New Year’s Top Interview: Forbo Siegling Japan President Mamoru Sato Representative Director and President Mamoru Sato of Forbo Siegling Japan Ltd. said recently in an interview with the Japan Rubber Weekly that 2015 sales are forecast to increase 4–5 percent year-on-year. Profit will likely rise only marginally due to higher costs for raw materials, electricity and distribution. Despite these difficulties,...
New Year’s Top Interview: Okamoto Industries President Yoshiyuki Okamoto President Yoshiyuki Okamoto of Okamoto Industries Inc. (TYO:5122) said recently in an interview with Japan Rubber Weekly that increased capital spending had yielded results by producing good business performance in 2015. Of particular note, the company is unable to meet demand for interior automobile materials in North America as well as...
New Year’s Top Interview: Achilles President Mamoru Ito President Mamoru Ito of Achilles Corp. (TYO:5142) spoke recently with Japan Rubber Weekly about its business and the company’s new headquarters. He said the relocation has enabled the company to centrally coordinate and direct operations more efficiently, while Achilles plans on using the proceeds gained from the sale of the former premises...
Thanks to a booming sports lifestyle market beginning at the start of the 21st century, demand for sports shoes in Japan recovered, with sales in 2002 reaching 42 million pairs. However, from 2006 onward, there were no particularly popular categories or hit models. Amidst excess inventory and a slack market, sports shoes sales dropped to 37 million pairs in 2008...
The size of the retail shoe market in Japan (excluding slippers and sandals) is at around 1.6 trillion yen, with 400 million or so pairs being sold. This comes after a slump from the late 1990s to the early 2000s during a lengthy economic slowdown, when the market shrank to 1.49 trillion yen in 2002, a year in which over...
New Year’s Top Interview: Mitsuboshi Belting President Hajime Kakiuchi Speaking with Japan Rubber Weekly in an interview, Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd. (TYO:5192) President Hajime Kakiuchi said he believes difficulties await this year if the current economic slump persists. The company has invested in upgrading its capabilities in Japan, and its ability to continue doing so will help adapt in the future...
