CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

How Japan’s electronics dominance shifted to niche B2B fields
While Japan has been surpassed by regional
competitors in recent decades when it comes tomass-produced, end-consumer (B2C) electronics, Nippon manufacturers today lead the way
in the B2B sphere, producing parts, materials
and equipment essential to the manufacture ofsemiconductors and other electronic components.
Often working in high-tech, niche areas, thesecompanies are harnessing Japan’s manufacturing,
engineering and innovative prowess to deliver
high-quality solutions for the latest technologies,such as smart devices, AI, VR/AR, IoT, electric vehicles (EVs) and high-speed telecommunications.
“While Japan continues to be extraordinarily
capable and dominates a broad set of materials, equipment, and components that allow theglobal technology industry to run, its participation in the industry has migrated from a B2Cmodel to a B2B model,” explains Scott Callon,Chairman and CEO of Japan Display Inc. (JDI), acompany that is developing groundbreaking andunique display technologies such as eLEAP, thenext generation of OLED screens. “We’ve chosento do things that are hard rather than easy,”
adds the JDI CEO. “Our engineers are generating
mSTUJOUIFXPSME mSTUJOIJTUPSZCSFBLUISPVHITThis is excruciatingly hard. But that is part ofour strategy, to do things that are really hard,because then you leave your competitors behindand create unique value for customers by building things that no one else can build.”

Creating unique and niche technologies isalso the competitive strength of Nissei Electric,a manufacturer of insulation, transmission,
and wave motion technology. “We develop,manufacture and sell wires, cables and tubes
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rubber, as well as optical components, mainly
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our materials, our unique processing methods
enable us to meet the demands of a wide rangeof industries,” says Nissei’s president Hidehiko
Kirino. “Over time, we have expanded into diWFSTFJOEVTUSJFTTVDIBT0" PGmDFBVUPNBUJPO 
telecommunications and factory automation, –making full use of the various properties of ourmaterials and our unique processing technology– and are aiming to further expand into robotics,
medical equipment, semiconductor manufacturJOHFRVJQNFOU NPCJMJUZBOEPUIFSmFMETw
Japan once held the top position in the manuGBDUVSF PG mOJTIFE TFNJDPOEVDUPST  CVU OPXJUTDPNQFUJUJWFFEHFDBOCFGPVOEJOUIFmFME
of semiconductor manufacturing equipment,
including equipment used in essential cleaning
processes. “Japanese companies have large
shares, globally, in terms of semiconductor
cleaning equipment,” stresses Masayuki Bouno,
President of J.E.T., which aims to expand its operations in the fast-growing U.S. semiconductor
market. “We have signed an agreement withSamsung Electronics to deliver our cleaning

equipment to their new plant in Taylor, Texas.
With that as the starting point, we would liketo start expanding into North America so thatXFDBOmOEOFXDVTUPNFSTUIFSFw
Meanwhile, Shibuya Corporation – a manufacturer of bottling and packaging systems fora range of industries – supplies products usedin the backend of semiconductor manufacturing. “The industry is dramatically changing
right now,” states company president Hidetoshi
Shibuya. “New needs are emerging, with theprevalence of large-scale data centers, AI andnew mobility solutions including EVs. We aredeveloping nano-level mounting technologies
that are required especially for large-scalechips used for AI and large-scale data centers.”
Japanese companies engaged in the manufacture of high-performance materials arealso playing their part in the developmentof the latest electronics technologies, with
Toshiko Sakane, President and CEO of I.S.TCorporation, giving an example of what her
company is doing in this regard. “One of ourcollaboration projects involves our low color
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been working with print circuit manufacturers
in Japan. Through this collaboration, we have
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including by the U.S. Army.”

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Nissei Electric looking to be the number one
company in niche markets
As a comprehensive manufacturer engaged in insulation, transmission and wave motion, Nissei Electric aims toaddress niche market requirements from clients operating in a wide range of industries.

“We want to be agood partner for our
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together with them to
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they want to realize.”

fluoropolymers for communiDBUJPOT  NPCJMF FRVJQNFOU BOENFEJDBMBQQMJDBUJPOT BOEAXBWFNPUJPO VTJOH PQUJDBM mCFST GPSTFNJDPOEVDUPS FRVJQNFOU BOEsensing. Japanese manufacturers have also been responsible
for the innovative development
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cially in roll products used in the
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developed solutions.
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three high-performance materials
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Hidehiko Kirino 1SFTJEFOU /JTTFJ&MFDUSJD$P -UE
The Hamamatsu region in which
Nissei Electric operates has amild climate where cotton culUJWBUJPO nPVSJTIFE JO UIF QBTU allowing many textile industries
to grow there. Nissei Electric’s
roots can be traced back to themanufacture of braided cotton
laces and this braiding technology remains a fundamental technology still evolving today.

Shoelaces are the roots ofNissei Electric
Car manufacturers Toyota andSuzuki were the predecessorsof the loom manufacturers. And
manufacturers in the region have
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of ‘insulation’ using silicone rubCFS GPS BVUPNPCJMFT  JOEVTUSJBM
machinery and household apQMJBODFT  AUSBOTNJTTJPO VTJOH

GigaEx for movable durability andhigh-speed signal transmission
GigaEx is a generic term forhigh-speed signal transmission
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and antenna products for wireless communications. Another
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is its ability to handle hybridproducts combining metal andPQUJDBMUSBOTNJTTJPO1BSUJDVMBSMZJOUIFmFMETPG'" SPCPUJDTBOE
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focuses on the development ofnext-generation high-speed interface products with functions
TVDI BT CFOEJOH  UXJTUJOH  BOEOPJTFSFTJTUBODF BTXFMMBTnFYibility and thin diameter – withsolutions such as the AOC optiDBMJOUFSGBDF XIJDIJTPQUJNJ[FE
for high-speed transmission atspeeds in excess of 10 Gbps.

Gain measurement of large
workpieces through a 10m
method anechoic chamber
Antenna products are assemblies of coaxial cables optimizedfor customers’ antennas. Nissei
Electric provides integrated support from development to mass
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antennas are designed using adWBODFE TJNVMBUJPO UFDIOPMPHZ and gain measurement of large
workpieces such as automobiles
can also be handled. The company can provide cable-connectedantennas with optimum perforNBODF UBLJOHJOUPBDDPVOUTQBDFTBWJOH NVMUJCBOEDPNQBUJCJMJUZ BOEJTPMBUJPO FUD

$BCMFTXJUIBEEFEnFYJCJMJUZ bending resistance andsterilization properties*O UIF BSFB PG VMUSBmOF EJBNFUFST  DVTUPN DBCMFT VTJOH XJSFT
BOEDPBYJBMDBCMFTXJUI"8(48 conductors contribute to theultra-compactness and lightness
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bending resistance. The company’s
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can also be used for direct conOFDUJPOUP'1$CPBSET BTXFMMBTJOTUFSJMJ[BUJPODPNQBUJCMFTQFDJm

cations using specially formulated
silicone rubber for the jacket. A
wide variety of assembly proposBMTBSFBWBJMBCMF JODMVEJOHQBSBMMFM
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maintain flexibility and binding
methods that emphasize appearBODF JOPSEFSUPEFMJWFSQSPEVDUTUIBUNFFUUIFSFRVJSFENFDIBOJTNT
and functions. Nissei Electric continues to develop applications for
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and remote cameras.

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technologies for special applications
Tube fabricated products arecustomized products that combine
Nissei Electric’s fundamental technologies. Liner tubes are formed
using its own precision extrusion
technology. This liner tube can becovered with a metal braid exterior
BOEBKBDLFUPGEJGGFSFOUIBSEOFTT and can also be made in a variety
PGTUSVDUVSFTUPTVJUEJGGFSFOUOFFET TVDIBTUBQFSFEPSnBSFEUVCFFOET multi-layered hybrid products andTUSFUDIFE QSPEVDUT 6TJOH NJDSPGBCSJDBUJPOUFDIOPMPHZ UIFDPNQBOZ
offers a variety of tubing products
for use in semiconductor manufacUVSJOHFRVJQNFOU TDJFOUJmDJOTUSV
ments and medical devices.
As president Hidehiko Kirino says:“We at Nissei Electric will continue
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www.nissei-el.co.jp/english