The Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA) appointed a new chairman and vice chairman at its annual general meeting on May 26, 2020. Masahiro Higashi of Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has replaced Takashi Shimizu of Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) as chairman, while Masataka Yamaishi of Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) has taken over from Bridgestone’s Akihiro Eto as vice chairman. This...
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Showa Denko Sees Decline in Chloroprene Rubber Sales for First Quarter
Showa Denko KK (TYO:4004) recently released its business results for the first quarter of calendar 2020, revealing a decline in both sales and profit metrics. The company posted sales of 171.73 billion yen ($1.6 billion), down 26.8 percent from the same period last year; operating income of just under 2.47 billion yen, down by 94.6 percent; and ordinary income of...
Inoac Launches Standalone Sales for Mask Filters
Inoac Corp. has moved to expand its range of offerings in the market for polyurethane masks. Having already been selling full masks here as domestically produced products, the company recently also launched standalone sales for filter sheets to be used in these masks. Inoac’s masks are seamless polyurethane products that can be hand-washed and reused numerous times. In terms of...
JSR Forms Comprehensive Tie-up With Tokyo University’s Department of Physics
JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) recently announced that it has formed a comprehensive collaboration with the Department of Physics at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Science. Joint research here started up on April 1. The first initiative under the tie-up is to establish a collaborative research base for bringing together physics and chemistry. Named the “JSR–UTokyo Collaboration Hub, CURIE,” this...
Sumitomo Rubber Sees Decline in Business Profit for First Quarter
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has released its business results for the January–March quarter of calendar 2020 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The company reported sales revenue of 190.79 billion yen ($1.77 billion) for a year-on-year decrease of 9.7 percent, while business profit decreased 54.7 percent to 2.57 billion yen. Tire operations recorded sales revenue of 163.19...
Kuraray Holds Online Trade Show for Automotive Industry
Kuraray Co. Ltd. (TYO:3405) is holding an online trade show focused on the automobile industry over May 20 – June 30. Through on-demand video and other such means, the chemicals company is showing how the Kuraray Group’s materials can provide various next-gen solutions for the automotive industry with a focus on the environment, safety and comfort One of the products...

