Bridgestone and AIST Develop Technology to Chemically Recycle Used Tires Dec. 17, 2025. - The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) announced that a research team led by Senior Researcher Yoshihiro Ueda, in collaboration with Bridgestone, has developed a chemical recycling technology for tire rubber. By combining chemical decomposition at near room temperature with a subsequent thermal decomposition process, the team successfully recovered isoprene and carbon black. The technology paves the […]
Toyo Tires President Takashi Shimizu Reflects on 2026, Looks Ahead to 2026 Dec. 16, 2025. - Takashi Shimizu, President and CEO of Toyo Tires, reflected on fiscal 2025, the company’s 80th anniversary year, highlighting progress at its Serbia plant, which began operations in 2022 and reached full production capacity this year. “Tires manufactured at the Serbia plant have won product awards from a leading UK trade magazine. By leveraging state-of-the-art production technologies, we have been enhancing […]
Bridgestone and AIST Develop Technology to Chemically Recycle Used Tires Dec. 17, 2025. - The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) announced that a research team led by Senior Researcher Yoshihiro Ueda, in collaboration with Bridgestone, has developed a chemical recycling technology for tire rubber. By combining chemical decomposition at near room temperature with a subsequent thermal decomposition process, the team successfully recovered isoprene and carbon black. The technology paves the […]
Flooding in South Asia: Minimal Impact on Japanese Rubber-Related Firms Dec. 9, 2025. - The late-November floods that struck Southeast and South Asia have resulted in a major disaster, with the death toll exceeding 1,300. Amid the widespread damage, Japan Rubber Weekly surveyed Japanese rubber-related companies operating in the region. While some firms were temporarily forced to adjust production, most have since returned to normal operations, and overall damage appears to have been limited. […]
Toyo Tires President Takashi Shimizu Reflects on 2026, Looks Ahead to 2026 Dec. 16, 2025. - Takashi Shimizu, President and CEO of Toyo Tires, reflected on fiscal 2025, the company’s 80th anniversary year, highlighting progress at its Serbia plant, which began operations in 2022 and reached full production capacity this year. “Tires manufactured at the Serbia plant have won product awards from a leading UK trade magazine. By leveraging state-of-the-art production technologies, we have been enhancing […]
Yokohama Rubber Opens Chinese New Passenger Car Tire Plant Dec. 10, 2025. - Yokohama Rubber held an opening ceremony on November 22 for its new passenger car tire plant in Hangzhou, China. The event was attended by numerous local officials and business partners, with President and COO Shinji Seimiya representing the company. The new facility is the first one-year plant launched under Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), the company’s mid-term management plan running from […]
Sumitomo Riko Launches SG Building as Symbol of Vision 2029 Dec. 15, 2025. - Sumitomo Riko has commenced full-scale operations at the Sumitomo Riko Green Transformation Building (SG Building), constructed as a core hub for its infrastructure and living environment business. Built at the Komaki Plant in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, the SG Building consolidates chemical products operations that had previously been dispersed across the site and serves as a model factory that achieves a […]
Surging Raw Material Costs Impact First Half Results: Okamoto Dec. 11, 2025. - Okamoto reported a decline in both revenue and profit for the first half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 (April–September 2025), as rising raw material prices, the strong yen, and sluggish demand in China put pressure on its performance. Consolidated net sales fell 2.9% from a year earlier to 52.90 billion yen ($340.74 million), while operating profit dropped […]
Sumitomo Riko Launches SG Building as Symbol of Vision 2029 Dec. 15, 2025. - Sumitomo Riko has commenced full-scale operations at the Sumitomo Riko Green Transformation Building (SG Building), constructed as a core hub for its infrastructure and living environment business. Built at the Komaki Plant in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, the SG Building consolidates chemical products operations that had previously been dispersed across the site and serves as a model factory that achieves a […]
NOK to Consolidate Japanese Subsidiaries into Five Companies Nov. 26, 2025. - NOK will reorganize its Japanese domestic production bases and establish five new subsidiaries on April 1 next year. These companies will handle the production and sales of seal components, industrial functional parts, and other products. Through the reorganization, NOK aims to optimize the allocation of management resources, strengthen its production framework, enhance global competitiveness, and achieve sustainable business growth. In […]
Top Interview: President Tomio Ueno of Bando Chemical Sep. 2, 2025. - In an interview with Tomio Ueno, President of Bando Chemical, we discussed the company’s current business performance, the progress of its medium- to long-term management plan Creating New Value for the Future 1st Stage (CV-1), and the status of its overseas production bases. Regarding the situation overseas, Ueno explained that market conditions in Asia vary by country and timing. India, […]
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 […]
Bridgestone and AIST Develop Technology to Chemically Recycle Used Tires Dec. 17, 2025. - The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) announced that a research team led by Senior Researcher Yoshihiro Ueda, in collaboration with Bridgestone, has developed a chemical recycling technology for tire rubber. By combining chemical decomposition at near room temperature with a subsequent thermal decomposition process, the team successfully recovered isoprene and carbon black. The technology paves the […]
Sumitomo Riko Develops High-Capacity Seismic Control System Dec. 12, 2025. - Sumitomo Riko has developed a new building material product, tentatively named the High-Capacity Seismic Control System, which has obtained Japan’s top-tier Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) certification for wooden structures: a wall strength ratio of 5.0. This ratio represents one of the highest public standards for structural capacity in wooden buildings. The new system incorporates high-performance friction […]
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 […]
