CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

The might of monozukuri: how Japanese companies
remain untouchable in many niche fields
Japan has faced stiffer regional
competition from the likes ofChina, Taiwan and Korea in recent decades, as these countries
have grown increasingly stronger
in areas such as electronics, semiconductors, and automobiles. But
behind the scenes, Japanese SMEs
still dominate niche B2B-facing industries, leveraging Japan’s monozukuri craftsmanship philosophy,
which entails the development ofsuperior-quality components andmachinery defined by unmatchable
performance; as well as an acuteunderstanding of customer needs.
“Japanese companies are very
meticulous in responding to theend user’s needs. By doing so,they have greatly improved theirproduct line-up,” says Toru Nishido, president of Iwatsu Electric,
which manufactures communication systems, printing systems,
and test and measurement systems. “Japanese monozukuri liesin the developers, that is, the teamalways caters to the needs of users in great detail.”“For our company, monozukuri
means pursuing customer satisfaction with regard to quality andcost, which is the only way that asmall company that operates in aniche field like ours can survive,”says Takayuki Ochiai, president
and CEO of industrial fastener
manufacturer, Ochiai. “We havestable demand because our products have diversified applications
in various industries such as construction equipment, housing, andautomotive. I truly believe that thecost and quality are the two major
factors that allow us to prevail
against harsh competition.”
Harsh competition has also
been a challenge for Japan’s
semiconductor industry. But as
the nation has lost significant
market share in the productionof semiconductors, it leads theglobe when it comes to semiconductor manufacturing equipment,
thanks to companies like Tokyo
Electron (TEL), which aims toinvest ¥400bn ($3.5bn) in R&D.
“Each ‘new age’ means newtechnologies and more investment
in R&D to keep ahead of the curve.
We pride ourselves on being one ofthe only companies in the world toalways assure the best quality, andToru Nishido, President & CEO,Iwatsu Electric Co., Ltd.
the most advanced technologies,”says TEL president, Toshiki Kawai.
“In order to be market leaders,
we have enhanced the patterning
activities in lithography, etching, singular deposition, and wet
cleaning, and we are one of the
only companies in the world tohave these four elements in the
production process. In addition,
we have the largest worldwide
share of EUV and coater developer manufacturing.”
meistier corporation also excels
in the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Its uniquestrengths can be divided into two
major categories, as explainedby president, Seiya Kudo. “Firstis the ability to make proposals
using technologies that we excel
at, such as image processing AI,”he says. “The second is our global
support capability that maximizes
the LTV (lifetime value) of field
service equipment. A lot of semiconductor manufacturing equipment stays in use for more thanten years. Our goal is to improve
the accuracy of such equipment
and extend service life.”
Cleaning is another vital part ofthe semiconductor manufacturing
process and the field in which
SCREEN Holdings has a strong
market share. Having started asa printing business, SCREEN also
supplies equipment to the PCB
and electronics industries, and has
recently leveraged its innovative
capabilities to enter renewables
and life sciences.
“Our business model, whichis to create solutions together
with our customers, whatever
their needs may be, remains
unchanged. Beginning with ourprinting business, we have always
pursued this model,” says president, Toshio Hiroe. “The same
applies for our other businessareas such as semiconductors
or displays: we go to the markets

Tetsuya Nakayama,
President, TRUSCO
where our customers are and wework together with them to findthe solutions to their problems.”
Moving to materials science:
Nippon Carbon is one of theworld’s largest suppliers of carbon
products to the semiconductor
market, supplying around 60%of what is used by semiconductor
wafer companies. “Our expertiseis heat treatment, and as such
we can propose C/C composite,a reinforced carbon material thatprevents distortion, to our global
clients,” says president Takafumi
Miyashita, adding that the company plans to invest more in R&D
to meet the latest demands of thesemiconductor industry. “Due tothe higher levels of purificationneeded from the silicon semiconductor field, we are exerting moreenergy into our material R&D.
Carbon plays a key role, but it
is such a simple material, which
compels us to increase our R&D
strategy to offer more attractive
proposals to our clients.”
For its part, Nihon Parkerizing
also counts heat treatment amongits main strengths, with its rustprevention materials and coating
technologies used for a wide range
of industries and applications, including components for electric vehicles (EVs). “In terms of chemicals
for electronic components usedin EVs, our clients require greater
functionality, better heat treatment and greater accuracy. Luckily, we have the experience, thetechnology and the will required toanswer all of their demands,” sayspresident, Mitsuru Matsumoto.
“Furthermore, our products andservices help clients attain higher
sustainability. By providing chemicals free of hazardous materials,
such as chrome-free chemicals, we
contribute to the creation of safer
industrial standards.”
Also playing its part in environmental sustainability, Asaka Riken

Toshiki Kawai,
President, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
operates in the extremely niche
but increasingly important areaof lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling, as well as recycling of precious metals. “Today, we have thetechnology to recycle LIB in a safeand reasonable manner. While thistechnology is known to various
companies, not all firms employ
the same process. At Asaka Riken,
we have developed our own LIB
recycling technology and no othercompany utilizes the same technique,” says CEO Yusaku Yukita.
“We are currently aiming to
use LIB recycled materials for
new LIB processes, which meansthat we aim to recover 100% of
the materials from all the metals and components used in the
production process.”
While it is not involved in manufacturing, TRUSCO plays an important role in the manufacturing
supply chain as a trading company
supplying products to JapaneseSMEs across a wide range ofindustries. Also operating as an
MRO (maintenance, repair andoperation supplies) wholesaler,
TRUSCO has accelerated digitaltransformation to further enhance
the quality of its services.
“One of our strengths is that
we have a great digital networkin terms of distribution. We evenhave our data centre set up within our headquarters,” explainspresident, Tetsuya Nakayama. “I
don’t think there are any companies putting this much investment
into digitizing their system.
“There are many ways for us tocontinue growing, like in MRO or
direct delivery systems,” he adds.
“In this way, we are able to provide services that don’t exist in
the industry or the world yet andby doing so, we create greater
value. We will always strive to be
a company that is indispensablewith our contributions to Japan’s
manufacturers.”

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Sharing the future: creating sustainablegrowth for business and society

SCREEN Holdings uses their proven technologies and combined expertise to innovate
for a sustainable world.

“In the more than
150 years since ourfounding, SCREEN
has experienced
incredible growth anddiversiﬁcation. We
will continue working
to further deepen our
proud history andconstantly improve ourcorporate value.”Toshio Hiroe,
CEO & President,
SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
From energy, semiconductors andelectronics to pharmaceuticals andbio-sciences, there are incredible
and transformative developments
happening in these innovation-driven industries, and SCREEN Holdings
is proud to be playing a fundamentalrole behind the scenes in all of them.

OMNITO Inkjet Printing System
Established as a printing company over 150 years ago, SCREEN
produced Japan’s first photographic glass screens in 1938 andthroughout its history the company has sought to continuously
reﬁne technologies in its three coreareas: surface processing, direct
imaging and image processing.

These core technologies haveformed the basis of SCREEN’s successful expansion in the semiconductors, PCB, electronics, display
and print industries, and more
recently its moves into renewableenergy and life sciences. Having
opened its ﬁrst overseas ofﬁce in
Los Angeles in 1966, today SCREEN
has a presence in over 30 countries, including in Europe and North
America, and is recognized as aleading global manufacturer of cutting-edge production equipment.
With a strong position in the ﬁeldof cleaning equipment for front-end
semiconductor production, including a 40% global market sharein the single wafer cleaning ﬁeld,
company president, Toshio Hiroe,
now aims to grow SCREEN’s presence in the middle and back-end
processes, through the development of new processes for cleaning,such as for new extreme ultraviolet
lithography technologies.
“As the middle and back-end processes are getting smaller and more
complicated, they require new cleaning technologies. I believe there areplenty of business opportunities out
there,” Mr. Hiroe explains. “Largescale transformation is happening
in every business ﬁeld such as semiconductors, displays, or PCBs, andwe are looking to ﬁnd business opportunities in this transformation.”
Amid growing demand for batchcleaning equipment in several areasof semiconductor manufacturing,
SCREEN has the answer with FC3100, which cleans multiple wafers
simultaneously in a bath, as opposed to spraying them individually.
“Batch cleaning is necessary forsome specialized applications,” Mr.
Hiroe explains. “For example, for

the NAND memory’s deep contact,which has more than 120 layers, thebatch cleaning process is better as
the solution needs to permeate intoa small structure. That is just one
example, but there is still a certain
demand for that batch-type cleaning technology and we have 70%of the market technology.”
Supporting the green revolution forms another pillar of
SCREEN’s vision. The company
began producing low-cost fuelcells in 2013, while its collaboration with Tokyo Gas on a waterelectrolysis cell stack system targets the production of clean lowcost hydrogen in the near future.
In the field of life sciences,
SCREEN aims to utilize its threecore technologies, surface treatment, image processing, and direct
imaging, to support new innovative healthcare solutions. “Throughour market research, we saw great

growth potential in the life sciencemarket,” explains Mr. Hiroe. “Wetherefore decided to enter the regenerative medicine ﬁeld and to
apply our imaging technology to thisunprecedented
area.”

SU-3300 Single Wafer Cleaner
In the more than 150 years since
its founding, SCREEN has experienced incredible growth and diversiﬁcation, and over the next century the company will continue toadvance its technologies to create
sustainable growth for its clients,society and the environment.

INNOVATION FOR A
SUSTAINABLE WORLDwww.screen.co.jp/en

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Mastering evolving technology to create a future
we can be proud of for the next generation

Over the years, meistier corporation has developed, manufactured and set up many kinds of manufacturing equipment
for customers around the world, mainly in the semiconductor industry. In recent years, we have provided new value toour customers by introducing our own in-house developed image processing AI, IoT systems, and robot solutions.

Global Field Engineering Support
Delivering cutting-edge technology
from Kumamoto, Japan, to the restof the world, meistier corporation
provides comprehensive support tomaximize equipment life-time value,
constantly improving our expertiseto meet the needs of local customers.
Through a fusion of manpower
and ICT, we can efﬁciently connect
our Fab support engineer teams
around the world with customers
regardless of time or distance. This
ensures that the most suitable engineers are always available to respondto customer requests and provide
speedy and timely support.

By pursuing and utilizing a
striving to increase ourknow-how to best meet
“Smart ICT Support System”
local customer needs.
that makes full use of ourWe also use our own
global network of ofﬁces,
in-house developed IoT,
the skills of our experiAI, and robotics; and by
enced employees, and also
making full use of these techbig data, we can work together with our customers
nologies, we will conImaging AI Technology
tribute to identifying
to create a smart sociCapabilities as a coreand solving issues reety of the future.
competency
lated to the customization andOver the years, meistiercorporation has focused on ac- innovation of production sites thatcumulating production technol- accurately meet society’s needs.
We can deﬁne the “six senses”
ogy, equipment technology, system
integration technology, and main- as the ﬁve human senses of sight,
tenance technology, while always hearing, touch, taste, and smell, plus
“perception/prediction”, and we aim
to replicate and even surpass thesesix senses through our image processing technology. In 2020, we
started selling our own brand ofimage processing software, VINIE,
which embodies this AI technology.
This product is already being used in
Cutting-edge Smart System Creation

various ﬁelds such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment andcommunicative robots.

“We are now working
to strengthen our new
Global Engineering
Support system.”
Seiya Kudo, President andCEO, meistier corporationwww.meistier.co.jp

The pioneer of electrostatic chucks
Creative Technology is leveraging its pioneering
semiconductor handling technologies to expand into newﬁelds such as robotics, food and textiles.

In a field as constantly evolving
as semiconductors, innovation
becomes not just an advantage
but a necessity to survive. Japan’s Creative Technology has
been at the forefront of the industry for nearly 30 years, andtoday uses its culmination of
past technologies to provide an
all-encompassing one-stop shop
for electrostatic chucks.
By truly understanding thefunctional side of electrostatic
chucks, Creative Technology
provides a unique service forits clients. As president Yoshiaki
Tatsumi explains: “Making fulluse of our knowledge and expe-

rience so far, we strive to comeup with the best solution fromevery angle, starting from design
to production.”
By way of example, the company is able to apply its chucks
not only in the semiconductor
field, but also in other applications such as robotics and foodproducts, to name but two of
the wide range of innovative
uses Creative Technology has
developed for its chucks.

Indeed, Mr. Tatsumi reveals
that electrostatic technology canbe widely applied in the textile
industry where “one electrostatic
automatization system can replace the labor of 100 people.”“Our approach is to focus
on semiconductors andthis is the default priority
for business expansion
overseas.”
Yoshiaki Tatsumi,
President,
CREATIVETECHNOLOGY CO.
Creative Technology’s singularskill set has led to the company
expanding to Singapore, theUnited States, Taiwan, Germany, and South Korea, where itis creating a new state-of-theart plant. Creative Technology
works with its overseas partners
to fully understand the particular needs and traits of the local
market before creating tailormade solutions.
This constant search for innovation encouraged Creative
Technology to move into the
B2C field, developing products
from wearables to drones, andthis expansion will help thecompany find even more synergies between electrostatic
chuck production and the product’s material applications foryears to come.

www.creative-technology.co.jp/english

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Seiwa Optical: The machine visionand inspection equipment specialists
Leveraging its excellent reputation for quality optical solutions in the semiconductor andindustrial equipment ﬁelds, Seiwa Optical is also now expanding its innovation into life sciences.
The history of Japan’s optical equipment manufacturers can be traced
back to World War II, during whichthese companies provided scopes
for the munitions industry. In the
post-war period, focus shifted tothe development of microscopes,
industrial measuring instruments
and electro-optical devices, before
eventually expanding to semiconductors and, more recently, opticaldevices for new technologies suchas the Internet of Things, automation and artiﬁcial intelligence (AI).
As such, optical manufacturers
have played a very important rolein Japan’s industrial development,with Seiwa Optical being one of
the chief players in the industry formore than seven decades. “Seiwa
Optical was founded in 1947. To
sustain the business over such along time, it has been necessary to
manage it with a balance between
traditional inheritance and modern
innovation,” says company president, Isao Okazaki. “Many long-

Exposure and inspection
equipment for semiconductors
standing companies are pursuinguniqueness and an uncompromising attitude rather than proﬁt, andwe are in that category.”
Today, Seiwa Optical’s threemain business segments are optics, industrial equipment and environment. In the past, the company
mainly manufactured equipment
for display panels, but has since
shifted to semiconductor equipment. Meanwhile, with automation in the industrial ﬁeld evolving

Assembly and adjustment of
Projection Exposure Lenses
at an ever-increasing pace, machine vision has become anothercore business, with the company’s
range of products in this ﬁeld including image input equipment(in which telecentric lenses andhigh-deﬁnition cameras play animportant role), high-uniformity
illumination systems, auto-focus
systems, XYθ stages, image processing systems and software.
“The application of Industry
4.0 in high-tech companies has
become more and more common,” says Mr. Okazaki. “Ouroptical systems are related to
optical technology (inspection,
positioning, etc.), and theseare essential for automatedproduction lines through theintroduction of AI, which isnecessary for smart factories.”
In the industrial equipment
business, Seiwa Optical develops
production and inspection equipment that is indispensable to production lines for semiconductors
and various electronics devices andcomponents, including microLED
displays, all-solid-state lithium-ion
batteries, laminated capacitors,
and PKG substrates. “These are
the products that we are focusing
on as they have great potential foroverseas sales,” Mr. Okazaki adds.
Life sciences has recently become the fourth pillar for thecompany, which identiﬁed Japan’s
weakness in the ﬁeld of medical
equipment as the country relies
heavily on imports. “What I told
the government is that we foresee a medical revolution,” explains

Mr. Okazaki, with Seiwa Opticalsubsequently managing to secure
government funding to make laser
processing and inspection products
for the medical and life scienceﬁelds. “We hope that this fourthbusiness pillar will strengthen us
and lead us to becoming a 100-yearcompany,” he adds.
As a leader in a range of nichehigh-tech areas, Seiwa Optical’s
approach to R&D combined with its
OEM (original equipment manufacturer) business model has been key
to the company’s success. “Our approach to R&D is to work in a tightIn-house designed and assembled
Microscope Objective Lenses
knit relationship with our customers,” says Mr. Okazaki. “We provide
OEM customized technology speciﬁcally for our customers’ needs,
and we also make their black box
units to provide unique technology
for our customers to win and growthe business. This is how niche top
companies strategize.”
With wholly owned
subsidiaries in sevencountries (Japan, USA,
Germany, Korea, Taiwan,
China, and Singapore)and 12 distributors in

NIR Digital
Microscope for Wafer
Internal Observationneighboring countries, Seiwa Optical continues to grow its businessinternationally and is looking toutilize joint ventures, M&As andco-creation partners to expand
both its technological capabilities
and geographical reach.

“We will continue to
strive with passion
to create innovativetechnology based on
our experienced core
optical technology.”
Isao Okazaki,
President,
SEIWA OPTICAL CO., LTD.
“When we expand overseas, we
focus on research and development
to suit the circumstances of eachcountry. Then we work with inno-

Machine Vision Lenses designed
to bring customer’s equipment to
the world’s best
vation and high technology, and as
a result we have a wide variety of
products,” says Mr. Okazaki.
“We want to contribute to thedevelopment of the world economy
by developing and selling valuable
products that can respond to thecircumstances of each country
on the planet. To do so, wemust keep up with global
trends but at the sametime, we have to maintainthe basic principles of thecompany along withwhat we have gained
through our experiences. The core of our
products will continue
to be optical engines.
In the next ﬁve years, we
expect to see signiﬁcant advances in technology. Hopefully, we will
not only be a part of them, but also
be a worldwide frontrunner to leadthe core optical instrument ﬁeld.”
www.seiwaopt.co.jp

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIOTOYO: Worldwide Quest for Precision
Founded in 1953, TOYO Corporation is the leading provider ofadvanced measurement instruments and systems in Japan.
The company is on a mission to provide original solutions toemerging industries such as automotive, telecommunications,and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) around the world.

Automotive OTA Testing System
TOYO emphasizes its commitment to creating original, innovative and high-quality solutions
and delivering great pre andafter-sales service and satisfaction for customers across its
business units. This approachprovides a formidable businessmodel for the company.
One area presenting an advantage of TOYO’s diverse portfolio is the automotive sector. In
the past, test strategies werefocused on engine noise andvibration. These days however
the industry has turned its attention to connected cars, batteries, and electric motors. This
seismic change necessitates thedevelopment of an entirely different set of test and measurement systems. The company iswell-positioned to support thedevelopment of this key industry
due to the bold and transformative steps it has taken.

“Our approach is toleverage different
technologies in innovative
ways to create marketbased solutions.”

TOYO customers depend on
its advanced OTA (Over the Air)
testing system to build nextgen automobiles. To ensure thereliability and integrity of suchvehicles, TOYO’s test system
conducts vehicle communication
performance testing in a virtualenvironment that provides realworld measurements. Ensuring
accuracy and stability during a
test, the system delivers reliable
results. Meanwhile, the systemutilizes an ultra-fast patented
algorithm, adopted by the 3GPP
standards body, to improve test
cycle times and drive down costs.
Another featured solution is
its patented SYNESIS packet
capturing system, which captures packets without loss up to

Toshiya Kohno, President & CEO,TOYO Corporation
200 Gbps for any Ethernet linkspeed (1-100 Gbps), and also has
the capability to replay the captured data in test environmentsfor verification. Furthermore,
its portability allows for rapid
deployment in a lab, an offsite
location, and a data center as atemporary big data packet collector. The unit is self-containedwith its own monitor, keyboard,and all the necessary software.
TOYO takes the approach ofleveraging the different technologies in innovative ways tocreate market-based solutions.

www.toyo.co.jp/english/
www.toyotechus.com

Right MFG: Combining monozukuri and kokorozashi
With over 70 years of experience,
Right MFG, a Japanese company
specializing in the manufacturingof medical & optical instruments
and semiconductor manufacturing
equipment, relies on two words todeﬁne its very essence: ‘monozukuri’, the Japanese craftsmanshipphilosophy at the heart of its manufacturing, and ‘kokorozashi’, which
represents will, motivation, initiative or a sense of purpose throughcontributing to society, which istaught as the Japanese spirit.
As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Right MFG provides
a range of products and services for
its clients,from design tomanufacturing as a “Monozukuri
Specialist” for OEM export, with thecompany boasting original brandproducts that are revolutionizing
their respective ﬁelds. The uniqueN2 purge system forms the basis of
its new functions in the semiconductor handling equipment ﬁeld, while
its AVG (with lifter) guarantees
optimal efﬁciency in replacing conventional conveyor production lines.
One area of Right MFG’s portfolio which is really ﬂourishing is its
Righton Brand, more speciﬁcallyits product line of ophthalmic
instruments: the Handheld Autorefractkeratometer Retinomax
Series and Acomoref.

Semiconductor N2 Purge

AcomorefRetinomax

Retinomax is the world leader forthis handheld type of technology,
being able to measure human eye
refraction and corneal curvature
utilized for telemedicine. Acomoref,
on the other hand, boasts a function to measure Accommodative
Microﬂuctuation to check eye fatigue caused by computer screensor smartphones. Two revolutionary
products to help people in the digitalage who are suffering from eye problems as well as those who just need aquick and stress-free vision check-up.
Instigating such cutting-edge
technology requires a symbiotic relationship with its customers. Working
closely with its clients allows Right
MFG to be informed throughout theentirety of any product life cycle:
from the R+D stage to product production, which is an integral part ofmonozukuri. “I strongly feel that weshould not just keep on doing ourmonozukuri based on what we already know and have,” says Osamu
Tsunoda, president of Right MFG.
With its monozukuri being underpinned by kokorozashi, Right
MFG simply does not allow itself
to depend on former successes,“I recognize theimportance of
establishing very strong
monozukuri in Japan,
because monozukuri
itself is also changing.”
Osamu Tsunoda,
President,
RIGHT MFG. CO., LTD.
instead, the company adheres to a
forward-looking perspective whileaccomplishing its single-minded mission: to manufacture high-quality
products while providing the world
with a contribution that really counts.

https://rightmfg.co.jp

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Steely resolve: Krosaki Harima focusedon ESG best practices

Having supplied the steel industry for more than a century, today Krosaki Harima Corporation is focused on
expanding its global operations in line with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) best practices.
Since it was established in 1918,
Krosaki Harima Corporation has
played a vital role supplying quality materials to Japan’s mainindustries, especially the steel
sector. Today, the company ismainly engaged in the manufacture of refractory materials,
operating through its three main
business segments: Refractories,
Furnaces, and Ceramics.
“There is a close relationship between the refractories and furnace
segments in particular. In order toinstall an energy saving furnace,appropriate refractories are essential,” explains Kazuhiro Egawa,President of Krosaki Harima Corporation. “In addition to this, in our
traditional business segment, weare strengthening our advanced
ceramics business to supply thesemiconductor industry primarily,
but also the aerospace and medical industries. We have uniqueadvanced ceramics technology
which shows high performanceand function and we are expanding this business area not only inJapan, but also overseas.”
Alongside the global expansion of its ceramics business, thecompany already has several refractory companies worldwide,
mainly driven by the significant
demand in China and India forsteel production.
“In Europe we are supplying not only the steel industry,
but also to the cement market,”says Mr. Egawa. “The refractories for cement kilns in Europe
are selling strongly and can beexported to Latin America andEastern Europe. Very recently,
we entered into a technologicaland distribution agreement with
ArcelorMittal Poland. This means
we can now supply all types ofrefractories to all of the European
steel manufacturers through a
combination of our worldwide
Krosaki Harima Group products.”
As part of this global expansion strategy, Krosaki Harima isseeking further joint ventureswith other reliable partners
worldwide, having also recently
entered into a distribution agree-“As a business, we’re notconcerned with which
generation, gender, or
nationality somebody
is, but who can takeresponsibility and fulﬁltheir duties best.”
Kazuhiro Egawa,President,
Krosaki Harima Corporation
Functional
refractories
Refractories
for furnaces

ment with a Brazilian company, are also a part of instruments
and is currently focusing on the that are being used in the effort
United States as a priority mar- to test and prevent the spread ofket. Implementing the company’s COVID-19, so I think there arecore corporate policy to “produce great opportunities to expand
locally and supply locally”, the our business here.”This is not the only valuableGroup is now supplying refractories to almost all the steel manu- contribution Krosaki Harima
Corporation is making towards
facturers in the United States.
One product proving particu- an environmentally-friendly solarly popular in the Group’s core ciety in its role as a sociallyglobal markets is NEXCERA™ responsible business, says thezero thermal expansion ceram- company president.
ics, which
NEXCERATM Applications
minimizes
the thermal
expansion of
the material
when under
heat. “This isvaluable not
only in thesemiconductor industry
Hole Plate
Mirror
Step Gauge
to make ﬁner
“We are today helping to prosemiconductors, but it is alsoneeded in the production of duce very clean steel. For examsatellites and measuring refer- ple, in the continuous steel castingence instruments,” explains Mr. line, with our Alumina Graphite
Egawa. “Our advanced ceramics material refractory, steel manu-

facturers can produce very highquality steel for ultra-lightweightautomobiles as well as electricvehicles (EVs). We now have thebiggest market share for this typeof product which can produce
ultimate clean steel.”
Another way Krosaki Harimais helping the environment is in
the development of energy saving furnaces which can recover
50-70% of the energy emitted
in exhaust gases. “In the case of
a 1,200 degrees celsius furnacethat represents a deduction ofheat storage of 64% as well asa reduction of radiant heat by
45%, this contributes greatly toenergy saving,” says Mr. Egawa.
“We additionally have cooperated with partners to install 35
biomass power generators, notonly in Japan but also in other
Asian countries, and I see this as
another big opportunity for us toexpand our business worldwide.”
Besides its clear environmental
focus, the business is increasingly
determined on improving the diversity and inclusion of its workforce in line with international corporate governance best practices.
“We are increasing the number of
non-Japanese as well as female
employees and delegating a lot ofwork to younger generations. Asa business, we’re not concernedwith which generation, genderor nationality somebody is. We’re
more concerned about who cantake responsibility and fulﬁl theirduties best,” says Mr. Egawa.
“We respect each person andthe culture and traditions in which
they work, but at the same time,in order to produce high-quality
materials we request them tofollow our company policies. Aslong as our employees do that,
we believe they can contribute tosociety and gain respect among
their community, which will lead toa prosperous future for everyone.”www.krosaki.co.jp/en

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Kureha to meet growing lithium-ion battery market demands
Kureha Corporation is a leading diversiﬁed chemical products manufacturer. Since
its inception in 1944, Kureha has constantly sought to support and enhance an everchanging society through its original technology and strong corporate culture.

Yutaka Kobayashi,
President and CEO,
Kureha Corporation
Kureha Corporation has recently announced its decision to build a new
polyvinylidene ﬂuoride (PVDF) plantat its wholly owned subsidiary in the
Jiangsu Province of China. To becompleted in Spring 2024, Kureha’s
new 10,000-ton production facility
will allow the company to decisively
improve its capacity to address
the increasing requests for PVDF
among its customers. The plant’s ca-

Structure of lithium-ion battery (sourced by Kureha Corporation)
pacity will eventually reach 15,000 PVDF currently enjoys a dominant
tons per annum, aiding Kureha’s market position in the LIB segment,
mid-term plan to seamlessly align meaning the company’s future cawith market growth and increase pacity expansion will no doubt bringexcellent long-term rewards.
its revenue in the PVDF business.
With a presence in countries
PVDF, a binder material in lithiumion battery (LIB) manufacturing, is and regions such as the USA, UK,
experiencing fast-growing demand EU, China, Vietnam and Australia,
in the LIB-powered automobile Kureha also understands the need
sector as part of many countries’ to expand its business globally.
environmental initiatives. Kureha’s Kureha homes in on local knowl-

KF Polymer, Kureha’s
Polyvinylidene Fluorideedge for its product development
and differentiation. President Mr.
Yutaka Kobayashi outlines thecompany’s overseas approach:“We expect to see more autonomy
at our regional operation bases,
including strategy planning andexecution, while the headquarters
provides the necessary resources.”
This holistic approach allows
Kureha to build trust with all its
customers as well as providing
the company with the requisite
information needed to tailor its
products and address its customers’ changing needs before thecompetition. The future is certainly
bright for Kureha Corporation.

www.kureha.co.jp/en

Innovative recycling for the lithium-ion
batteries of the future“We aim to create asystem that can stop
overusing materials
and limited resources
by creating a circularand virtuous economy.”
Yusaku Yukita,CEO,ASAKA RIKEN CO., LTD.
The United Nations’ Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) havebecome a key objective in many
companies’ green initiatives.

However, it takes those truly
focused on creating sustainablechange for transformation to occur, and lithium-ion battery (LiB)
recycler Asaka Riken is a perfect
example of just that.
Founded in 1969, the company
possesses unique and protected
technology to recover valuable elements from LiB, which are set to be
used exponentially more as the worldtransitions towards electric vehicles.
As Asaka Riken President Yusaku Yukita explains: “We aim
to create a system that can stop
overusing materials and limited
resources by creating a circularand virtuous economy.”
Whilst other recycling companies often use rough processes

such as crushing and burning to recycle LiBs with the goal of extracting metals like nickel, Asaka Riken
is aiming to be able to recover
100% of the materials in LiBs tothen be reused in other LiBs.
Asaka Riken’s focus on sustainability is reflected in thecompany’s aim to not simply
develop the technology toachieve 100% recovery itself,
but rather look for partners tocooperate and co-develop thistechnology with.

In terms of this co-development, Mr. Yukita says: “Our ideal
business model is being invitedrather than competing.”

Now established as the forerunner in LiB recycling, Asaka Riken’seyes are ﬁrmly set on the future,with the company recognizing theneed for ﬂexibility and innovation
as the LiB industry rapidly develops. This ability to adapt is set tohelp Asaka Riken as it expands
its network of co-creators andcooperators through Asia, Europe,and North America.

www.asaka.co.jp/english/

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Exploring the potential of carbon

A huge exporter and supplier of carbon products to the global semiconductor industry, Nippon Carbon has ahistory of introducing innovations to the Japanese and global markets.

“Our company’s strategy
moving forward is
to contribute to thebusiness of our global
customers in terms ofhigh quality, cost, anddelivery (QCD).”
Takafumi Miyashita,
Representative Director & CEO,Nippon Carbon Co., Ltd.
For more than a century, Nippon
Carbon has been a pioneer inthe carbon industry, having succeeded in industrializing graphite
electrodes for electric arc furnaces, whilst also introducing
carbon fiber products for theﬁrst time in Japan. With these
innovations, the company has
continued to devote its experience and know-how in the ﬁeld ofcarbon and graphite by developing value-added carbon productsthat meet changing societal andindustrial needs.
In recent years, however, Nippon Carbon and the Japanese carbon industry have faced increased
regional competition. In order toenhance its competitiveness, thecompany is today proactively
exporting insulators for the heat
treatment ﬁeld, targeting the US,
Europe, and China.
“According to my estimations,
I believe that Nippon Carbon is
the greatest manufacturer andexporter of insulators in the heat
treatment ﬁeld,” asserts the representative director and CEO of Nippon Carbon, Takafumi Miyashita.
Indeed, Nippon Carbon is today a huge exporter and supplier of carbon products to theglobal semiconductor market,
supplying around 60% of what
is used by semiconductor wafer
companies. One of the reasons
why the company is so strong
in this market is because itsupplies all three components
demanded: insulators, C/C composites, and carbon specialty
materials. “However, I imagine
that the quality of Chinese competitor’s products in this market
will start to get better as time
progresses and therefore, weare striving to not lose out andmust continue to expand andimprove our quality even further.
That is our general direction,”says Mr. Miyashita.
In recent years, we have seena big change in the materials
used for semiconductor wafers
because of their applications.
Wafers that were traditionallymade from silicon are increasing,
especially for power electronics.
Likewise, compound semiconductors such as gallium nitride
or silicon carbide are creating
different needs in manufacturing, which makes it necessary
for producers to rethink their
supply chain and materials. So,
how has Nippon Carbon beenable to adapt to these changes?
“The semiconductor is the
key when you are starting toincorporate IoT into various
products,” says Mr. Miyashita.
“In Japan, there is a shortageof semiconductors and semiconductor makers are indicating that it is a challenge toadequately provide for manufacturers that need them. Due tohigher and higher levels of puri© JAXA

Carbon cloth is used as a rocket
nozzle insulator

Artiﬁcial graphite electrode

Crucible for semiconductor
crystal growth
fication needed and demandedby the silicon semiconductor
field, we are exerting moreenergy into our material R&D.
Carbon plays a key role, but it
is such a simple material, which
compels us to increase our R&D
strategy to offer more attractive
proposals to our clients.”
In terms of its other innovative products, silicon carbide(SC) continuous fibers like Nicalon and High-Nicalon have been
widely adopted for their various
characteristics and durability by
the aerospace field.
“Nicalon is now being manufactured by NGS Advanced Fibers Co., Ltd, which is part of our
subsidiary and a joint venture
between Nippon Carbon, GE
Aviation, and SAFRAN. There
are only two companies in theworld that can create SC continuous fibers. Nicalon’s greatest
application is in jet turbines,” explains Mr. Miyashita. “The reason why it works so well is thatwww.carbon.co.jp/english/

C/C composite coil spring
it does not become distorted andalso, it is lightweight, meaning
it creates higher levels of fuelefficiency and safety – which
is obviously very important foraerospace. I believe that thisproduct is definitely going to
be on the rise even in the postCovid world, with the increased
awareness and efforts on cutting down CO2 emissions andbecoming more fuel-efficient.”

Silicon carbide ﬁber is used forjet engines

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Nihon Parkerizing: fine-tuning and creating cuttingedge technology in increasingly diverse fields
Nihon Parkerizing, leader in the ﬁeld of surface modiﬁcation technology, celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2018 andhas no plans to slow down its pursuit of new business ventures in new markets.
Over its long history, Nihon Parkerizing has mainly tailored itself tothe core pillars of the Japanese
economy, namely the steel and automotive sectors. However, when acompany’s very lifeblood is a continuous enhancement of its technology, the pursuit of new areas for its
products becomes a logical end andan indubitable strength.
Two of Nihon Parkerizing’s
products which are currently
helping propel the company into
new pastures are Chidori and PalFeel. Both are the culmination ofLong-lasting antiviral andantibacterial spray, Pal-Feel“We will continue to sharpen
our technological capabilities toprovide high-quality products andservices globally while actively
seeking solutions for social issues.”
Mitsuru Matsumoto,President & COO,
Nihon Parkerizing Co., Ltd.
the Japanese term “suriawase,”translated as “ﬁne-tuning”.
President Mitsuru Matsumoto
outlines the company’s innovative spirit: “We have always beenahead of the times. Our corporate
culture has always been one of‘challenging new business areas,’so for us, venturing into new ﬁelds
is an integral part of our identity.”
Chidori is an electric scalpel widely praised by surgeons and medical
professionals alike. “When surgeons

employ a regular scalpel, blood andhuman body emissions routinely getstuck to the metal blade,” Mr. Matsumoto explains. “But by utilizing
our surface modiﬁcation treatment on an electric scalpel,
we can minimize the body tissues
and blood particles that get stuck
to the blade, thereby making the
cutting process much smoother.”
Pal-Feel, on the other hand, isan antibacterial spray for bacteria,
fungi and viruses, eliminating morethan 99% of these organisms. The
sprayed area forms a very thin ﬁlm
after drying and has long lasting
protective properties. This remarkable new product neatly ﬁts insideanother of Nihon’s predominant
aims: that of developing functionaland high-quality products within
the concept of “making daily life
more comfortable”.
As Nihon Parkerizing approaches
its 100-year anniversaryand new ﬁelds open
up to its
CHIDORI®
Disposable Active
Electorodetechnology, one of its core fortes
shines through time and time again- utilizing its base technology andsuccessfully applying it to different
business areas.
www.parker.co.jp/en

The importance of adding the final touch
to sophisticated machinery
EDOGAWA GOSEI specializes in producing conductive and cutting oil resistant paintreliable enough to protect Japan’s busiest machinery.

“We take chargeof customizing anddeveloping specialized
paints to meet thecustomers’ needs.”
Koji Shinohara, CEO,EDOGAWA GOSEI CO., LTD.

www.edog.co.jp/english

Japanese craftsmanship goes
far beyond simply skilled workers, it is a philosophy which encompasses every aspect of the
production process, including
the upkeep of machinery. Thesemachines working
continuously must
be created fromhigh-quality materials in order toperform optimally,an d ED O G AWA
G O SE I e n s u re s
manufacturers’ machines arecoated in outstandingly resistant, specialist paint.
Founded in 1935, EDOGAWAGOSEI’s innovative EPOLITE
paint provides a coating whichis resistant to cutting oil, and thecompany has developed paints
and coatings for a wide range
of industries, from semiconductors to healthcare. President of

EDOGAWA GOSEI, Koji Shinohara,
explains the company’s philosophy
is based around a combination of“the spirit of craftsmanship with ahidden sense of hospitality”.
EDOGAWA GOSEI also understands the need towork towards theUnited Nations’Sustainable Development Goals,
with it s AQUARECOAT, a waterbased paint forrecycled tires created to reduce
waste rubber, and the development of its eco-conscious LUBRIONE lubricating paint.
The reliability of the company’s products has led to it supplying paint for a special project
to provide disaster victims withheat, as well as for vital hospital
equipment such as MRI and CT
scan rooms.

Understanding the environmental needs of the market hashelped the company to expand to
Thailand, from where it is looking to grow throughout Southeast Asia through the forming offruitful business alliances.

Technical developer checking
the smoothness of the painting
ﬁlm in μ units

Optimal solutions forever-changing industries
IWATSU ELECTRIC is constantly striving to create new value and contribute toenriching society through a diverse array of communications systems, printing, andtest & measurement equipment.

IWATSU Head Ofﬁce in Tokyo
We live in a world that is shaped by
the speed of science, technology,
and communication. Companies
today face a myriad of challenges,
including ﬂexible product development that is in sync with the stateof the market, increasing sales, andmaking product availability more
efﬁcient and more sustainable.
IWATSU ELECTRIC, whose
advanced technology supportsbusinesses with these increasing demands placed upon them,offers high-caliber tech solutions

to its customers through a fusion
between hardware and softwaresystems development.
“Our goal is to further the satisfaction of our customers throughoffering the best solutions. IWATSU is constantly striving to create
new value and contribute to enriching society,” says Toru Nishido,
President of IWATSU ELECTRIC.
“Our three main business pillars are communication systems,
printing systems, and test andmeasurement systems, and withthe adoption of IoT we are now
able to combine the strengths ofthese three pillars together.”
The company’s contribution tosocial, economic and scientificfields includes the Super-Kamiokande, a measuring device developed for the neutrino observatory; and the next-generation

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

DS-8000 Digital Oscilloscopein order to extract neutrinos,”
explains Mr. Nishido.
IWATSU ELECTRIC is also
active in sustainability and energy efﬁciency – a sector set forsigniﬁcant growth as Japan andglobal economies strive to reducecarbon emissions. “OurDS-8000 and CS8000 measurement equipment (pictureda b ove ) h ave
been developed
to test SiC andCS-8000 Semiconductor CurveTracer
GaN devices for“The Super-Kamiokande won high efﬁciency,” says Mr. Nishido,a Nobel Physics Award, and adding that the company aims tothere is strong demand from utilize its advanced technologies
research institutes as it is an un- to enter other new ﬁelds as well.
breakable device that does not
require maintenance, as it has towww.iwatsu.co.jp/ENGLISH
be constantly working properly
detector Hyper-Kamiokande, agigantic detector used as a microscope to observe elementary
particles, and also as a “telescope” for observing the Sun
and supernovas using neutrinos.

Giving shape to ideas through monozukuri
To be chosen by the customer is no easy task, but thanks to Chuo Koki’s 75 years ofexperience in responding to its customers’ needs in the machine tool industry, thisbecomes possible.

“Our business is focused on
responding quickly to ourcustomers’ needs, delivering
products they demand.”Anjo Ofﬁce
In our daily lives, metal products
are used in a variety of settings,
but the suitable tools are needed
to create their final form. Since
its establishment in 1946, Chuo
Koki has been heavily involvedin this important process, providing the necessary machining
accuracy in a timely manner forthe required applications.
Because Chuo Koki is a small- to
medium-sized business, it is able toact with the mindset of “customerﬁrst”. To achieve this, the company
has adopted “horizontal integra-

Yasuhiro Minoura,
President and Representative
Director, Chuo Koki Co., Ltd.
At the core of Chuo Koki’s busition” to provide one-stop services,from product development to sales ness are the recently established“Sales Innovation Division” andas an integrated service.
“Our goal is to be chosen by the “Metrology Solution Center”,
our customers, so we need to which are dedicated to investigating and developsupport them.
ing new products.
We a i m f o r
Establishing these
prompt delivery
departments has
and strive to deenabled the comliver value-addpany to quickly
ed products,”
respond to cussays president
tomer needs.
Yasuhiro MinoMany of Chuo
ura of the comTapped hole automatic
Koki’s custompany’s policy.
inspection machine

Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV)ers have a large share of the
global market. To meet theneeds of these customers, Chuo
Koki is proud and passionate
about using its extensive partnerships to guarantee the latest
information, respond quickly
to inquiries, and support thedesign and development of new
high-precision tools.
Moving forward, the company will continue to channel
its strong ability to discoverand understand its customer
needs and then provide innovative ideas and solutions for
those needs.

http://chuo-koki.co.jp/eng

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIOLighter cars for a brighter, greener world
Daiwa Kasei is innovating its products to support the manufacture of lighter, more sustainable vehicles.

Many of Japan’s renowned automotive manufacturers are today
dedicated to making more lightweight vehicles in the pursuit ofgreater sustainability, particularly as the industry transitions
to electric cars which can besigniﬁcantly heavier than internal combustion vehicles.
To make these lighter vehicles, there have been somesignificant changes in the materials now favored, with heavy
metals like steel today gradually being replaced by materials
like aluminium and magnesium.
This trend has impacted on thebusiness model of not just the

car makers, but the auto partsindustry too.
“We are trying to produce autopart products that can be applied
to multiple types of material, but
still function in the same way,”
explains Eiji Kojima, President of
Daiwa Kasei, one of Japan’s mostprominent auto parts manufacturers and member of the Kojima
Industries Corporation.
“Our main products are fastening components, such as clips
and clamps which fasten two carcomponents together, so when
we talk about changes in thematerials in car manufacturing,that means the changes in material of these mating parts too. We
also have had previous experi-ence with this kind of change
before, and as we move into thenew mobility society with low
and zero-emissions vehicles, thischange is happening again.”With Daiwa Kasei geared tosupport this positive transition through its products, thecompany is also eager to makea difference through its own
environmental impact – a philosophy that runs deep in its
corporate DNA.
“The founder of this company,
my grandfather, used to purchase parts of the iron that iswasted from Toyota’s production
line to make our products,” says
Mr. Kojima. “One of the quotes
he left to us is that we must‘consume the life of the object’.
If we keep this in mind for Japan’s zero-emissions target, thatmeans we must consume all theenergy that is generated by our
manufacturing process. In ourfactory, we are already working
on efforts to do that.”“We are trying to produce
auto part productsthat can be applied tomultiple types of material,
but still function in thesame way.”
Eiji Kojima, President,
Daiwa Kasei Industry Co., Ltd.

http://daiwa-kasei.co.jp/

Touch and go: the future of automotive touch panels
For almost 40 years, SHOEI has been creating products that have since become industry standard.

“Contribution to
the society through
MONOZUKURI.”
Satoru Horikawa,
President and CEO,SHOEI CO., LTD.
Cars are quickly evolving from customized wiring systems andmetal shells built for simple trans- white resin dot spacer printing
portation into advanced computers
to give a resistive feeling.
on wheels. One of the mostSHOEI’s passion for inimportant aspects
novation is illustrated
by the company’sof this evolution
development of autois how the user
motive HUDs (Headinteracts with the
Up Displays) with 3D techtechnology, and that
nology and its work
is where SHOEI’s innovative touch panels Capacitive Touch Panel on Coca-Cola’s vending
with Decorative Lens machines in Japanese
come into play.
(plastic plate)train stations.
SHOEI has beenable to stay ahead ofthe latest trends in the industry. For example, the company
sourced high-grade German wideplate glass and applied industryleading technology, including HUD Plastic Aspherical Mirror“We are looking five to ten
years in the future, and this perfectly aligns with R&D, which isreally about predicting what theindustry is going to be in a certain
timeframe,” SHOEI president Satoru Horikawa explains.
This focus on developing the products of the future is informed byseamlessly communicating custom-

Cu Mesh In-Mold Touch Paneler requests and needs from sales todevelopment and manufacturing, a
process which has driven SHOEI’s
success for almost 40 years.
The company’s forward-thinking R&D has enabled it to establish
itself in the United States andGermany, from where it hopes

Resistive Touch Panel(glass-glass model)
to expand throughout Europe via
joint ventures with other innovative companies that understandthe needs of the local market.
As SHOEI continues with its
development of the products of
tomorrow, be it augmented reality
in its 3D displays or branching into
the drone industry, it hopes to beable to further contribute to society through its high-performance
manufacturing.

www.shoei-t.co.jp/en

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Constant innovation to breathe newlife into film for future applications
Higashiyama Film, with a presence all over Asia and over 70 years of experience as amaker of polyester film-based materials, doesn’t believe in resting on its laurels.
Having won the full confidenceof clients from across the world
with its high technological competencies and high-quality products, Higashiyama Film has once
again been displaying its knackfor effortless adaptation to thechanging nature of the times,
while never neglecting existing
market needs.

HYNT Lab. (R&D Center)To unwaveringly meet customers’ needs while advancing current
technologies requires an innovative company culture and Higashiyama Film certainly has that.

Clean Sepa®
Takashi Kameshima, president, sees and explains thefirm’s core focus clearly: “We
respond flexibly and promptly
to client and market needs.
Everything from prototyping
and testing to post-production
is conducted in close collaboration with the customer toensure the best fit solution totheir needs.”
The jewel in Higashiyama
Film’s crown is its development
laboratory within the R&D department, which allows the com-pany to work on diverse films
as and when required, with one
eye always firmly on the future.
Current areas of research includeanti-reflection, anti-glare films,
and films for flexible displays aswell as films with anti-fingerprint
properties (Easy-To-Clean).
When a company listens to
its customers and creates its
values alongside them, it can feelsafe in the knowledge that it will
endure whatever lays ahead, andLeftside: AR film
Rightside: Normal PET film
Higashiyama Film, with innovation and monozukuri at its core,
has a bright future indeed.

“One of the demanding
themes among several
enhancements and newfeatures that we are
currently researching is
improved anti-reflection
properties. This will be
an important factor in
the future growth of
the Higashiyama Filmbusiness.”
Takashi Kameshima,
President,
Higashiyama Film Co., Ltd.

www.hynt.co.jp

Industrial fastener maker in pursuit of “limitless advances”
With demand driven by the global automotive industry and the transition to electric vehicles, Ochiai is currently
advancing with establishing its overseas production sites internationally.
As a comprehensive manufacturerof industrial fasteners, Ochiai has
been supplying a wide variety of
products to its customers in numerous fields for more than 70
years, but predominantly for the
automobile industry. Having established a unified in-house production
facility where the company performs everything from die design
to manufacturing, Ochiai is today
an industry leader in its specialized
area of industrial fasteners.

Standard Parts“I think the success of Japanesecompanies like ours in competingon a global stage is attributable
to tradition and technologies thathave been accumulated for decades,” says company president“The success of Japanesecompanies like ours incompeting on a global
stage is attributable totradition and technologies
accumulated for decades.”and CEO, Takayuki Ochiai. “There
are a lot of family-run businesses
that have continued to the secondor third generations where newtechnologies with a value-added
mindset are perpetually added towhat they have already amassed.
In terms of the global market,
Japanese companies offer thebest quality and at a lower cost,
no one can compete with us.”With the Japanese government
having mandated the adoption ofelectric vehicles (EVs) by 2035, theautomotive industry is currently
undergoing major changes as part

Takayuki Ochiai,
President and CEO,Ochiai Co., Ltd.
of this transition. However, Ochiai,
as a major supplier to the industry,is well placed to navigate this shift.
“Although EV cars are becoming a trend, the basic structure
where our products apply remains
the same,” explains Mr. Ochiai.
“That’s because our products aremainly used for EPS, air compressors, brakes, and interior components like the seats, rather than
combustion engines.”
In anticipation of increasingly
expanding needs in its overseas
markets, as well as to meet thedemands of production sites by

Custom Parts
customers expanding their international and domestic sales
networks, Ochiai is currently
advancing with establishing its
overseas production sites. “Goingforward, we will continue to passionately engage in technology
and manufacturing as a global
fastener manufacturer while
keeping to our philosophy of always being in pursuit of limitlessadvances,” Mr. Ochiai concludes.

www.ochiai-if.co.jp

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

The cables behind factory automation
Since its establishment in 1938, NS Cable has perfected its information network,
current fuse, and magnet wire products through its original core technologies andcorporate philosophy: “Harmony is to be valued”.

Fuse Products
With sales bases in Hong Kong,
China, Singapore and the Philippines, NS Cable continues toexpand and develop as a global
company, with its immediate focus being on developing, manufacturing and selling overseas.
Such a task requires strong synergies within the company, and
NS Cable possesses thesein abundance: highq u a l i t y c o reproducts,
LANround-theCable
clock avail-It’s common knowledge
ability for its customers
as well as a skilled andthat a key strength oftalented workforce.
Japanese companies is
As the number one LAN
their focus on high qualcable company in the
ity and customer driven
world and thanks to theprinciples, and NS Cableis no different. An open
Trans-Pacific Partnership, new opportunities Magnet Wire feedback channel exists between NS Cable
are opening up for NS
Cable: namely in the supplying and its customer base, allowof cables for the burgeoning in- ing the company to perfect its
dustrial technology and IoT-led portfolio by supplying prodchanges within the robotics and ucts that meet the needs of themachine tool making industries. market at any particular time.
NS Cable’s meticulous attention Testament to this approachto detail means a constant stream was NS Cable’s provision ofof returning, contented custom- 80% of the LAN cables used
ers. As president of NS Cable, for the most recent Olympic
Taro Kawazoe, explains: “Even and Paralympic games.
though Japanese products
NS Cable has an array ofare more expensive,
strengths and the sky’s the limit
for this innovative
overseas customcompany moving
ers buy our brandforward. With abecause of the relistrong emphasis
ability and safety of
LAN Connector
our products.”
on customer needs,“We are constantly
adapting to the changing
environment, providing
high-quality products
using our self-developed
manufacturing equipment
to improve society.”
Taro Kawazoe,
President,
Nippon Seisen Cable Ltd.
reliable technologies spanning
80 years, as well as an exceptionally high number of skilled
and driven workers, NS Cable
will continue to be a pioneerin the cable industry for many
years to come.
www.nscable.co.jp/en

YUASA’s innovative telescopic mastin high demandWith its expertise in hydraulic cylinders, YUASA developed a new telescopic
mast having identiﬁed the need in the market for such technologies.

“Our telescopic mast
was originally made forbroadcasting cars, but
recently has been usedas the base for mobile
phone antennas.”
Hirofumi Yuasa,
President & CEO,YUASA CO., LTD.
With its novel and original telescopic
masts, YUASA has put to use its
extensive technology and know-how
in hydraulic cylinders to create asolution in high demand from a

growing range of industries. Engineered for precision control from theground, these mast systems can bemounted with antennas, monitoring cameras, ﬂoodlights and othercomponents at the highest point.
“Our telescopic mast was originallymade for broadcasting cars in Japan,
but recently, it has been used as thebase for mobile phone antennas,”says Hirofumi Yuasa, President andCEO of YUASA. “This is particularly
helpful when antennas damaged byearthquakes need repairs. We aim
to introduce this product globally.”
With its expertise in hydrauliccylinders, YUASA developed thistelescopic mast having identiﬁed
the market needs for such technologies. “It has always been ourcompany policy to respond to customers’ needs,” says Mr. Yuasa.
YUASA’s diverse range of solutions also includes the crankshaft,in which the company holds the top

Hydraulic Cylinder
market share in Japan, and is acomponent at the heart of the common combustion engine, playing
an essential mechanical functionin the operation of automobiles,
motorcycles, farming machineryand other products that Japan’s
heavy manufacturing industry has
become globally renowned for.
“We cater to low-volume production orders,” explains Mr. Yuasa. “If acompany needs mass production oflarge-scale cranes, they might decide
to manufacture them themselves; but
if they only need a certain number oforders, they outsource it to us. And
these low-volume orders make up
our 40% market share. We are also
manufacturing the telescopic mastcylinders and jack systems, for which
we have about 40% of the domestic

Telescopic Mast System for lighting
market. We sell our jacks together
with the expansion system which has
allowed us to have a bigger share.”With regards to its three-stage
telescopic cylinder, YUASA has recently increased production to increase sales as well, patenting thetechnology in the process.

Crankshaft

www.yuasakk.co.jp

Logistics DX
We are an MRO wholesaler

Trusco is a wholesaler that supplies MRO
products (factory auxiliary materials),
which is a generic term for consumables
and other items used in manufacturing. We
purchase our products from approximately
2,800 suppliers in 22 countries, and supply them to approximately 5,500 dealers
and online retailers around the world. The
number of suppliers is increasing by about
100 every year and will continue to grow.

AutoStore (Robotic Storage System)

Our own management theory
In general terms, we often emphasize theimportance of “stock turnover”. However,
because customers are more satisfied
with a wider range of products and thequicker they are delivered, we use the“stock hit rate”, which indicates “howmany of the orders we receive are shippedfrom Trusco’s stock”, as an important KPI.
For every 100 orders we receive, 91 areshipped from our distribution centers. We
have also applied this method to our local
subsidiaries in Thailand and Indonesia,
where we have distribution centers tohold and operate stock.

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO
End-Users

Environmental Protection
through Direct Delivery Customers
With Direct Delivery
We Can:Halve delivery time
Halve packing materials
Halve shipping costs
Halve environmental impact

Direct delivery to customers
In order to maximize customer convenience, Trusco uses state-of-the-art logistics equipment to deliver products directly
to the end-user, instead of the usual Japanese practice of delivering orders to dealers or online retailers. The I-Pack®, which
fully automates the packing process, canpack up to 720 items per line per hour,
and we have five lines. By shipping directlyfrom Trusco, we are able to reduce not
only delivery times, but also packaging
materials, delivery costs and environmental impact by half.

“Planet Saitama” distribution
centerIn order to create a customer experience(UX) that makes our customers feel that“when you do business with Trusco, you
get all the MRO products in the world”, wehave an inventory of about 470,000 items,
a database of about 2.5 million products and
27 distribution centers in Japan. Our largest
distribution center, Planet Saitama, holds approximately 440,000 items in stock and is atrue “logistics wonderland”, equipped with avariety of logistics equipment. It is Trusco’s
mission to deliver the products our customers
need as quickly as possible.

Butler (Automated Conveyance Robots)

Logistics DX
Trusco’s management strategy would
not be possible without Logistics DX. We
use AI to expand our stock, helping us tostock the products our customers need, inthe quantities that meet demand. We also
invest heavily in logistics equipment to
get products to our customers as quickly
as possible. Over the past five years, wehave invested around 5 million USD inlogistics, which sets us apart from ourcompetitors. We believe that immediatedelivery is the best service, and by automating our warehouse operations, weare able to work faster and with greater
precision, which in turn contributes togreater customer satisfaction.

As of September 1, 2021
TRUSCO Nakayama Corporation

Logistics Center, Planet Saitama

Inquiries about this ad: info@trusco.co.jp
Purchase of stock: import1@trusco.co.jp
Product sales: overseas@trusco.co.jp

90 Domestic Locations
2 Headquarters
61 Sales branches
27 Logistics centers

3 Overseas Locations
Trusco Nakayama Thailand
Trusco Nakayama Indonesia
German Ofﬁce (Dusseldorf)