The automobile market in Japan is going through a difficult period, said Yujiro Kanahara, president of Nippon Goodyear Ltd., speaking recently to Japan Rubber Weekly. This is particularly true in the tire sector, where Nippon Goodyear faces a number of strong rivals and where market growth is limited, Kanahara said. Still, he believes there are opportunities for growth.
Guangzhou Fengli Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd., southern China's biggest manufacturer of radial tires and owner of Wanli Tire, has decided to enter the Japanese market. This will provide a foothold for its global expansion strategy, thus ensuring a prime base from which to expand elsewhere overseas.
New Year’s Top Interview: Yokohama Rubber President Hikomitsu Noji 2015 was a very difficult year, but in 2016, Yokohama Rubber plans to recover by improving sales in Russia and Japan—markets where the company is strong—in addition to meeting strong demand in North America, Europe and China, said Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) President Hikomitsu Noji in an interview with Japan...
New Year’s Top Interview: Nihon Michelin President Paul Perriniaux Japan Michelin strives to provide superior service and to be customers’ first choice for tires, said Nihon Michelin Tire Co. Ltd. President Paul Perriniaux in an interview with Japan Rubber Weekly. Japan is one of the world’s largest markets for new car tires and replacement tires and it is a market...
New Year’s Top Interview: Bridgestone CEO Masaaki Tsuya The administrative framework at Bridgestone has not changed one iota since it came under a dual leadership structure in February 2012, said Masaaki Tsuya, CEO of Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108), in an interview with Japan Rubber Weekly. While moving forward with efforts to establish and maintain a systematic corporate ethos, they are using...
Domestic demand for tires is expected to amount to 118.55 million tires for 2015, 4 percent fewer than the previous year, according to the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA). The decrease was caused by lower vehicle production volume. The forecast for 2016, meanwhile, calls for a 1 percent annual increase to 119.2 million tires. ■ Assumptions behind the demand...
