Celluloid Salon
Salon No. 252
Kazuhiko Matsuo
25 years of progress of the Celluloid Industrial Culture Research Group
Celluloid, known as the world's first synthetic resin, was a typical industry in which Japan accounted for about
40% of the world's production during the pre-war period. At present, however, domestic production has alreadyceased. But still a comprehensive study on the history of celluloid industry has not yet appeared (Masayuki Tanimoto:
Native development and Large Cities).
It was not a coincidence but inevitable that Isao Iwai, who was worried about this situation, received a letter fromthe United States. Keith Lawell was the sender, and he asked for collaborator of celluloid research in Japan. In 2000,
Iwai accepted the proposal and started the Celluloid Industrial Culture Research Group by calling parties involved in
the manufacture of celluloid fabrics and processing companies. Therefore, this year (2024) will be the 25th anniversary
year, and we will follow the trajectory of this research group.
The research group at the time of its inception was never monolithic. Some researchers were enthusiasticallyinvolved in celluloids until recently, while others were considering why we should be interested in the celluloids
which were already a product of the past. There were also people who were like amateurs, while there were people
who were just like living dictionary of celluloid.
As a matter of course, there were some people saying that they should dissolve the association, but in October2000 Iwai invited Lawell to hold the first celluloid conference under his leadership.
First Celluloid Conference in 2000
(Keith Lawell in the middle of the front row and Isao Iwai in the third from the right of the front row.)

The conference that was held in this way has since come to be called the "Gathering". While making a presentationof the research results, they made effort on activity to make the celluloid (which had already been forgotten) known
to the people.
To do so, it was to open a website and announce various topics about celluloid. Fortunately, the announcement
activity named Celluloid Salon has been well received, and the number of Salon has been over 250 until now.
Another important task was the collection of celluloids that were being dissipate. It was March 2005 that theexhibition facility which gathered about 100 thousand collections such as literature, dough, products, andmanufacturing equipment was opened in Yokohama.

Interior of the exhibition facility in YokohamaThis exhibition facility named “Celluloid Library Memoir House Yokohama” was destroyed due to aging, but in2025 it is scheduled to change its location and set up a new exhibition facility. However, it is also exhibiting at theOsaka Celluloid Hall which is a registered tangible cultural property, and at the Daicel Ijin Hall which is located in
Aboshi, Hyogo Prefecture to carry out enlightenment activities.
In the course of these activities, exchange with the other museum was created. First, in exhibition "Thousand
Technology that changed Japan" conducted in 2018-2019 at the National Museum of Science, our collection wasintroduced as "celluloids: from daily goods to toys."
At the same time, there were cooperation in an exhibition on synthetic resins held at the Matsudo City Museum.
Celluloid Library Memoir House Yokohama also fully cooperated in the "Celluloid Town Katsushika" held at theMuseum of Katsushika Folk and Astronomy in Katsushika Ward, where the celluloid industry (especially toymanufacturing) was thriving.
Since celluloid were used as films, Celluloid Library Memoir House Yokohama had a relation with Yoneo Ota, aformer professor at Osaka University of Arts and the founder of the Toy Film Museum in Kyoto, and ask to give alecture on celluloid.

Osaka Celluloid Hall, a registered tangible cultural property of Japan

Former museum, which is now an exhibition facility

As a result of such an interaction activities, a network which spread laterally was formed.
There was also a pleasure to be certified as a Chemical Heritage No. 009 of the Chemical Society of Japan.

Certified as a Chemical Heritage of Chemical Heritage No. 009

Production facility that has been certifiedUnlike current petrochemical synthetic resins, celluloids are naturally derived. So they have unique softness andgentleness, and since there are still many lovers we intend to carry out activities in the future.
Over the past 25 years, former Daicel Vice President Manabu Kai, Kiyoshi Nakajo, Koji Tsukada, Shozo Wakui ofTaisei Kako, Junzo Miyamoto of Omakeya ZUNZO, and Minoru Nagamine of Osaka Celluloid Kaikan who was theoriginal member has all passed away. We would like to express our condolences to these people and hope that they
will watch over our future activities.
I would also like to thank Masayoshi Tachikawa, Masazo Nogimura, and Shintaro Hishikawa for their efforts fromthe beginning of the activities.
For reference, I have attached a table of the title of lectures which have been made recently.
Lecture Year
2009
2010

2011
2012

2013

2014
In 2015
In 2016

Title
History of Osaka Celluloid Hall
Celluloid and Higashinari Ward
Century of the celluloid business
Ten years of dreaming
Thoughts towards celluloid houses
A decade of progress
Elder brothers' cellulose nitrate and younger brothers' cellulose
acetateCelluloid of Meiji and Taisho
Manufacture of fountain pens
Blow molding
Marketing of celluloid
Celluloid in life
Manufacture of golf club neck socket
Literature activities in the Tokyo area
Celluloid marketing (2)Celluloid (2) in life.
About celluloid toothbrushes
Manufacturing process of celluloid toothbrushes
Transition of celluloid combinations
History of the Takiron Industrial conversion
Molds from Kansai Kosan
Solar brush history
Celluloid Industry Trajectories

Publisher
Minoru Nagamine
Kazuhiko Matsuo
Manabu Kai
Manabu Kai
Isao Iwai
Akira Oi
Toru Shibata
Akira Oi
Kiyoshi Kawakami
Hiroshi Miki
Yoshihiro ono
Kazuhiko Matsuo
Keiichi Hashimoto
Eiichi Hirai
Yoshihiro Ono
Kazuhiko Matsuo
Shinichi Inada
Katsumi Noguchi
Yoshihiro Ono
Shu Collection
Isao Sato
Yoshio Ogura
Kazuhiko Matsuo

In 2017
In 2018
In 2019
2023

History of Osaka Celluloid Association
Looking ahead to the Sawayaka Exchange Meeting
Celluloid industry during the Korean War
150 from the celluloid invention and Daicel 99
From video to digitization of nitrified cotton and cotton acetatefilms
Report on the progress of mold surveyThe history of celluloids and Osaka
Of the Kansai Celluloid Plastics Industry Cooperative
History and future prospects

Yoshihiro Ono
Eiichi Sadanobe
Akira Oi
Yoneo Ota
Isao Sato
Kazuhiko Matsuo

Founding members of the Celluloid Industrial Culture Study Group: Isao Iwai, Akira Oi, Hiroshi Miki, andKazuhiko Matsuo.