Lanxess Holds Press Conference on Activities for 2025 Apr. 30, 2025. - The Japanese subsidiary of German specialty chemicals manufacturer Lanxess recently announced its 2024 business results and outlook for 2025. For fiscal 2024 results, profitability improved significantly due to higher factory utilization rates and cost reduction measures. Global net sales were down 5.0% year-on-year at 6.37 billion euro ($7.26 billion) due to lower selling prices on lower raw material and energy […]
Sumitomo Riko Breaks Ground for New Office Building at Matsusaka Plant Apr. 28, 2025. - Sumitomo Riko held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new office building at its Matsusaka Plant in Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture. The new office building marks an investment of 1.1 billion yen ($7.64 million), covering an area of 931 square meters with a total floor space of 2,341 square meters. Construction is scheduled to be completed in February 2026, and operations […]
Zeon and Visolis Complete Commercialization Study for Bio-Isoprene Monomers and Sustainable Aviation Fuel Apr. 24, 2025. - Zeon and U.S.-based Visolis have completed a feasibility study for the commercialization of bio-isoprene monomers and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as outlined in their March 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The companies have decided to move to the next stage, preparing for the construction of production facilities. The production facilities will use intermediate products from Visolis’ fermentation process as raw […]
Kuraray Obtains ISCC PLUS Certification in America and Europe Apr. 23, 2025. - Kuraray has obtained ISCC PLUS certification, an international certification system for sustainable products, for six vinyl acetate-related products at four group companies and four production facilities in the U.S. and Europe by October 2024. The company has established a certified supply chain between Europe and the United States, starting with vinyl acetate (VAM) produced at the La Porte Plant in […]
Bridgestone to Raise Prices of Commercial Tires in Japan Mar. 27, 2025. - Bridgestone announced that it will raise the manufacturer’s shipping prices for tires marketed in Japan. The price increase will take effect for summer tires starting June 1 and for winter tires starting September 1. The price increases will be applied to domestic aftermarket tires (summer and winter), tubes, and flaps, and will range from 6 to 8% (average for each […]
Bridgestone Develops On-Vehicle Collection Method for Tire and Road Wear Particles Mar. 19, 2025. - Bridgestone has developed a unique on-vehicle collection method to assess the environmental impact of tire and road wear particles (TRWP). TRWP is dust generated by the friction between tires and road surfaces, consisting of a mixture of tire tread and road pavement materials. The company visualized the dispersion of particles like TRWP using a combination of high-speed cameras and laser […]
Molten Develops High Damping Laminated Rubber for Construction Apr. 25, 2025. - Molten Corporation, a manufacturer of rubber parts for athletic balls and automobiles, has developed a high-damping laminated rubber bearing for use in seismic isolation construction, and has obtained ministerial approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for designated building materials under Article 37 of the Building Standards Law. Molten’s MHR1500 high-damping laminated rubber bearing, which was […]
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 […]
Lanxess Holds Press Conference on Activities for 2025 Apr. 30, 2025. - The Japanese subsidiary of German specialty chemicals manufacturer Lanxess recently announced its 2024 business results and outlook for 2025. For fiscal 2024 results, profitability improved significantly due to higher factory utilization rates and cost reduction measures. Global net sales were down 5.0% year-on-year at 6.37 billion euro ($7.26 billion) due to lower selling prices on lower raw material and energy […]
Sumitomo Riko Breaks Ground for New Office Building at Matsusaka Plant Apr. 28, 2025. - Sumitomo Riko held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new office building at its Matsusaka Plant in Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture. The new office building marks an investment of 1.1 billion yen ($7.64 million), covering an area of 931 square meters with a total floor space of 2,341 square meters. Construction is scheduled to be completed in February 2026, and operations […]
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 […]
Interview: Toyohiro Hagiwara, Vice President, Gates Unitta Asia Jan. 24, 2025. - Japan Rubber Weekly sat down for an interview with Toyohiro Hagiwara, vice president of Gates Unitta Asia (GUA), to talk about business and the year ahead. “In the automotive field, we will expand the use of our products in commercial vehicles and respond to new types of mobility, such as EVs and electric motorcycles. In general industrial applications, we see […]
Molten Develops High Damping Laminated Rubber for Construction Apr. 25, 2025. - Molten Corporation, a manufacturer of rubber parts for athletic balls and automobiles, has developed a high-damping laminated rubber bearing for use in seismic isolation construction, and has obtained ministerial approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for designated building materials under Article 37 of the Building Standards Law. Molten’s MHR1500 high-damping laminated rubber bearing, which was […]
Sumitomo Riko Targets 2020s Deployment of Battery Cooling Plates and Inter-Cell Insulation Apr. 4, 2025. - With the anticipated increase in demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the future, Sumitomo Riko is advancing the development of battery-related products. The company is proposing battery cooling plates and inter-cell thermal insulation materials to automakers, aiming for practical application in the 2020s. The battery cooling plate, named the Cool Fit Plate, is a developmental product that contributes to […]
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 […]
