Zeon Begins Construction of Japanese Pilot Plant to Produce Butadiene from Bio-Based Ethanol Jul. 15, 2025. - Zeon Corporation has begun construction of a pilot facility at its Tokuyama Plant in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to demonstrate technology that efficiently produces butadiene from ethanol derived from plant-based and other renewable sources. The new facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. Zeon plans to use the butadiene produced at the site to prototype polybutadiene rubber, aiming to […]
Bridgestone Transfers Carbon Black Operations in Thailand to Tokai Carbon Jul. 14, 2025. - Bridgestone has signed an agreement to transfer ownership of its group company Bridgestone Carbon Black (Thailand) to Tokai Carbon and its Thai subsidiary, Thai Tokai Carbon Product. Bridgestone is restructuring its in-house carbon black operations by focusing on areas where collaboration with partners who possess specialized expertise, global networks, and resources can add value. Tokai Carbon, a global partner whose […]
Bridgestone Transfers Carbon Black Operations in Thailand to Tokai Carbon Jul. 14, 2025. - Bridgestone has signed an agreement to transfer ownership of its group company Bridgestone Carbon Black (Thailand) to Tokai Carbon and its Thai subsidiary, Thai Tokai Carbon Product. Bridgestone is restructuring its in-house carbon black operations by focusing on areas where collaboration with partners who possess specialized expertise, global networks, and resources can add value. Tokai Carbon, a global partner whose […]
ENEOS and Mitsubishi Chemical Complete Chemical Recycling Facility for Plastic-to-Oil Conversion Jul. 11, 2025. - ENEOS and Mitsubishi Chemical have completed the construction of a chemical recycling facility at Mitsubishi Chemical’s Ibaraki Plant in Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture. The facility, which had been under development since July 2021, is designed to support the launch of a plastic-to-oil conversion business. The new facility uses supercritical water hydrolysis technology developed by UK-based Mura Technology to chemically break […]
CITEXPO 2025 to Be Held in Shanghai This September Jul. 8, 2025. - The 20th edition of the China International Tire Expo (CITEXPO 2025), the largest tire trade show in the Asia-Pacific region, will take place from September 3 to 5, 2025, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in Pudong, Shanghai. The event is organized by Reliable International Exhibition Services. CITEXPO is a leading B2B exhibition focused primarily on automotive […]
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 […]
Bando Deepens Core Business and Advances New Ventures: FY Results Jul. 10, 2025. - Bando Chemical reported steady growth in its transmission belt-related segments for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025. In the automotive parts segment, the company posted revenue of 58.05 billion yen ($399.12 million), up 9.0% year-on-year, with segment operating profit rising 19.1% to 4.89 billion yen. In Japan, despite a decrease in overall vehicle production, sales of auxiliary drive belts […]
Mitsuboshi Belting Says FY Sales Strong, Eyes to Expand Sustainable Belt Lineup Jul. 9, 2025. - Mitsuboshi Belting reported increased sales in its power transmission belt business for the fiscal year ending March 2025, driven by strong domestic and international performance. In Japan, demand in the automotive aftermarket—especially for replacement belts for trucks—was robust, while the industrial machinery sector saw growth due to increased production among manufacturers of injection molding machines and robots. Internationally, the automotive […]
Zeon Begins Construction of Japanese Pilot Plant to Produce Butadiene from Bio-Based Ethanol Jul. 15, 2025. - Zeon Corporation has begun construction of a pilot facility at its Tokuyama Plant in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to demonstrate technology that efficiently produces butadiene from ethanol derived from plant-based and other renewable sources. The new facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. Zeon plans to use the butadiene produced at the site to prototype polybutadiene rubber, aiming to […]
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 […]
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 […]
