September 2020

THE JAPAN GAS ASSOCIATION

Outline
The Japan Gas Association (JGA), an organization of city gas utilities, contributes to the economy and people’swelfare in Japan by promoting the sound development of the general gas utility business as well as the major gas
related projects and gas pipeline projects and by coordinating the stable supply energy supply, ensuring safety andaddressing environmental issues.
Japan’s gas business started in Yokohama in 1872. The Imperial Gas Association, Japan’s first association of gas
utilities, was founded in 1912 at a time when the number of gas utilities increased rapidly in the post-war boom
after the Russo-Japanese War. After many changes, the Japan Gas Association was founded in 1947 and received
its charter as an incorporated association in 1952. Subsequently, in 2011, JGA received its charter as a generalincorporated association.

History
30 May 1912

The Imperial Gas Association
Founded

15 Oct. 1927

The Imperial Gas Association
Reorganized as a corporate association

11 Dec. 1944

The Gas Industry Association
Due to economic controls during the Second World War, the Imperial Gas Association was reorganized into anindustry controlling body named the Gas Industry Association.

18 Aug. 1945

The Gas Control Association
Since another industrial association was already using the name “Control Association,” the Gas Industry Association
applied for permission to change its name to the Gas Control Association. This was granted after the end of the war.

19 Feb. 1946

The Japan Gas Industry Association
With the end of hostilities and abolition of the Key Industry Association Law, the functions of the Gas Control
Association were terminated and the Japan Gas Industry Association was established.

15 Oct. 1947

The Japan Gas Association
In August 1947, the Japan Gas Industry Association was ordered by GHQ to close down. The Japan Gas Association
was founded as a voluntary group for the exchange of goodwill and information among city gas utilities.

7 June 1952

The Japan Gas Association
During the post-war economic recovery, the Japanese city gas industry faced various problems. In order to solvethese problems, the above organization was reorganized as a corporate association under Article 34 of the Civil Code.
This association has continued to the present.

1 Apr. 2011

The Japan Gas Association
In December 2008, the law concerning the charitable corporation system was introduced, requiring incorporated
associations to redefine their corporate status within five years.
In 2011, the JGA chose to become a general incorporated association to gain greater flexibility, including the common
benefit business as well as its traditional charitable business.

Successive Chairpersons
TSURU Noburo（Toho Gas Co., Ltd.）RYOKI Shin-ichiro（Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.） June 1998 to June 2002

Oct. 1947 to Feb. 1948

YAMAWAKI Masaji（Saibu Gas Co., Ltd.） June 1948 to May 1950

ANZAI Kunio（Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.）

June 2002 to June 2006

IGUCHI Takejiro（Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.）May 1950 to May 1955

NOMURA Akio（Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.）

June 2006 to June 2009

HONDA Hirotoshi （Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.） May 1955 to May 1964ICHINO Norio（Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.）

June 2009 to June 2010

FUJISAKA Nagatomi（Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.）May 1964 to May 1968

TORIHARA Mitsunori（Tokyo Gas Co.,Ltd）June 2010 to June 2013ANZAI Hiroshi（Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.）OZAKI Hiroshi（Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.）May 1968 to May 1986

June 2013 to June 2016

OHNISHI Masafumi（Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.）May 1986 to May 1992

OKAMOTO Tsuyoshi（Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.）June 2016 to June 2018

WATANABE Hiroshi（Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.） May 1992 to June 1998

HIROSE Michiaki（Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.）

1June 2018 to present

Board of Directors
Chairperson :Vice Chairpersons :Directors :HIROSE Michiaki
HONJO Takehiro
YASUI Koichi
SAKEMI Toshio(President, Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.)(Chairman, Toho Gas Co., Ltd.)(Chairman, Saibu Gas Co., Ltd.)SAITO Takashi(President, Asahikawa Gas Co., Ltd.)OTSUKI Hiroshi(President, Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd.)KUMAGAI Yuzo
(Chairman, Morioka Gas Co., Ltd.)
Kazuyuki Anamizu(President, Tobu Gas Co., Ltd.)UJIIE Michiya(Administrator, City of Sendai, Gas Bureau)
NISHIKATA Kenkichi (Chairman, Fukushima Gas Co., Ltd.)TSURUI Kazutomo(President, Hokuriku Gas Co., Ltd.)AOYAMA Moriharu(President, Tatebayashi Gas Co., Ltd.)HARA Toshinori(President, Bushu Gas Co., Ltd.)HABU Hiroshi(President, Keiyo Gas Co., Ltd.)UCHIDA Takashi(President, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.)YAMASHITA Shinichi (President, Buyo Gas Co., Ltd.)TAKIGAWA Hiroshi(President, Nagano Toshi Gas Co., Ltd.)HARA Masaki(President, Odawara Gas Co., Ltd.)KISHIDA Hiroyuki(President, Shizuoka Gas Co., Ltd.)TORII Hiroshi(President, Sala Energy Co., Ltd.)TOMINARI Yoshiro(President, Toho Gas Co., Ltd.)TSUCHIYA Makoto(President, Nihonkai Gas Co., Ltd.)YAMAGIWA Masakatsu (Administrator, Otsu City Public Enterprise Bureau)
FUJIWARA Masataka (Vice President, Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.)OKAZAKI Tatsuya(President, Okayama Gas Co., Ltd.)MATSUFUJI Kensuke (President, Hiroshima Gas Co., Ltd.)MIKITA Shuichi(President, Yamaguchi Godo Gas Co., Ltd.)KATAYAMA Yasushi(President, Shikoku Gas Co., Ltd.)MICHINAGA Yukinori (President, Saibu Gas Co., Ltd.)TSUMAGARI Sadatoshi (President, Nihon Gas Co., Ltd.)

Senior Managing Director : SAWADA Satoru
Managing Director:
HONDA Fumio
Auditors:(Chairman, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.)(Secretary General, The Japan Gas Association)(Vice Secretary General, The Japan Gas Association)

MIDORIKAWA Akio (President, Otaki Gas Co., Ltd.)FUKUSHIMA Tomokatsu (President, Oita Gas Co., Ltd.))(1 September, 2020)2

Organization and Administration
The supreme decision-making body of the JGA is the General Meeting, to which all full members are invited. TheCouncil and the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson Meeting discuss and decide important matters of the JGA, as
the executive body under the General Meeting. Committees study issues in specific fields.

General MeetingCouncil

Standing Committees (5)• General Affairs Committee• Corporate Planning Committee• Technology Committee

Chairperson andVice Chairperson Meeting• Diffusion Committee• Regional CommitteeCommittees for Specific Issues (2)• Natural Gas Vehicle Deployment Committee• Municipal Utilities Committee

Special Committees (5)• Research Committee for Gas Facilities TechnicalCriteria• Evaluation Committee for Gas Pipeline Rehabilitation
and Repair Methods• NGV Safety Measures Committee• Committee of Safety Measures for High-pressure Gas
Facilities for CNG Vehicles• Special Committee for Research on Safety Technologyfor Hydrogen Pipelines to Build Hydrogen Networks
Special Committees: Committees formed with the participationand cooperation of external experienced people such as
academics and government officials.

(September 2020)3Secretariat
Our secretariat is composed of 5 divisions. Under the Senior Managing Director (Secretary General), theorganization supports the activities of the committees, and acts as a liaison with regulatory authorities or otherrelated industries.

Chairperson
Vice Chairpersons

Senior Managing Director(Secretary General)

Managing Director(Deputy Secretary General)

General Affairs DivisionCorporate Planning
Division

Regional Division

Hokkaido Branch
Tohoku Branch
Kanto Chuo BranchTokai Hokuriku Branch
Kinki Branch
Chugoku Shikoku Branch
Kyushu BranchManaging Director(Deputy Secretary General)

Gas Technology Division

Natural Gas Diffusion
Division(September 2020)

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The Japan Gas Association
Address: 1-15-12, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
Telephone: +81-3-3502-0116 Facsimile: +81-3-3502-0013
URL: http://www.gas.or.jp/en/

On October 31, 1872, Bashamichi Avenue in Yokohama was lit up
by gaslights, marking the start of the city gas business in Japan.
100 years later in 1972, the Japan Gas Association designated thisday as “Gas Day”.

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