Inoac Corp. launched sales on April 17 of a face mask with a washable polymer body, offering this as a way to help alleviate the nationwide shortage of masks caused by the spread of COVID-19. The major rubber and polyurethane foam products manufacturer is conducting sales through the online shop of subsidiary Inoac Living Co. Ltd., though these have been...
Glove manufacturer Towa Corporation Ltd. is likely to resume operations at its plants in Bangladesh and Malaysia. Operations at both plants have been suspended in accordance with the restrictions and measures that both countries have implemented. A company spokesperson said that, depending on the situation, the plants could either resume operations before April 14 or remain shut down for a...
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has started working alongside a pair of subsidiaries to manufacture simple masks amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The setup here is for Bridgestone Chemitech Co. Ltd. to produce polyurethane, with Bridgestone Diversified Chemical Products Co. Ltd. then processing this into masks. Bridgestone is basing its work here upon expertise it has built up since 2017, when it...
Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) recently announced that it has decided to supply diethyl malonate, a raw material for anti-flu drug Avigan, in response to a request from the Japanese government. Also known as favipiravir, Avigan is being touted as a potential treatment for COVID-19 patients. This diethyl malonate production is slated to start in May at Denka’s Omi Plant in...
Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) is temporarily limiting its production to respond to the reduced global tire demand being seen as a result of the novel coronavirus. The company is making a series of production adjustments at its Sendai Plant in Iwanuma, Miyagi Prefecture, halting production over April 3–9 before before plans to resume these operations on April 10. The company...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) held its latest general meeting of shareholders at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 26, hosting this at its headquarters in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. A total of 190 shareholders attended the event, which lasted for 54 minutes. One of the shareholders asked what Sumitomo Rubber is doing for novel coronavirus countermeasures – such as cost-cutting or reconsidering...
