The production volume of synthetic rubber for March was 102,196 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 11.7 percent, according to data compiled by the Synthetic Rubber Industry Association of Japan. This fall-off was consistent across all product types, as SBR production volume was at 23,800 tons, a 25.3 percent decrease; and BR was at 21,791 tons, an 11.2 percent decrease. There...
Market Background

Seismic Isolation Rubber Proves Highly Effective in Kumamoto Earthquakes
Seismic isolation rubber alleviates the destructive force of earthquakes. And it does so with isolation components, manufactured from laminated rubber and other materials, to take the brunt of the seismic motion. So a relevant question is how buildings with seismically isolated structures faired during last month’s earthquakes in Kumamoto, Japan. Along with taking a look at conditions in post-quake Kumamoto,...
March Construction Machinery Shipments Down, Domestic Demand Up First Time in Four Months
According to the Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association, March construction equipment shipments amounted to 244.7 billion yen ($2.24 billion). This was down 9 percent from March of the previous year and represented an eighth consecutive month of decline. Domestic demand amounted to 118.2 billion yen, up 2 percent year on year, while overseas demand fell 18 percent year on year...

Tocom Opens Futures Trading Showroom
During the Edo Period (1603-1867), shippers and wholesalers dealing in local specialties from various countries concentrated in the Horidomecho area of Tokyo’s Nihombashi district. Also home to Suginomori Shrine and its famed raffles, Horidomecho today looks set to develop a reputation for commodity futures trading as well. The Tokyo Commodity Exchange, where dealers trade in everything from Middle Eastern oil...
Year-on-Year Tire Production Down 16 Straight Months in March
Data compiled by the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association shows that automobile tire and tube production volume in March totaled 89,547 tons. The 6.8-percent drop compared to the prior year marked the sixteenth straight year-on-year decline. The falloffs in year-on-year volume by product type were 14.6 percent for trucks and buses, 11.9 percent for small trucks and 4.6 percent for...
March Automobile Production Volume Shows 1st Year-on-Year Increase in 4 Months
According to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), Japanese automotive manufacturers produced a total of 889,501 vehicles in March. This represents a 1.2 percent increase from the previous March, the first such year-on-year increase in four months. By automobile type, 757,605 passenger vehicles were produced, up 2.3 percent from the previous March, also a first year-on-year increase in four months....