The German association of German and European mechanical and plant engineering companies (VDMA) held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) on September 22 to mark the visit of its president, Bertram Kawlath. Against the backdrop of intensifying global trade frictions, Kawlath emphasized the need for closer cooperation between Germany, Europe, and Japan. The VDMA,...
Industry
Sumitomo Rubber Supplies Sustainable Tires at All-Japan Kart Championship
The fifth and sixth rounds of the EV category in the All-Japan Kart Championship, featuring one-make tire supply by Sumitomo Rubber, were held on September 14 at Citycircuit Tokyo Bay in Koto-ku, Tokyo. In 2023, Sumitomo Rubber formulated its unique circular economy initiative, Towanowa, within its tire business. The company is promoting the use of sustainable raw materials in its...
Toyoda Gosei to Dissolve Chinese Weatherstrip Subsidiary
Toyoda Gosei has decided to dissolve Toyoda Gosei Star Light (Tianjin) Automotive Parts, its wholly owned subsidiary in China engaged in the manufacture and sale of automotive weatherstrip products, as part of efforts to reform the profit structure of its Chinese operations. Production will end in December 2025, with liquidation to be completed by December 2026. Amid dramatic changes in...
Sumitomo Rubber and Tohoku University Visualize Strain-Induced Crystallization Distribution in Rubber
Sumitomo Rubber, in collaboration with professors at Tohoku University’s Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, has succeeded in visualizing the nanometer-scale distribution of strain-induced crystallization inside polyisoprene rubber, a synthetic polymer with the same chemical structure as natural rubber. In general, when rubber is subjected to large deformations, the polyisoprene molecular chains are stretched, causing strain-induced crystallization, which is...
Toyoda Gosei Invests in Startup KG Motors
Toyoda Gosei has invested in KG Motors, a startup developing and manufacturing compact battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for single-passenger use. KG Motors aims to promote economical and environmentally friendly mobility suited to short-distance travel in regions where maintaining public transportation has become difficult due to depopulation. Centering on its proprietary monocoque body technology — a lightweight, high-rigidity vehicle structure integrating...
Rubber Rolls Report: Steelmaking Rolls Recover Amid Overall Output Slump
Roll production continues to decline. Printing rolls, which account for 30% of the total, remain in a slump due to the shift to paperless media, and film rolls — which had been driving growth until mid-last year — are also stagnating. According to data compiled by the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (Statistics Committee, including seven roll-product companies), total production from...

