is Reﬂector. And whilst
some customers may not know ourcompany’s name, they still come tous for our technologies.”
The company – whose businesssegments include parts processing
and environmental products – also
makes a range of other uniqueproducts serving diverse industries, including its electrolyzed
ionized water system. “Insteadof classifying alkaline water as
waste, we discovered that it could
remove oil and prevent rust. It isan advanced and saleable productReﬂector
which is uniquely developed byour company,” says Mr. Takahashi.
“Also, it helps deal with progressing environmental concerns. Alkaline water is produced by SMEs
like us, and big international companies have started to contact us
for our products. Companies thathave been using our environmental
products started to learn about
our parts processing business as
well, thereby, increasing our sales.”In Japan, up to 3.5% of annual
GDP goes to research and development, and as a business focused on
innovation, Takahashi Metal Industries puts a lot of investment andresources into this area to come up
with new solutions for its customers.

Chute parts using ﬁber laser welding technology“Another unique feature is our tieup developments with our customers. The one-stop service plus weoffer is one of our efforts to increase our competitive capabilities
and our three distinctive divisions.
We have been incorporating our
know-how into our proposal anddevelopment of items and parts.
While major manufacturers invite
different partners to work on every
stage, we maximize our efforts to
beneﬁt our customers through a
one-stop service.”
Across its diverse business areas, Takahashi Metal has alreadyexpanded to China and Thailand,
giving the company access tointernational markets for its

TWIS: Takahashi Ionized Water System“It is quite rare for subcontractors like us to do R&D, but we do,”says Mr. Takahashi. “Our primary
R&D division is Advanced CoreTechnology, and this is where
we attempt to create ingenious
technologies.”
Its R&D activities rely on subsidies, with the company partneringwith many stakeholders, including
universities, research centers andmanufacturers, and are driven byits commitment to monozukuri.

products. “We work with largescale international customers
working in automotive parts andagricultural equipment, and wewill continue to move forwardwith these companies with ourunique technologies,” says Mr.
Takahashi. “Our focus for the last

few years has been to broaden theﬁeld of our activities. The nextstage of our expansion, however,involves building strategic partnerships. Hence, we are actively
looking for partners to achieve
our goals, to improve our services
and to launch new services. During the pandemic, we launched a
new business model which is quite
ambitious for an SME. It is now
time to seek strong partners andwork on something strategic.”
The strength of Takahashi
Metal Industries is that it has asystem that can provide similar
manufacturing, sales, and services not only to Japan, but also to
China and Thailand. A whole division of its business is dedicatedto environmental products andafﬁliate companies like global
automotive parts suppliers, andis now further diversifying into
products including batteries,
parts for EVs, and solar panels.
“In addition, I have launched an
economic consortium in this areafor different companies to join,”says Mr. Takahashi. “Throughthat, we can welcome a wide
range of businesses, products andmonozukuri which contribute to
the environment. Our company
growth is directed toward providing a global contribution. One of
my goals is to ensure that our people are proud of our efforts of truly
contributing to the environment, aconcept that I want to pass down
to the next generations.”

www.takahasi-k.co.jp

Circuit Design: Japan’s finest
wireless technology providers
Since its foundation in 1974, Japan’s Circuit Design has been supporting thedevelopment of wireless technologies both in Japan and abroad.

Company building
Building on its founders’ love of amateur radio, Circuit Design achieved
its breakthrough in the late 1980s
when the Japanese Ministry ofTransportation approved the useof its remote engine starters in cold
prefectures such as Hokkaido. At
that time, as company president
Yukinaga Koike attests, engine
starters “accounted for around 80%of the company’s overall turnover.”With the automotive industry intransition, however, the company
has shifted its focus to industrial
wireless modules, having introduced its wireless systems to theGerman market in 1992.

Radio modem“The use of Circuit Design’sradio solutions ensures thereliability and success of
our customers’ products.”
Yukinaga Koike,
President,
Circuit Design, Inc.
Looking to the future, the comThough the industry remains
a highly competitive sector in pany has been developing Radio
which to operate, Circuit Design Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFICs) that integrate
has been able tolow-power wirelesscarve its own niche
module technology,
when it comes toan innovation thatwireless industrial
will be shared withsolutions, offercustomers in 2023.
ing high-quality
Though internaproducts which
tional expansion is
distinguish it fromproblematic andcompetitors.
2.4 GHz radio module

to a greater or
lesser extent
Engine starter contingent on
existing infrastructure, Mr. Koike
is keen to emphasize that Circuit
Design is open to collaboratingwith foreign companies: “If amarket is ready and has its own
regulation bills passed, then weare ready to target it.”
In Japan, meanwhile, plans areafoot to expand the use of lowpower wide-area (LPWA) devices
for infrastructural monitoring, with
an “Animal Map” system originallydeveloped for wild animal tracking
that can be installed in mountainous
areas and used to monitor water levels in surrounding lakes and rivers.
www.circuitdesign.jp

Walking together with clients towards sustainable growthWith over 400 employees across ﬁve diverse divisions, Komatsu Kaihatsu is committed to deepening relationships
and strengthening communications with its business partners, employees and esteemed clients.
and development, maintaining its
stance that quality is king when it“We need to contributeto the developmentof autonomous vehicles
that people judge
to be safer thanhuman-driven vehicles.”Naoto Komatsu, President,
Komatsu Kaihatsu Co., Ltd.
Founded over 50 years ago, Komatsu
Kaihatsu has expanded its businessfrom factory construction, building
maintenance, dispatch of factory
workers, logistics and packing materials, to automotive parts design

Corrugated cardboard modules
for marine containers
comes to satisfying customer needs
and building trust with them.
“We manufacture and sellhigh-quality logistics packaging
materials that are optimal for thetransportation of automotive parts
and industrial machinery, and wewould like to collaborate with local
overseas companies,” says Naoto
Komatsu, President of Komatsu
Kaihatsu. Although the domestic
business in Japan is the bedrock of
the current model, an eye is kept on
opportunities further aﬁeld.

As major client Toyota Group
expanded its business over theyears, so too has Komatsu Kaihatsu, “growing and developing to cater to its needs,” says Mr. Komatsu.
And that continued growth, hepredicts, will be in the design anddevelopment segments, where thecompany already has more than
280 engineers across Japan and
Vietnam, with potential to spread

Auto parts (blower motor) tray
into India, China, and even the
U.S.A., in the near future.
“Electriﬁcation of cars, safer
brakes, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), autonomous driving…” these are someof the design, development andtesting areas currently in progress, and “within a few years, thecompany’s software area has increased by 6.3 times, comparedto 1.7 times for our hardware and1.7 times for our mechanical divisions,” Mr. Komatsu reveals.

Autonomous driving“For Komatsu Kaihatsu, close cooperation with clients is extremely
important, and we place the utmost importance on contributing
to the improvement of driving
safety,” Mr. Komatsu highlights.
www.komatsu-kaihatsu.co.jp

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Hanken Works: High-quality hakomono
for the global market
With a history spanning almost 100 years, Hanken Works is a leading manufacturer of
specialized enclosures that meet the demands of several sectors.

“We’re aiming to expand
our hakomono all over
the world.”
Nobuo Matsuda,
President, Hanken Works Ltd.
A company that celebrates its
100th anniversary in 2023, Hanken Works manufactures specialized enclosures such as fuel tanks,
hydraulic tanks and mufﬂers forconstruction, agricultural and industrial machinery.
Hanken’s enclosures, referred
to in Japanese as hakomono, arerigorous testing andcrafted with a dediwelding procedures
cation to monozuthat guarantee thekuri – the pursuit
integrity of its tanks.
of perfection at
the heart of Japa“We’re proud to say
our leak ratio is thenese manufacturbest in the industry,”ing. For President
Mr. Matsuda says.
Nobuo Matsuda,“ We ’ r e c u r r e n t l ymonozukuri comes
Hydraulic tank running a ratio of plusdown to precise rolefor excavator
minus 1% of leaks hapdistribution – “thisgives us good quality, cost and pening at the production site.
delivery results” – combined withIf we do find leaks, we rea culture of close cooppair them using advanced
eration between diwelding techniques. Thisvisions. “The excelensures we have thelence of Japanesebest possible productmonozukuri is its foand our customers recus on collaboration
main satisfied.”
As the ﬁrm strives toand transparency,”
he says.
boost the worldwide
H a n k e n’s q u a l i t yreach of its hakomono,commitment is
Hanken’s Indonesianillustrated, for Hydraulic tank assembly plant, which is inteexample, by thegral to this drive, isfor dump truck

Welding specialist
set to expand. “Indonesia is thecountry that procures products
globally. From Indonesia our
products go to many countries
around the globe,” Mr. Matsuda
says. Hanken also aims to increase

Fender for bulldozer
sales within Indonesia, he adds,“The country’s domestic market
has a lot of potential. There’ll be alarge market there in the future.”

www.hanken-works.co.jp/english

Providing unique manufacturing value and support
across the entire production preparation period
Beginning the process up to a year and a half before launch, Uchida has shown how
it can collaborate to free up resources for its Tier 1 customers.
on developing high tensile materials that support customers’ production preparations. From the automotive industry to aviation andmedicine, strong and lightweightmaterials are in high demand.

“We would like tomake our clients happy
through the goodmonozukuri culture that
we have created.”
Yoshitsugu Uchida,
President & Representative
Director, Uchida Co.
Uchida Co. is no longer just a die
maker, far from it. Since its establishment in 1964, Uchida has
evolved into a group of professional
engineers and craftsmen focused

With subsidiary companies in
China and Vietnam, and employees from places such as South
Korea and the United Kingdom,
Uchida is able to share its technology with other countries, says
Mr. Uchida. Longstanding relationships with the likes of Toyota
Honda and Daihatsu, with whom it
has forged a strong bond for over
25 years, are testimony to that.

Inner body parts made by Uchida“Our main strength is our capacity to create dies that canhandle difﬁcult-to-process materials, such as high-tensile steel,”
explains company president,
Yoshitsugu Uchida.
“We have many engineers
with specialized know-how tomeet the expectations of ourcustomers.”

Parts trials both in house and at
production plant“As cars are being electriﬁed,
they need batteries. Batteries
are very heavy, so the demand to
make the cars more lightweight

3D design based on simulation
remains. Therefore, our strengths
will be needed more than ever.”With ambitions for a third
location in Toyota’s base in Aichi
Prefecture, the president has aclear plan for Asian expansion:“To spread Uchida’s DNA to theworld and continue to contributeto the global automobile industry together with our partners.”
That cooperation is seen as a key
to shared success.

www.uchidanet.co.jp

Engineered carbide products for a better future
For over 60 years, MMC RYOTEC Corporation has been
supporting a variety of industries with its unique products.

ROTARY DIE CUTTER“Our wear-resistanttools and carbide
materials are custommade and depend on
the needs and demandsof our customers.”
Katsu Yamamoto,President & CEO,MMC RYOTEC Corporation
While Japan’s aging populationand declining birth rate present
challenges for certain companies, for others they provide arare opportunity to focus on
the global market. And with
28% of the country’s population
already over 65, passing downknowledge to the next generation is becoming more crucial
with each passing year. Increasingly intrinsic to its global brand,
Japanese monozukuri is a pointof difference that sets its businesses apart from competitors
in China and Taiwan, where
economies of scale hold swayover craftsmanship.
For new MMC RYOTEC Corporation president Katsu Yamamoto, craftsmanship represents the “value-added factor”.
But it is only one aspect of thecompany’s continued success.
“Our business strategy,” Mr.
Yamamoto underlines, “is tofocus on providing consistentquality and technical support
along with our products, whichallows us to compete in themarket and secure customers.” Equally important is thenotion of company evolution:“We have been manufacturing
engineered carbide products
for many years and are always
looking to improve our skills

and techniques in the manufacturing process.”
This desire for improvement
can also be seen in the context
of the firm’s three business divisions. Rock tools have traditionally been MMC RYOTEC’s top
revenue generator. The SUPERMAXBIT series, which is mainly
used to drill into undergroundaquifers and is thus instrumental in ensuring drinking water isclean and safe, can be applied
anywhere in the world, and is already widely used in the U.S.A.,
Asia and Europe.

SUPER MAXBITThe company’s two other main
divisions, meanwhile, are not far
behind. Mr. Yamamoto again:“Regarding wear-resistant tools
and carbide materials, we areproud to have launched a variety of high-quality custom-madeproducts which satisfy the customer’s needs in various fields
of infrastructure.”
One such example is the useof MMC RYOTEC’s slot-die technology in lithium-ion batteries,
an increasingly important market as Japan aims to phase out
conventional gasoline cars by
2035. The technology is usedin precision coating processes,
and customers can now choose
whether the slot die’s lip materials are made from stainlesssteel or cemented carbide, as

well as being able to adjust
the coating’s thickness after
consultation with experienced
technicians. Technical services
such as fluid simulation andcoating tests provide clientsthe opportunity to arrive at an
optimal shape for their individual needs.
Nor is the company’s evolution
restricted to its range of products. A subsidiary of Mitsubishi
Materials Corporation (MMC)
since 1958, recent restructuring
has seen MMC RYOTEC assume
responsibility for its own sales
division alongside production
and development of products.
Mr. Yamamoto adds: “In April
2021, the sales division wastransferred from MMC to MMC
RYOTEC, and we function independently in that regard. On
the other hand, more than halfof our sales come from MMC’s
overseas sales companies, andwe have joined forces in entering overseas markets. The
MMC Group has an excellent
rock tools sales base in Mexico,
and we will penetrate the SouthAmerican mining and construction markets together.”ROCK TOOLS“Our strategy,” he continues,“is to develop and manufacture high-quality products in
our mother factory in Japan, at
which point our sales company

can deliver products within ashort time from their local distribution center to the SouthAmerican market.” Overseas, theaim is to fully leverage MMC’s
existing global sales networks,
by first accessing contacts andthen dispatching engineers toforeign companies to join meetings regarding specifications.
Beyond Mexico, South America remains an important market
for the company’s rock tools,
while China and Southeast Asia
are next in line when it comes to
products such as slot dies androtary die cutters.
As far as the future goes, the
key will be to consolidate thefirm’s market position: “Ourtarget is the high-end market or field. We are aiming at
high-end customers for all ourbusiness divisions.”
In terms of products, Mr.
Yamamoto is keen to emphasize MMC RYOTEC’s “excellent
range”, before going on to describe the slot die as the “mostexciting and most worrisome”
among them. Exciting because
the market is so fluid; worrisome because it can be hard to
predict changes accurately andstay ahead of competitors.
Asked what he would like topass on to the next generation ofpresidents when the time comesfor him to step aside, his response is simple: “My goal is tokeep expanding our operations
so that we can celebrate ourcentenary in 2058 as an excellent supplier of engineered carbide products to infrastructureindustries in the global market.”www.ryotec.co.jp/en

Japan’s conveyor belt and industrial transport
robotics specialists
With the aid of the country’s ﬁrst and only fully automated roller production line, JRC
provides tailored conveyor solutions to a wide swath of industries both in Japan and abroad.

Stand“We use our expertiseand experience to solve
customers’ problems
and expand our businessdomain as a total‘solution provider’ forindustrial transport
operations.”
Minoru Hamaguchi,
President, JRC Co., Ltd.
At JRC, we have manufactured
conveyor belt components suchas rollers, pulleys and stands forover 60 years. Our fully automated roller production line – theonly one in Japan – helps us todeliver a consistent supply of
top-quality products.

Main factory
Our conveyor parts can be foundin thermal power plants, steel mills,
mines, cement plants, recycling
facilities, sewage treatment plants
and other sites that support socially critical infrastructure. They
are also widely used in civil engineering projects such as tunneling,
reclamation and dam construction.

PulleyRollerIn recent years, we have not
only provided products, but havealso offered solutions to problems
that occur at sites where conveyors
are used, tying in with our company
slogan: ‘Discovery to Development’.
We create based on the discovery
of issues customers have, and lookto provide answers that ensure
products function well.
In addition to proposing improvements, we believe providing maintenance services forconveyor equipment will be central to our business model moving forward. We want to stepup our development of remotemonitoring systems that are tailored to our customers’ varying

installation environments andconveying conditions.
While conveyor belts are ourmain business, we are also developing a ‘smart factory’ that uses
robotics. With a compact design,
it seeks to solve the manpower
shortage arising in Japan due to

Solution
population decline. We want tointroduce this technology overseas, as well; speciﬁcally, we aim
to expand into developed countries
with signiﬁcant mining industries.
www.jrcnet.co.jp/

SHIRAI TECH provides key glass scribing
machines for a range of industries
In modern times, the average consumer is unaware as to how important glassprocessing is in regular manufacturing, and SHIRAI TECH plays a crucial role inensuring that glass is processed to the highest standard.

Labor-saving equipment“Scribing is the origin of glassprocessing.” That is the mantra
upon which SHIRAI TECH wasfounded over half a century ago,says president Hiroshi Shirai, who
remains proud of the company’s
great responsibility.
The company has progressed
eagerly in technological innovation. “We have standalone machinery that can scribe glass withirregular shapes. This can be usedin the processing of LCD panels
for automotive applications. Also,
the separation of irregular-shaped
glass, which previously had to be“We are looking to continue
to help our customers
properly produce, scribe
and grind panels to meettheir needs.”
Hiroshi Shirai,
President,
SHIRAI TECH LIMITED

Robot-breaking (irregular shaped)
done manually by humans, cannow be processed in-line via robotics,” Mr. Shirai explains.

Non-ﬂipping scribing machine“We also have developed anon-ﬂipping scribing system thateliminates the need for inverting

Water scattering prevention grind
the panel – which can cause damage – by scribing the top surface
of an LCD panel consisting of twopieces of glass laminated together,
then lifting it from above during
the next stage, and scribing it fromthe bottom side.”“In addition, we have been proceeding with a new approach forthe grinding process. We developed
a special outer case that covers thegrinding wheel, reducing the amountof water used to less than one-tenth(compared to our existing products),
and further reducing subsequentcleaning and drying processes.”
Since the launch of its computerized scribing equipment in the
1980s, SHIRAI TECH has been apioneer in the glass industry and willcontinue to develop groundbreaking
products in the future.
www.shirai-tech.co.jp/en

Mabuchi’s fusion of monozukuri and logistics
With its unique ‘Integrated Logistic System’, Mabuchi has been able to combine the best aspects of manufacturing
and logistics to provide unbeatable solutions for their customers.
Founded 68 years ago, Mabuchi
started out as a packaging ﬁrm andover time, in line with the needs of
its clients, the company branchedout into logistics, which led to thecreation of its renowned Integrated
Logistics System (ILS).
“We started with a mandate thatallowed us to create the entire process, from receiving the freight,
inspection and packaging, clearing
the different customs obligations
and approvals, and ﬁnally shippingto the destination factory,” explainscompany president Mikio Sakamoto. “At that point, we make surethe whole process is taken care of
by us and in the best way possible
for our clients.”
When it comes to transportationof often large and heavy industrial
goods, clients require the highest
level of service and expertise, which
is why many turn to Mabuchi’s ILS
to ensure their needs are met. Having built up its experience serving
clients in the automotive and housing-related industries, the company
embraces the values of Japanesemonozukuri (craftsmanship) andomotenashi (hospitality) to offer
clients a truly superior service, bothin Japan and abroad.
“We believe that the spirit behind monozukuri of always thriving
to respond to the client needs, isvery intrinsic to Japanese companies and is something that we must
continue to provide to the world.
This spirit of always placing thecustomer ﬁrst and always thinkingof the customer needs has always
been the most important priority,”
explains Mr. Sakamoto.
“We pride ourselves on ensuringthat we pay meticulous attention
to all the details and that we’reable to satisfy each speciﬁc client’s
requirements, making sure that
our manufacturing and packaging
is optimal at all times. One of ourgreatest strengths is that we areable to take care of packaging
needs for large-scale products, aswell as extremely heavy productsof up to 60 tons, with high precision and delicate packaging.”
This dedication to monozukuri
and putting the customer ﬁrst has
ensured the company’s place as apioneer in its ﬁeld, with innovations
such as its steel packaging solutions,“One of our greatest
strengths is that weare able to take careof packaging needs
for large-scale andextremely heavyweight
products with highprecision and delicate
packaging.”
Mikio Sakamoto, President,
Mabuchi Co., Ltd.

Steel packaging

Packaging container production

Wooden packaging

Mabuchi brand materials

Mabuchi Indonesia

Mabuchi Thailand

which were a ﬁrst for the Japanesemarket. “The reason why we focused on steel is that it can make thewhole package much smaller thanwood in terms of its cubic volume,
without sacriﬁcing its strength, andaccordingly contributing to the cost
reduction of logistics for our customers,” adds Mr. Sakamoto.
Also ahead of the game in termsof digitalization, Mabuchi has embraced IT-related innovations suchas automation, CRM (customer relationship management) and SFA(sales force automation) systems
to enhance its processes and service

offering. “By doing so, we are looking
to systemize and digitalize in areas
where we can make things morestreamlined,” Mr. Sakamoto reveals.
“One of our recent developments inthat realm is the Mabuchi Packaging
Support System, ‘MAPSS’, which
is a system that provides our factory workers with speciﬁcations ofwooden and steel boxes designed
for optimized packaging.”
Having begun its ﬁrst venture
overseas in Singapore in 1978, today Mabuchi has bases in Thailand,
Indonesia and Malaysia, where it
works with many clients in the au-

tomotive industry. While Asia has
been the focus of the company’s
international operations, Mr. Sakamoto has set his sights on expansion
into Western countries, where he isconﬁdent Mabuchi’s fusion of monozukuri and logistics could prove to
be a hit on competitive markets like
Europe and the U.S.
The company’s overseas expansion has entailed the establishmentof strong partnerships with local
ﬁrms and, as such, Mabuchi is always seeking further partnerships
as it pursues international growth,
as well as M&A opportunities.
“When it comes to the expansion of the packaging and logistics
business, I believe that M&As are
incredibly important,” explains Mr.
Sakamoto. “If we could acquire acompany that is dealing with a direct manufacturer of the materials
or the logistics itself, then we canfurther expand and provide interesting products, such as packaging
materials under our company brandand other types of developments
where we can put our R&D skills to
use to roll out our products.”
It has been 68 years since thecompany’s founding, but 46 years
since the rebranding to ‘Mabuchi’,which marked the beginning of
the journey that has led the company to where it is today. As such,it is the upcoming 48th anniversary of this important rebrandingthat has served as the benchmark
when it comes to mid-term goals
and strategy setting.
“Our goal is to expand our sales
back to pre-pandemic levels by thetime we reach our 48th anniversary,” Mr. Sakamoto states. “However,on a more personal note, I’m reallyconcerned with the wellbeing andthe prosperity of all the employees
and their families. I hope Mabuchi
is able to provide for those in its
network in more than 50 years’,and even 100 or 200 years’ time,
and to have an environment where
the staff can work cheerfully andprovide for their families, so that
all the employees are proud of Mabuchi. To achieve that, I think a lot
about what we need to do.”www.k-mabuchi.co.jp

Steadily moving next-generationindustries in the right direction

YUEI products

YUEI, a leading manufacturer of casters, is integrating original techniques into products
which simplify the labor operations of diverse global corporations.
A stalwart of the Japanese
caster industry with 45 yearsof experience, YUEI continues togo from strength to strength. The
secret, according to company
president, Kota Ojima, is simple:“We respond to each and every
one of our customers’ requests
and have a deep understandingof their needs.”

IoT Sensor Caster
If that approach gives the ﬁrm aclear competitive advantage, thenJapan’s demographic situation isstill creating headaches. Fully automating the manufacturing process is attractive but unrealistic.
Instead, YUEI is looking to reduce“Our strength isthat we are able tocustomize our casters
and other products tomeet the exact needsof our clients.”
Kota Ojima,
President & CEO,YUEI Co., Ltd.
the number of workers required example, promises to improvefor individual processes.
working conditions for laborers
Mr. Ojima is adamant, howin the construction
ever, that releasing engineers
and automotive inis not on the cards. Rather, by
dustries. Smoostar
increasing production lines, theyprotects goods fromwill become even more indisshocks and vibrations
pensable to the ﬁrm’s output.
during transportation,
Either way, it’s clear thatand will soon be followed
exciting plans are afoot. The
onto the market by a casterlaunch of the Ultimate
equipped with an
Urethane Caster, for Ulitmate Urethane Caster IoT sensor.

With an established market in
China, Mr. Ojima is looking to expand the company’s operations in
Vietnam, where mesh pallets are
already produced for the Vietnamese and Japanese markets.
“In the future,” Mr. Ojima states,“we would like to produce casters
at our Vietnam factory so that
we can expand caster sales inSoutheast Asia.”
And that is far from his only
stated ambition. Having cornered a 25% share in the Japanese domestic market and more
recently become the country’s
top caster maker, the next target for YUEI is to push sales to
JPY 10 billion. And after that?
“Become the number one castermaker in the world.”

www.yueicaster.co.jp/en

Kanaoka’s new Reiwa Plant a “world-first”
for water-based inkjet printing
The company aims to achieve overwhelming productivity gains through digital and
AI technologies and an industry-leading ‘decarbonized society’ solution.

“We focus on potential
issues and try to solve
and mitigate them now.”
Yoshinobu Kanaoka,
President,
Kanaoka Holdings Co., Ltd.
Kanaoka is one of the leading
flexible packaging manufacturers in Japan. Having built its

Reiwa Plant
two state-of-the-art plants thiscentury, the Saitama Plant 3 in2006 and Kansai Plant in 2011,
the company has just opened a
new revolutionary facility: theReiwa Plant.
“Reiwa Plant is the world’s ﬁrst
commercial production plant forwater-based inkjet printing,” says
Yoshinobu Kanaoka, President of
Kanaoka Holdings. “The plant will
enable us to achieve unparalleledproductivity gains through digital and AI technologies and an
industry-leading ‘decarbonizedsociety’ solution through waterbased inkjet printing.”

For Reiwa Plant, the company
is focusing on researching anddeveloping more suitable printing methods and materials to
help solve social issues such as
plastic waste, carbon dioxide
emissions and labor shortages.
The new plant will utilize digital and AI technology, including

Product samples
AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robot) and an in-house developed‘Automatic Colour Matching
System’, with Kanaoka harboring ambitions to fully automate
operations in the factory withina few years of opening.

Water-based inkjet printing press“We are focusing on upgrading our inkjet printing press,
which we aim to complete
within three years,” says Mr.
Kanaoka. “With this upgraded
model, we aim to store printing
data in advance and link it to
our AMRs. Flexible packaging
manufacturing is significantly
behind when it comes to automation. By combining our inkjet
printing press with our ‘Automatic Colour Matching System’and AMRs, the so-called Industry 4.0 can be achieved in flexible packaging manufacturing.”

www2.kanaoka.co.jp/en

The bubble tech providing new eco solutions
Maruyama’s latest novel invention – ultrafine bubble technology – is bringing
sustainable solutions for the global food, water and environmental sanitation sectors.
Whilst approximately 70% ofMaruyama’s sales come from the agricultural machinery it manufactures
for the domestic and global markets,the company also specializes in pumptechnology, with an estimated 80%
of commercial car wash facilities
in the U.S. alone using its patented
water-saving pump equipment.
“Maruyama is contributing tosociety by providing products thatare trusted, using our state-ofthe-art pump and other technologies that help people use precious
water resources more effectively,”says Takaharu Uchiyama, President of Maruyama.

Carwasher
The company’s main pillars are
food, water and the environment,
and its latest novel invention – ultrafine bubble technology – provides“We believe strongly in theimportance of maintaining
a harmonious relationshipbetween people and theenvironment.”
Takaharu Uchiyama,
President,
Maruyama Mfg. Co., Inc.
solutions for all these segments. “In
pursuit of our vision, we used our
pump technology in collaboration
with another Japanese company todevelop this ultrafine bubble technology,” says Mr. Uchiyama.
The applications of this technology are very diverse. For example,
it has been used in environmental
sanitation, helping reduce the urine
sediments in urinals. The productis also used in the preparation andwashing of vegetables in the foodsector, helping reduce the amountof chemical left on the produce,
whilst reducing the amount of water needed in the washing process.
The company is now also developing
a prototype shower head that uses
ultrafine bubbles, which it claims

can help alleviate dry skin and otherskin-based ailments.
“We have also recently developed a device to extend the life of

Backpack blower

Large-scale agricultural sprayer
water-soluble cutting fluid (coolant) used in metal processing,”says Mr. Uchiyama. “Our device
instantly creates ultra-fine bubbles
in the coolant, which has the effectof inhibiting deterioration causedby the growth of bacteria without
the use of additives. We are working to commercialize this productfor machine tool manufacturers
and others who are striving to reduce their environmental impact.”
The Maruyama president says
the company’s philosophy stems
from its mission to make a difference in the lives of hard working
people. “We also believe strongly
in the importance of maintaining aharmonious relationship between
people and the environment,” hesays. “Maruyama wholeheartedly
takes on the challenge of developing and manufacturing productsthat not only support a stable
food supply, but also achieve balance with the environment.”
www.maruyama.co.jp/english

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO“My goal is to use theexperiences I havegained to chart a new
100-year course forthe company.”
Masunao Ochiai,
President,
Ochiai Cutlery Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Ochiai Cutlery: Here’s to the next 100 years
Ochiai Cutlery Manufacturing
Company has been deliveringhigh-end technology to its
clients in the tea industry andbeyond since 1919.
In the 100 or so years since it ﬁrst
introduced a manual tea picking
shear to the market, industry giant Ochiai has been obliged toadapt to many challenges.
Perhaps that is why company
president Masunao Ochiai remains
bullish in the face of Japan’s muchdiscussed demographic situation:“While it is true that the domestic

market is limited (due to the aging population), there are great
opportunities overseas not only
for tea, but also in other industries
such as ﬂower harvesting.”

In fact, Mr. Ochiai argues thatthe biggest issue for the company
is not the country’s shrinking agricultural sector, but rather the moveaway from traditional engines.

Not that he is cowed by that either. With various zero emission
products in development, Ochiai
will launch its ﬁrst battery-powered
hedge trimmer in the near future,and it is hoped that existing collaborations with companies suchas Yanmar, Yamabiko and Makita
will go from strength to strength.
Overseas, Mr. Ochiai is looking
to expand the company’s presencein China, with India and Africa
representing other potential target
markets as urbanization in thosecountries increases. In Europe,
meanwhile, there is “great potential
for applications other than tea.”With a range of “advanced andcomplex manufacturing technology” at its fingertips, the key,according to Mr. Ochiai, will be“pushing it to the forefront andmarketing it.”www.ochiai-1.co.jp/english

Kawasaki Kiko: Tea making for the ages
Kawasaki Kiko’s know-how has allowed it to provide tea processing machines used
all over Japan, as well as being exported across the globe, for well over a century.

“We will continue toexplore each and every
possibility needed
to respond to ever
diversifying tea needs.”
Yosuke Kawasaki,
President,
Kawasaki Kiko Co., Ltd.
Since its founding in 1905,
Kawasaki Kiko has been oneof the Japanese tea industry’s
major players. Specializing in
the manufacture of unrefinedtea processing equipment suchas steamers and dryers, it also
provides facilities for generaltea production, including tea
farm management machines.

had a strong presence in China– the world’s largest tea market – since the 1990s. Now thecompany is looking to expand
its international presence andpartnerships further aﬁeld. But
what sets Kawasaki Kiko apart?
Tea processing plant“All of this is part of a continual
total effort to provide beneﬁts forour customers through our products,” says Yosuke Kawasaki, president of Kawasaki Kiko. “We willcontinue to explore each and every
possibility needed to respond toever diversifying tea needs, providing equipment that enables people
around the world to produce tea
they can drink with a feeling ofsafety and peace of mind, while
also applying the principles of tea
making created by our predecessors along with our own advanced
knowledge and technology.”
A dominant force domestically, Kawasaki Kiko has also

Riding-type tea harvester

Tea analyzer“It’s not necessarily the quality of machines that we canprovide, or what kind of proprietary technologies we canincorporate into the assemblyof parts and components,” says
Mr. Kawasaki. “It’s more thethought that goes behind why
we need to apply these kindsof specific processes, or whatkind of machine would be ideal
for each step in production. It’s
that drive that gives us ourcompetitive edge.”
Such know-how has enabled
Kawasaki Kiko to provide tea
processing machines used allover Japan, as well as being exported all across the globe, forover a century. “I believe that
this kind of competitive edge andknow-how can be seen as a huge
upside when dealing with newpartners,” says Mr. Kawasaki.
www.kawasaki-kiko.co.jp/eng