Sumitomo Riko Develops High-Capacity Seismic Control System Dec. 12, 2025. - Sumitomo Riko has developed a new building material product, tentatively named the High-Capacity Seismic Control System, which has obtained Japan’s top-tier Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) certification for wooden structures: a wall strength ratio of 5.0. This ratio represents one of the highest public standards for structural capacity in wooden buildings. The new system incorporates high-performance friction […]
Surging Raw Material Costs Impact First Half Results: Okamoto Dec. 11, 2025. - Okamoto reported a decline in both revenue and profit for the first half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 (April–September 2025), as rising raw material prices, the strong yen, and sluggish demand in China put pressure on its performance. Consolidated net sales fell 2.9% from a year earlier to 52.90 billion yen ($340.74 million), while operating profit dropped […]
Flooding in South Asia: Minimal Impact on Japanese Rubber-Related Firms Dec. 9, 2025. - The late-November floods that struck Southeast and South Asia have resulted in a major disaster, with the death toll exceeding 1,300. Amid the widespread damage, Japan Rubber Weekly surveyed Japanese rubber-related companies operating in the region. While some firms were temporarily forced to adjust production, most have since returned to normal operations, and overall damage appears to have been limited. […]
Sumitomo Rubber Achieves Exponential Acceleration of Nonlinear Equation Computation Using Quantum Computers Dec. 4, 2025. - Sumitomo Rubber has successfully achieved exponential acceleration in solving nonlinear equations using quantum computers, as a result of joint research with Quemix. This breakthrough was made possible by a newly developed method that enables fast and low-cost readout of quantum computation results, an advancement that significantly enhances the practicality of quantum computing. By further advancing their joint research, the companies […]
Yokohama Rubber Opens Chinese New Passenger Car Tire Plant Dec. 10, 2025. - Yokohama Rubber held an opening ceremony on November 22 for its new passenger car tire plant in Hangzhou, China. The event was attended by numerous local officials and business partners, with President and COO Shinji Seimiya representing the company. The new facility is the first one-year plant launched under Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), the company’s mid-term management plan running from […]
Sumitomo Rubber Accelerates Global Expansion of Dunlop Brand Dec. 8, 2025. - Sumitomo Rubber is ramping up its global expansion of the Dunlop brand. The company, which acquired in January trademark rights for four-wheel tires in Europe, North America, and Oceania, has already begun deploying the Dunlop brand globally, with some regional and product exceptions. On December 3, it announced that it had obtained exclusive rights to use the Dunlop trademark, excluding […]
Surging Raw Material Costs Impact First Half Results: Okamoto Dec. 11, 2025. - Okamoto reported a decline in both revenue and profit for the first half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 (April–September 2025), as rising raw material prices, the strong yen, and sluggish demand in China put pressure on its performance. Consolidated net sales fell 2.9% from a year earlier to 52.90 billion yen ($340.74 million), while operating profit dropped […]
Asahi Rubber Expects Higher Revenue and a Return to Profit Dec. 5, 2025. - Asahi Rubber’s financial results for the first half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 (April–September 2025) show net sales of 3.89 billion yen ($24.95 million), a 5.2% increase year-on-year. Operating profit reached 122 million yen (compared with a 48-million-yen loss a year earlier), ordinary profit was 119 million yen (vs. a 57-million-yen loss), and net profit totaled 89 […]
NOK to Consolidate Japanese Subsidiaries into Five Companies Nov. 26, 2025. - NOK will reorganize its Japanese domestic production bases and establish five new subsidiaries on April 1 next year. These companies will handle the production and sales of seal components, industrial functional parts, and other products. Through the reorganization, NOK aims to optimize the allocation of management resources, strengthen its production framework, enhance global competitiveness, and achieve sustainable business growth. In […]
Tokai Carbon Sees Profits Surge: 9M results Nov. 21, 2025. - Tokai Carbon reported its consolidated results for the first nine months of the fiscal year ending December 2025 (January–September). Net sales amounted to 237.34 billion yen ($1.53 billion), down 8.2% from the same period last year. Operating profit increased 40.0% to 21.30 billion yen, ordinary profit rose 30.8% to 21.06 billion yen, and net profit surged 192.9% to 16.35 billion […]
Top Interview: President Tomio Ueno of Bando Chemical Sep. 2, 2025. - In an interview with Tomio Ueno, President of Bando Chemical, we discussed the company’s current business performance, the progress of its medium- to long-term management plan Creating New Value for the Future 1st Stage (CV-1), and the status of its overseas production bases. Regarding the situation overseas, Ueno explained that market conditions in Asia vary by country and timing. India, […]
Interview: Hideki Ogawa, President of Nishikawa Rubber Jan. 27, 2025. - Japan Rubber Weekly recently sat down for an interview with Hideki Ogawa, president of Nishikawa Rubber, to discuss the year ahead. “In 2025, we will continue to take on any challenge with elastic ideas,” Ogawa said. Also actively promoting the use of AI and automation, the company is on track to develop new products and technologies that are expected to […]
Sumitomo Riko Develops High-Capacity Seismic Control System Dec. 12, 2025. - Sumitomo Riko has developed a new building material product, tentatively named the High-Capacity Seismic Control System, which has obtained Japan’s top-tier Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) certification for wooden structures: a wall strength ratio of 5.0. This ratio represents one of the highest public standards for structural capacity in wooden buildings. The new system incorporates high-performance friction […]
Refinverse and Kleen-Tex Japan Announce Industry-First Recycled Nitrile Rubber Material Dec. 3, 2025. - Refinverse Group, which specializes in recycling and reusing industrial waste materials, has jointly with Kleen-Tex Japan developed a new recycled material called Renamy, which is made from nitrile rubber used in mats. According to the companies, this is the industry’s first recycled nitrile rubber material. Renamy will be repurposed by Kleen-Tex Japan as a raw material for its high-performance mat […]
Japan Glove Manufacturers Association Publishes 2024 Glove Sales Volumes Apr. 18, 2025. - According to the 2024 Japanese domestic glove sales volume statistics compiled by the Japan Glove Manufacturers Association, household glove sales reached 73.253 million pairs, down 1% year-on-year, nearly flat. Nitrile gloves alone grew by 14%, but cautious buying due to a sluggish market continued to suppress demand post-COVID. Ultra-thin gloves (excluding medical use) totaled 5.405 billion pieces, up 6% and […]
CEMA Publishes Construction Machinery Demand Forecasts for Fiscal 2024 and 2025 Mar. 7, 2025. - The Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) recently released its construction machinery demand forecasts for fiscal 2024 (April 2024-March 2025) and fiscal 2025 (April 2025-March 2026). The forecasts were compiled based on a questionnaire survey conducted in January among 61 construction equipment manufacturers that are regular members of the association. According to the survey, in fiscal 2024, Japanese domestic shipments […]
