Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has announced that its vibration control damper will be used by Obayashi Corp. (TYO:1802) for the seismic retrofitting of Kumamoto Castle’s keep. The viscoelastic damper absorbs tremors by instantly converting seismic energy to heat, and uses high-damping rubber developed based on the advanced technology Sumitomo Rubber has accumulated for racing tires. The rubber has also...