Denka Earns A-Rank in Fluorocarbon Measures Rating for Fourth Consecutive Year Jul. 4, 2025. - Denka has achieved the highest A-rank rating for the fourth consecutive year in the Japan Refrigerant and Environment Conservation Organization’s (JRECO) 4th Fluorocarbon Measures Rating, which evaluates efforts toward compliance with the Fluorocarbon Emissions Control Law. The rating assesses publicly available information on fluorocarbon measures from 1,641 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market. JRECO independently evaluates companies’ […]
Yokohama Rubber Secures Mizuho Eco Finance Financing Contract Jul. 3, 2025. - Yokohama Rubber has signed a financing contract with Mizuho Bank for its Mizuho Eco Finance environmental evaluation loan product. Mizuho Eco Finance is designed to support corporate efforts toward a decarbonized society, offered by Mizuho Bank as an environmental evaluation financing product. Based on an environmental evaluation model developed by Mizuho Research & Technologies, companies are scored on their climate […]
Dow Completes Expansion of Childcare for Medically Dependent Children Project Jun. 30, 2025. - Dow announced the completion of its Medical Care Child Nursery Expansion project, conducted through donations to Florence, a Japanese organization addressing social issues in child and parenting support. The project, which ran for about a year, ended in May. Advances in neonatal medicine have led to a growing number of “medically complex children” who require daily medical care, such as […]
Japan Society of Seismic Isolation Releases Latest Statistics Jun. 26, 2025. - The Japan Society of Seismic Isolation has released its latest statistics on seismically isolated buildings. According to the report, the total number of planned seismically isolated buildings from 1985 through the end of 2023 reached 5,649 buildings, an increase of 119 from the end of 2022. The number of planned buildings typically surges following major earthquakes, but the pace of […]
Yokohama Rubber Secures Mizuho Eco Finance Financing Contract Jul. 3, 2025. - Yokohama Rubber has signed a financing contract with Mizuho Bank for its Mizuho Eco Finance environmental evaluation loan product. Mizuho Eco Finance is designed to support corporate efforts toward a decarbonized society, offered by Mizuho Bank as an environmental evaluation financing product. Based on an environmental evaluation model developed by Mizuho Research & Technologies, companies are scored on their climate […]
Goodyear and Audi Utilize Multiple Virtual Simulation Tests to Develop OEM Tires Jul. 2, 2025. - Goodyear and Audi have developed original equipment manufacturer (OEM) tires for the new Audi A5 and S5, leveraging multiple virtual simulation tests. Goodyear has previously supplied OEM tires for high-profile models such as the Q6 e-tron, e-tron GT quattro, and RS e-tron GT. By becoming the primary supplier for the A5 and S5 OEM tires, Goodyear and Audi have launched […]
Denka Earns A-Rank in Fluorocarbon Measures Rating for Fourth Consecutive Year Jul. 4, 2025. - Denka has achieved the highest A-rank rating for the fourth consecutive year in the Japan Refrigerant and Environment Conservation Organization’s (JRECO) 4th Fluorocarbon Measures Rating, which evaluates efforts toward compliance with the Fluorocarbon Emissions Control Law. The rating assesses publicly available information on fluorocarbon measures from 1,641 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market. JRECO independently evaluates companies’ […]
Toyota Gosei to Sell Outdoor Pouch Made from Recycled Airbag Fabric and Seatbelt Scraps Jul. 1, 2025. - Toyota Gosei has collaborated with KNOT, a bouldering gym located in Nagoya’s Endoji shopping district near Nagoya Station, to launch an outdoor pouch made from hard-to-recycle airbag fabric and seatbelt scraps. The pouch is designed to hold small items such as bouldering chalk, mobile batteries, or makeup supplies, making it suitable as a bag-in-bag accessory. The silicone-coated airbag fabric offers […]
Tosoh to Expand Japanese Chloroprene Rubber Production Capacity Jun. 17, 2025. - Tosoh has decided to expand its chloroprene rubber (CR) production capacity, investing approximately 75 billion yen ($520 million) to build a second CR plant at its Nanyo Complex in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The new facility will increase annual production capacity by 22,000 tons, bringing Tosoh’s total CR supply capacity to 59,000 tons, combined with the existing 37,000-ton capacity. Construction […]
Zeon to Begin Production of High-Performance S-SBR in Singapore Jun. 9, 2025. - Zeon has introduced new production facilities for high-performance grades of S-SBR, primarily used in fuel-efficient tires, at its subsidiary Zeon Chemicals Singapore (ZCS) located on Jurong Island. Together with its Tokuyama Plant in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the company aims to strengthen its dual production and supply system. Construction of the new facilities for high-performance grades at ZCS has been […]
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 […]
Zeon Establishes New Research Facility in Japan Jun. 18, 2025. - Zeon has established a new research facility at its Zeon Chemicals Yonezawa site in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, to develop manufacturing processes for plant-based raw materials. The two-story building has a total floor area of 590.34 square meters. The facility will advance biotechnology development for producing butadiene and isoprene, key raw materials for synthetic rubber, directly from plant sources, aiming […]
Tosoh Develops World’s First Bio-Based Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene Rubber Jun. 11, 2025. - Tosoh has developed a bio-based chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM) rubber marketed under its Toso-CSM brand, and established mass production technology. This marks the world’s first development of a chlorosulfonated polyethylene product utilizing bio-based materials. Toso-CSM is widely used in industrial products, adhesives, rubber-coated fabrics, and handrails. Known for its high durability, it contributes to the extended lifespan of products and has […]
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 […]
