Sumitomo Rubber and NEC Form Strategic Partnership Jul. 29, 2025. - Sumitomo Rubber Industries and NEC Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic partnership aimed at building a globally competitive research and development framework and exploring new business opportunities. The collaboration seeks to transform traditional R&D approaches in manufacturing, address societal challenges, and create new core businesses. The two companies have previously collaborated, notably in 2022, when they […]
Bridgestone Introduces First-Ever Studless Tire with Enliten Technology Jul. 28, 2025. - Bridgestone will launch a new premium studless tire for passenger vehicles, the Blizzak WZ-1, starting in September 2025, available in 119 sizes. This tire introduces Bridgestone’s Enliten technology to studless tires for the first time, delivering what the company calls “unrivaled” ice performance and high performance across all road surfaces while contributing to sustainability, making it a “next-generation Blizzak.” Enliten, […]
Sumitomo Rubber and NEC Form Strategic Partnership Jul. 29, 2025. - Sumitomo Rubber Industries and NEC Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic partnership aimed at building a globally competitive research and development framework and exploring new business opportunities. The collaboration seeks to transform traditional R&D approaches in manufacturing, address societal challenges, and create new core businesses. The two companies have previously collaborated, notably in 2022, when they […]
Hanwa Signs Basic Agreement with Thai Tire Chip Manufacturers Jul. 18, 2025. - Osaka-based trading company Hanwa has announced that its Thai subsidiary, Hanwa Thailand, has signed a basic agreement with Thai waste tire collection and tire chip manufacturing companies Pralan Energy and R&T (2018). The agreement covers the supply of tire chips, which will be promoted as an alternative to coal fuel both domestically and internationally. Around the world, large quantities of […]
Bridgestone Introduces First-Ever Studless Tire with Enliten Technology Jul. 28, 2025. - Bridgestone will launch a new premium studless tire for passenger vehicles, the Blizzak WZ-1, starting in September 2025, available in 119 sizes. This tire introduces Bridgestone’s Enliten technology to studless tires for the first time, delivering what the company calls “unrivaled” ice performance and high performance across all road surfaces while contributing to sustainability, making it a “next-generation Blizzak.” Enliten, […]
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 […]
Kato Office Thrives Importing and Selling High-Performance Taiwanese Machines Jul. 25, 2025. - Kato Office, the exclusive Japan distributor for the Taiwanese manufacturers Kneader Machinery and Jing Day Machinery Industrial, has earned strong praise for importing and selling their products while providing comprehensive service support. Kneader Machinery, established in 1981, is Taiwan’s leading manufacturer of kneader equipment, producing over 100 units annually, including pressurized kneaders, kneader mixers, and twin-shaft open kneaders, as well […]
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 […]
Rubber Sheet Special Feature: Irumagawa Rubber Boosts Sales Efficiency to Secure New Projects Jul. 24, 2025. - Irumagawa Rubber’s rubber sheet business for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, recorded lower revenue and profit compared to the previous year. “Specialty fluororubber sheets and products for specific users remained weak. While general-purpose rubber sheets performed relatively steadily, they couldn’t offset the declines, resulting in overall performance below last year’s levels,” the company said. Demand trends showed that […]
Rubber Sheet Special Feature: Tigers Polymer Sees Rising Sales of Fluororubber Sheets Jul. 23, 2025. - Tigers Polymer’s rubber sheet business for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, reported higher revenue but lower profit compared to the previous year. “Price revisions last year increased sales revenue, but volume remained flat. A positive factor was the upturn in fluororubber sheet sales in the second half,” the company said. General-purpose rubber sheets saw stagnant demand across nearly […]
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 […]
Sumitomo Rubber Develops Rubber Material Compatible with 3D Printing Jul. 17, 2025. - Sumitomo Rubber has developed a rubber material that can be processed using 3D printers. The company aims to commercialize the material for 3D printing applications by 2026 and will continue to advance its development. Traditionally, producing rubber products using 3D printers has been considered difficult. However, Sumitomo Rubber has succeeded in developing a proprietary material with excellent resilience and high […]
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 […]
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 […]
