A&D is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic balances and medical devices established in 1977. Its president, Hikaru Furukawa, emphasizes the company's core values of "never give up" and "honmono" which means delivering genuine, high-quality products. A&D has grown to be a global leader and the third largest manufacturer of electronic balances, developing precision scales and devices for various industries like healthcare. Furukawa aims to make A&D the global leader in its field with $1 billion in revenue by maintaining its focus on quality and innovation.

1. “The success of our com-
pany lies in the nexus between
our core value and our core
technologies,” said Hikaru
Furukawa, president of elec-
tronic balances manufacturer
A&D. “Our core value is sim-
ple: ‘Never give up’.”
“In A&D we speak of the
Japanese word ‘honmono’, lit-
erally meaning ‘real’ or ‘genu-
ine’,” he said. “To us, it signi-
fies a value system which our
people incorporate in every
aspect of their work to achieve
the highest quality output.”
A&D was established in
1977, when 13 engineers got
together to take advantage of
the transformation from ana-
log to digital that had started
at about the same time. Today
it is a multifaceted company,
the third largest manufac-
turer of electronic balances
in the world. The all-purpose
devices the company devel-
oped 33 years ago have been
transformed into a range of
products that suit a variety
of applications, led by micro-
balances capable of measur-
ing weights to the millionth of
a gram.
A&D has already stepped
aggressively into the medi-
cal field through its blood
pressure devices and precise
measuring scales. “We are a
unique manufacturer that
provides digital blood pres-
sure monitors for personal use
and products crafted for use
in hospitals and medical facili-
ties. And we lead the way as a
developer and provider of new
healthcare services that aim to
promote healthy living and
prevent lifestyle-related dis-
eases caused by modern tech-
nology,” Furukawa explained.
The Tokyo-based company
also provides innovative tools
and technology for measure-
ments, control and simula-
tion during automotive and
tire development. “Customer
demand is high for our prod-
ucts, which are based on eight
fundamental measurement
technologies refined since the
company was established,” Fu-
rukawa said.
“Given our sensitive and
demanding fields of business,
our only option is to deliver
the best,” he concluded. “By
doing that, we are aiming to
reach our revenue target of $1
billion, making this company
the global leader in its field.”
www.aandd.jp
World Eye Reports provided
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JapanspecialCHINA DAILY
China is premier partner
The Japanese economy is
the world’s third-largest by
nominal GDP, and it is still
the second-largest developed
economy after the US. In re-
cent years, Japan has retaken
the path of economic growth
after decades of stagnation.
In fact, considerable improve-
ments have been witnessed
recently, such as higher wag-
es and a steady decline in the
unemployment rate, which is
in turn bolstering consumer
confidence.
This provides the ideal
framework for Tokyo’s host-
ing of the 2020 Olympic
Games, when the country
will once again become the
world’s focus. The Games are
expected to serve as a catalyst
to further boost infrastruc-
ture, tourism and long-term
investment in the country
both in the run-up to, during
and after the event.
Moreover, the prevailing
global low oil price environ-
ment, along with a weaken-
ing yen, is making a posi-
tive impact on the country’s
all-important export sector.
China remains both the most
important destination for
Japanese exports and its pre-
mier trading partner.
“Fully 20 percent of Japan’s
trade value is linked with
China,” said Yoshikiyo Ono,
secretary-general of the Japa-
nese Shipowners’ Associa-
tion. “China’s healthy growth
rate directly benefits Japa-
nese shipping companies.”
China’s continuing indus-
trialization and growth also
requires a growing amount
of environmentally friendly
and efficient energy solu-
tions, and this is an area in
which Japan has key know-
how. “Every year, economic
missions are sent to Beijing
with the aim of supporting
business ties and expanding
collaboration between China
and Japan,” said Iwao Oka-
moto, president of the Japan-
China Economic Association.
“Japan has undergone simi-
lar situations to what China
is facing at the moment. Our
experience can help China to
resolve its actual challenges,
and benefit both countries”
Japan’s chemical indus-
try is playing a key role in
the country’s economic re-
vival and growth. It supplies
chemical products and raw
materials to vital industries,
contributing to the devel-
opment of electronic parts
and components such as
semiconductors, communi-
cation devices and electri-
cal machinery, as well as
automobiles. The sector is
also contributing to integral
advances in the fields of bio-
technology and information
technology, including the de-
velopment of products and
solutions aimed at tackling
global warming.
The country’s Kansai re-
gion, surrounding the main
city of Osaka, is an important
hub and the most important
economic center in Japan af-
ter Tokyo. Major companies
are established in this region
due to its enormous potential
as a market for consumer
goods.
“Currently, Kansai’s econ-
omy is in good shape, with
its manufacturing sector per-
forming better than the na-
tional average,” said Soichiro
Seki, director general of the
Kansai Bureau of the Econo-
my, Trade and Industry. “The
region benefits from a good
balance, in which small and
mid-sized companies partici-
pate in total production.”
As all eyes focus on Tokyo’s
turn in the global spotlight
five years from now, Japan’s
growth is consolidating its
position as a key economy for
global economic stability and
prosperity.
World Eye Reports provided
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Yoshikiyo Ono, secretary-
general of the Japanese
Shipowners’Association
Iwao Okamoto, president of
the Japan-China Economic
Association
Globalleadershipthetarget,
‘Nevergiveup’thekeyvalue
The increasing global sup-
ply and resulting overcapacity
of basic chemicals made re-
structuring a necessity for sec-
tor leader Mitsui Chemicals.
Tsutomu Tannowa stepped
up to take on this challenge as
the president of the chemical
giant a year ago.
“After working with basic
chemicals and petrochemicals,
we are shifting to performance-
driven products and pursuing
higher quality,” he said. “Mo-
bility, healthcare, and food &
packaging are our new focus.”
Mitsui Chemicals is aiming to
increase its business in these
three fields to a total of 90 per-
cent of the company’s revenue.
Although Mitsui Chemicals’
focus is global, China remains
its top market — with the
country currently counting for
24 percent of its total overseas
sales. One of its most recent
partnerships is a joint venture
with Sinopec to establish the
world’s largest ethylene-pro-
pylene-diene terpolymer plant
in Shanghai.
“We are not looking to
simply expand further and
increase our revenue; we
are now making a shift to
higher-value-added products
like EPT, which is very heat-
resistant and durable and can
be used extensively in auto-
motive parts,” said Tannowa.
“We can definitely transfer
our know-how to China and
provide this market with our
expertise in eco-friendly prod-
ucts and applications, as the
level of interest in this area is
fast growing.”
Under Tannowa’s leader-
ship, Mitsui Chemicals is on
the right track. As he said: “It
has been a very progressive
year for us. We are doing bet-
ter than anticipated, and out-
performing our targets.”
group.mitsuichemicals.com
World Eye Reports provided
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Globalchemicalsleader
shiftsfocustoremainontop
TsutomuTannowa,presidentof
MitsuiChemicals
SkyisthelimitforNikkenSekkei
Some 115 years ago, a company es-
tablished in Japan was destined to be-
come one of the world’s leading archi-
tectural consulting firm today. Nikken
Sekkei is the name behind some of the
vibrant and ultramodern capital city’s
most well-known landmarks. A large
number of Japan’s most prominent
and world-recognized built designs
can be found in its portfolio.
Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest
free-standing broadcasting tower, was
designed by Nikken Sekkei, as was the
Tokyo Station Yaesu Development.
The firm is also responsible for devel-
opments around Shibuya Station, cur-
rently under way.
“We are by far number one in Japan
— employing more than 1,000 highly-
qualified architects,” said Tadao Ka-
mei, president and CEO of Nikken
Sekkei. “Our portfolio contains more
than 20,000 projects, domestically
and internationally.”
Nikken Sekkei’s most important
market after Japan is China. Cur-
rently, it has more than 50 projects
under development in the neighbor-
ing country. Among those which have
already contributed to enriching Chi-
nese city skylines are such prominent
buildings as the Bank of China Tower
and Citigroup Tower in Shanghai, as
well as the futuristic Bank of Chengdu
headquarters in Chengdu and Guang-
zhou’s public library.
The company’s greatest new chal-
lenge will be the development of To-
kyo’s Main Stadium. It will host the
most important and globally promi-
nent events of the Tokyo 2020 Olym-
pic Games. In the meantime, it has
recently finished Narita International
Airport’s new Terminal 3, which is al-
ready operational.
“Japan is reviving, and we will be
here to support this development with
our expertise and advanced technical
capability,” said Kamei.
Nikken Sekkei has been engaged in
sustainable eco-friendly designs since
1966, before even the term became
fashionable around the world. As Ka-
mei explained: “Traditional Japanese
architecture is based on eco-friendly
designs, and we succeeded in follow-
ing and applying our tradition to our
modern designs.”
For example, Nikken Sekkei de-
signed and built the Pola Museum of
Art, located in Hakone within a na-
tional park. Much of it is built under-
ground and nowhere is it more than
8 meters tall, maintaining a beautiful
design with minimum impact on its
magnificent surroundings.
In the same vein, and following
two years of negotiations with the lo-
cal government in Matizhai in China
followed by three years of designing,
consulting and supervision, Nikken
Sekkei designed and built the Mati-
zhai Hope Primary School, which is
fully integrated with the village and
its environment.
“Since completion in 2013, we have
remained active in the school by pro-
viding training to the kids and teach-
ing them about the environment,
cleanliness and art,” Kamei said.
Within the company itself Nikken
Sekkei’s employee stock ownership
program “is able to maintain com-
plete independence, and gives us the
advantage of acting as we collectively
decide”, he said. In particular, Ka-
mei pointed out that the company
refrained from laying off employees
during the worst years of the global
financial crisis that started in 2008
with the “Lehman Shock”.
Today, Kamei and his team are look-
ing globally, and eager to develop Nik-
ken Sekkei as a world leader in its sec-
tor. “Our target is to be a global firm,
though always following the prin-
ciples that founded this company: to
adapt to the changes of society and be
ready for the volatile future.”
“This has been the key reason for
our survival, growth and continued
success,” Kamei said.
www.nikken.jp/en
World Eye Reports provided the story.
Tadao Kamei,presidentandCEOof
NikkenSekkei
Tokyo Skytree®
RYOTA ATARASHI/FOR CHINA DAILY
From small beginnings
in Yokohama, Japan, Zuken
grew rapidly to develop Ja-
pan’s first full-scale CAD/
CAM system for printed cir-
cuit board design within its
first few years, in the 1970s.
Soon afterwards it estab-
lished Zuken America — a key
step towards the company’s
global expansion.
“Back then it was very chal-
lenging to sell Japanese soft-
ware abroad,” recalled Jinya
Katsube, COO of Zuken. “Now
our software is as well-known
as some of the world’s most
broadly-used PCB design soft-
ware.” Zuken is still the only
electronic design automation
company listed on the Tokyo
Stock Exchange.
Today, Zuken is engaged in
almost every sector, serving
companies ranging from con-
sumer electronics to automo-
tive and aerospace, including
many global leaders such as
Panasonic, Toyota, Continen-
tal and ABB.
CR-8000, Zuken’s most ad-
vanced PCB design environ-
ment, offers true 3D capabili-
ty — positioning the company
well ahead of its competitors.
Companies who are attract-
ed to CR-8000 are typically
those working in high-tech
industries, who have day-to-
day challenges developing the
most complex electronics de-
signs.
Zuken continues to invest
heavily in research and devel-
opment to promote innova-
tion. Last year, the company
established a Global Automo-
tive Competence Center in
Germany, which contributes
to its state-of-the-art software
development for the automo-
tive industry.
These days, Zuken is watch-
ing as China evolves from its
position as a low-cost produc-
tion base and increases in
importance as a global center
for high-value R&D. “China is
now the world’s largest auto-
motive market, and Chinese
automotive design require-
ments are growing ever more
sophisticated,” Katsube said.
“We are looking forward to
providing our global expertise
and latest technologies to the
automotive sector there.”
www.zuken.co.jp/en
World Eye Reports provided
the story.
Jinya Katsube,COOofZuken
Japan’ssoleglobalsoftwarerepresentativeeyesChinaexpansion
Hikaru Furukawa, president
of A&D
These reports were produced byWorld Eye Reports.
If you would like further information on any of the com-
panies and organizations featured here,please e-mail us
at info@worldeyereports.com.
22 Thursday, June 18, 2015

2. Carrier ahead of global pace
One of Japan’s largest solar
plant, scheduled to be opera-
tional by 2019, is being built on
a former salt field in Setouchi,
near Hiroshima. Trina Solar
Japan, or TSJ, a subsidiary of
Changzhou-based Trina Solar,
will be the module supplier for
the ambitious project, which is
set to provide 116 megawatts of
solar modules over two years.
Foundedin1997,NYSE-listed
Trina Solar covers five global
sales regions encompassing
the United States, Europe,
Asia-Pacific, the Middle East,
Africa and China. Its Japanese
subsidiary,TSJ,wasestablished
in February 2010 and provides
sales, delivery, and after-sales
servicestoJapanesecustomers.
“It is an honor to be the solar
module provider for Toyo Engi-
neering, which is constructing
the Setouchi project,” said TSJ’s
president Ye Chen. “We were
chosen based on our quality,
reliability and availability. The
modules and system are guar-
anteed for 25 to 30 years, so the
highest quality is necessary.”
“We maintain reasonable
prices for our products, aim-
ingforawin-winsituationwith
ourcustomers,”sheadded.“For
our trusted after-sales service,
we have a 24-hour hotline. This
ensures quick reactions to all
customer requests.”
Japan is the world’s third-
largest solar market, and Chen
is bullish about growth for TSJ.
Her strategy is to focus on new
markets such as commercial
and rooftop-installed units,
while continuously innovating
the company’s marketing and
business strategies through
technology.
“Solar energy is still a rela-
tive luxury today, so our tar-
get is to achieve grid parity
with conventional energy by
lowering the cost of installa-
tion and providing access to
all markets,” Chen said. “Right
now, as one of the cost-leading
manufacturers in the world, I
ampositivewecanachievethis
very soon.”
www.trinasolar.com/jp
WorldEyeReportsprovidedthe
story.
Underamedium-termman-
agementplanfocusedonprof-
itability, growth and flexibility,
theJapaneseoil,gasandmetal
conglomerateJXHoldingshas
come out stronger amid a dif-
ficult period for the energy
industry, and it is maintain-
ing its position in the list of
the top 50 worldwide energy
companies based on revenue.
“We need to be both flex-
ible and resilient,” said Isao
Matsushita, the company’s
president.“Itisveryimportant
for us to balance our oil and
non-oildownstream,aswellas
our upstream, middle-stream
and business components.
This makes us less susceptible
to a changing economic envi-
ronment while getting more
involved in highly developing
regions and countries such as
Southeast Asia and, of course,
China.”
He said China tops the list
of countries for companies,
such as JX, seeking more
growth. “As the head of our
Beijing office, I was engaged
in areas of lubricants and oil
exploration in the mid-1990s,
when we had just launched
lubricant manufacturing fac-
tories in Shanxi and Tianjin,”
said Matsushita.
“From then on, we expand-
ed our business in China.
At this moment, we have 29
locations and sites across the
country.”
He stressed the importance
of becoming more involved in
clean and renewable energy.
As a result, the group’s energy
company — JX Nippon Oil
& Energy — recently started
supplying hydrogen energy to
fuel cell vehicles.
JX Nippon Oil & Energy
is a Gold Partner of the
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Through this partnership,
the company hopes to further
promote and popularize the
use of hydrogen-based energy
for a more environmentally
friendly society.
www.hd.jx-group.co.jp/
english/
World Eye Reports provided
the story.
Isao Matsushita, president of
JX Holdings
Ye Chen, president of Trina
Solar Japan,TSJ
Future looks bright for solar energy provider
Oil and energy firm thrives in balancing biz strategies
Ultra-modern, high-
performance and fuel-saving
fully synthetic motor oil
Today’s rapid pace of devel-
opment and globalization pres-
ents a world of opportunities,
as well as challenges, in the
shipping and cargo industry.
In this fast-changing scenario,
NYKBulk&ProjectsCarriers—
oneoftheworld’sleadingocean
carriers of project cargo, heavy
lift cargo, steel products and
bulk cargo — remains stead-
fast in providing quality, secure
and environmentally friendly
services.
A subsidiary of Japan’s larg-
estshippingcompany,theNip-
pon Yusen Kaisha Group, NYK
Bulk & Projects Carriers oper-
ates vessels certified for qual-
ity assurance, environment
management and occupation-
al health and safety. “Being a
core firm of the NYK Group
gives us a major advantage
because of our global links,”
said Masamichi Morooka,
president of NYK Bulk & Proj-
ects Carriers.
The specialist carrier is com-
mitted to providing quality
marine transportation services
for heavy cargo around the
world. “To guarantee customer
satisfaction and meet clients’
requirements, we maintain
global offices in tandem with
NYK Group’s extensive world-
wide network, enabling us to
meet all ocean transportation
needs,” Morooka said.
NYKBulk&ProjectsCarriers
operatesafleetof200shipsthat
have been specially outfitted to
transport a wide range of cargo
used in the industrial, agricul-
tural, energy supply and urban
infrastructure sectors.
Commenting on his compa-
ny’s business in China, Moroo-
ka said: “It represents one of
ourkeymarkets.Thecountryis
an important player, as its need
to import materials to sustain
development keeps growing.
At the moment, we are mostly
engaged in imports into China.
Nevertheless we would like
to see our role increase in its
export trade as well.”
nbpc.co.jp
World Eye Reports provided
the story.
Soka welcomes students
from around the world
Susumu Takahashi, president
of Techno Smart
In the early 20th century,
Japan found itself in great
need of steel and iron man-
ufacturers to support and
expand the nation’s industri-
alization. In 1912, more than
a century ago, the first steps
were made toward the estab-
lishment of today’s Techno
Smart — a globally oriented
machinery manufacturer
based in Osaka.
“We have passed through
many stages,” said Susumu
Takahashi, president of
Techno Smart. “From steel
works manufacturer to coat-
ing specialist, and now to a
diversified company able to
understand and bring togeth-
er machines and chemistry.”
TechnoSmartmanufactures
specialized equipment includ-
ing coaters and chemical and
textile machinery. It has also
developeddevicesforLCDand
touch panel coating, as well as
coatinganddryingsystemsfor
lithium-ion secondary battery
electrodes.
Given the expansion of
these sectors in China, Taka-
hashi sees increased business
with the neighboring country
as the next big step for his
company.
“China, in the past few
years, has been the world’s
factory, and it is now trans-
formingitselfintoahugecon-
sumernationaswell,”hesaid.
“At Techno Smart, we have
the experience, technol-
ogy and capacity to support
Chinese manufacturers and
provide them with coating
machines for their high-qual-
ity products, just like we have
done all these years through-
out the world.”
Takahashi likes to keep
Techno Smart’s philosophy
simple. He said it is based on
the three core principles of
sincerity, responsiveness and
innovation. He identified cus-
tomer satisfaction as impera-
tive for success.
“We are definitely a cus-
tomer-oriented company,” he
explained. “We are operating
a customer development cen-
ter that makes it easier for us
to find and develop the best
possible solutions for our cli-
ents.”
www.technosmart.co.jp/eng-
lish
World Eye Reports provided
the story.
Smart tech connects
company,customers
Masamichi Morooka, president of NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers
Yoshihisa Baba, president of
Soka University
FoundedbyDaisakuIkeda,
who laid down the educa-
tional philosophy centered
on creativity, wisdom, cour-
age and compassion, Soka
University continues its mis-
sion of nurturing global citi-
zens through lectures, sym-
posiums and unique subject
offerings.
Last year, Soka started an
international liberal arts pro-
gram with 11 of its 17 profes-
sors hailing from reputable
worldwide academic institu-
tions including the London
School of Economics, Brook-
lyn College and Ateneo de
Manila University. The dean
of the faculty is a Harvard
University graduate.
“We see the importance of
nurturing global citizens to
be stewards of peace, human
rights, the environment and
social development. We have
a very diverse population
with international students
coming from 45 countries
spanning five continents,”
said Yoshihisa Baba, Soka
University’s president.
Many international stu-
dents come to Soka Univer-
sity because of the comfort-
able and enjoyable campus
life it offers. The university
instills an open and welcom-
ing atmosphere among its
staff and students, both in
and outside of the classroom.
“We have welcomed many
reputable personalities to the
university. Nobel Prize win-
ner and former Costa Rican
President Oscar Arias Sán-
chez was a keynote speaker
for one of our commence-
ment ceremonies. We have
collaborated with Professor
Muhammad Yunus, the first
Bangladeshi Nobel Prize
recipient,known for his work
in micro-financing, to orga-
nize a business contest and
lecture for our students. We
aretryingtogivethestudents
lots of opportunities to open
up their minds, expand their
pointsofview andbeglobally
competitive,” said Baba.
In 1975, when Soka Uni-
versity welcomed the first
Chinese students to Japan,
a cherry tree was planted for
formerChinesepremierZhou
Enlai, whom their founder
Daisaku Ikeda developed a
friendship with. Usually dur-
ing the first Sunday in April,
thousands of people, includ-
ing Chinese officials and
media, visit the university to
see the tree in full bloom.
“FriendshipbetweenChina
and Japan is really important
for peace in Asia. Given our
founder’s role in peacekeep-
ing in Asia, many of our
alumni are actually involved
in bettering this relationship
as educators and public offi-
cials,” added Baba.
Soka has had a longstand-
ing relationship with China
for academic exchanges and
research collaborations.
In 2006, they established
a Beijing office and started
offering a double degree
course in partnership with
Beijing Language and Cul-
ture University. Currently,
Soka has exchange programs
with 47 Chinese universities
and 10 of its students are sent
to China each year.
Chosen as one of the Edu-
cation Ministry’s Top Global
Universities in 2014, the uni-
versity said it would continue
to strive for excellence and
to be globally competitive in
the future.
“We want to become a hub,
a center that welcomes stu-
dents all over the globe and
prepares them for the real
world. We want to produce
global citizens by engaging
them with people of various
backgrounds to overcome
our differences,” Baba said.
www.soka.ac.jp/en
World Eye Reports provided
the story.
AtraditionalJapanesetextile
manufacturer,Toyobohasseen
hugesuccesssinceitsestablish-
ment in 1882. The company
reached its prime position in
the industry in 1931, when
it became the world textile
leader. In response to market
changes,ithascarriedoutbusi-
ness reforms twice.
Today, the company is trans-
formingonceagainsinceenter-
ing a new phase in 2008.
“We have significantly
decreased our textile business,
and are now focusing more on
new specialty product lines,”
said Seiji Narahara, president
of Toyobo.
Currently, nearly half of the
company’s business comes
from the production of films
and functional polymers.
Industrial materials and
health-care products follow in
importance.
“Business diversity will be
our core strength,” said Nara-
hara. “We plan to be a category
leader in niche markets, pro-
moting our unique and high
value-added products.”
Toyobo is continuing its
aggressive global expansion.
Having jointly acquired PHP
Fibers — a global leader in
the production of PA66 yarn
for airbags, it also acquired a
diagnostic reagents company
in Spain, called Spinreact, and
expanded its sales network in
South and Central America,
and Africa.
In China, Toyobo is well-
established, with offices and
production facilities across the
country.
“Our excellent position and
existing overseas bases are
already available for further
global expansion and diversi-
fication,” Narahara said. “We
are now aiming for at least a
40percentoverseassalesratio.”
For more than a century, the
Toyobonamehasbeensynony-
mous with quality and Nara-
harasaidisdeterminedtokeep
it that way.
“We are looking into con-
tributing to society by creat-
ing more value through our
high-quality products, and at
the same time continuing to
reform our business portfolio,”
he said.
www.toyobo-global.com
World Eye Reports provided
the story.
Seiji Narahara, president of
Toyobo
Textile maker adapts to stay on top
Established in the 1950’s,
JSR Corp, formerly Japan
Synthetic Rubber Co Ltd,
became one of the drivers
of the country’s industrial
development by producing
synthetic rubber. It quickly
rose to become the domestic
leader in this field.
Today, JSR is a multina-
tional corporation — with a
quarter of its production and
morethanhalfofits$4billion
annual revenue coming from
overseas.
When it comes to the pro-
duction of synthetic rubber,
semiconductor materials and
polymers for LCDs, JSR is a
global leader.
However, its management
believes that innovation
does not end with excellence
achieved in only existing sec-
tors. “We are in the process of
diversifying our business and
gettinginvolvedinhighlyspe-
cializedindustries,”saidNobu
Koshiba, president of JSR.
“Energy efficiency and life
sciences are our new focuses,
while still maintaining our
global leadership in high-
rating synthetic rubber, semi-
conductor materials and LCD
materials.”
“To achieve this transfor-
mation successfully, we are
investing 5 percent of our
revenue into research and
development in our own or
joint facilities in different
countries,” he added.
JSR is conducting research
in laboratories in Yokka-
ichi, Tsukuba and San Diego
as well as taking part in a
joint program with IMEC in
Leuven, Belgium and IBM.
Koshiba also stressed the
importance of locating the
company closer to its custom-
ers in China.
The company is aiming
even higher when it comes to
energyefficiencyandenviron-
mentally friendly practices.
“Global warming is one
of the big issues for us,” said
Koshiba. “We have cut our
CO2 emissions by 6 percent
since 1990, while still increas-
ing our output by 30 percent
following our ‘E2 initiatives’,
which consist of energy man-
agementand eco-innovation.”
Looking ahead, he said:
“There’s huge competition in
the global market, but we are
ready to face it.”
www.jsr.co.jp/jsr_e
World Eye Reports provided
the story.
Nobu Koshiba, president of
JSR
Synthetic rubber leader set to diversify
CHINA DAILY Thursday, June 18, 2015 Japan special 23

3. Japan special
“For digital print finishing,
we can proudly say we are the
world-leading company,” said
Eijiro Hori, president of Hori-
zonInternational.Thecompany
was established 69 years ago, in
1946, by Hori’s father.
“At first the company was
involvedinelectricalinstruments
but, not long after, my father
decided to change direction
and enter the graphics indus-
try by developing book-binding
machinery,” Hori said. Today,
Horizon’s factory in Shiga is ISO
9001 and 14001-certified, and is
the world’s largest of its kind. It
produces high-quality products
for folding, collating, binding,
stitchingandcuttingdocuments.
While Horizon Internation-
al enjoys its leading position
worldwide for digital print fin-
ishing solutions, competition in
theglobalmarketistough.Most
of its strongest competitors
come from the printing indus-
try’s birthplace — Germany.
Despite this, “ . . . we have suc-
cessfully managed to expand
into Germany and Europe as a
whole, regardless of the strong
competition we face,” said Hori.
Hiscompanynowexportsto100
differentcountries,withitsmost
important partners located in
the United States, Europe and
China. Fully 60 percent of the
company’s production is export-
ed from Japan, and 10 percent
ofitsexportsalesrevenuecomes
from China.
Hori highlighted the grow-
ing importance of neighboring
China as a market for digital
printing. “We will be expanding
more into China, so we need to
keep developing our machines
to specifically fit its market,” he
said. “We definitely have the
ability to do it and deliver it to
the highest standards since we
design, develop and manufac-
ture all our products in-house.”
www.horizon.co.jp
World Eye Reports provided the
story.
The Tokyo University of Phar-
macy and Life Sciences, the
oldest institution for pharma-
ceutical education in Japan, was
established in 1880 as the Tokyo
PharmaceutistsSchool.Fromthe
start, its purpose was to provide
specialized education for phar-
macists.
Over the course of 135 years,
the university — which is com-
posedoftwomaindepartments:
the School of Pharmacy and the
School of Life Sciences — has
produced countless graduates
who have helped advance phar-
maceutical science, the pharma-
ceutical industry and education
in Japan and around the world.
The School of Pharmacy aims
to provide students with the
knowledge and skills needed
to work in the medical profes-
sion. It offers practical training
through a six-year curriculum
that integrates courses in both
basic and clinical pharmacy.
“In the near future, we hope
that our six-year curriculum to
become a pharmacist will be
adopted throughout Asia, as
some countries have already
changed to this system,” said
the current president of TUPLS,
Masanori Sasatsu.
Since 1994, the university’s
School of Life Sciences has been
Japan’s first educational institu-
tion fully dedicated to training
and research in the life sciences.
Itscoursesemphasizesuchfields
as biology, chemistry and phys-
ics, with applications in molecu-
lar biology, medical science and
other areas.
In China, TUPLS has been a
partner of the China Academy
of Chinese Medical Sciences for
more than 30 years. Recently,
under the presidency of Sasatsu,
partnerships have been devel-
opedwithTokyoMedicalUniver-
sity, Shenyang Pharmaceutical
University and the Changchun
University of Chinese Medicine.
“We will continue the inter-
nationalization of the univer-
sity,” Sasatsu said. “Our goal is to
become the best university for
pharmacists in Japan.”
www.toyaku.ac.jp
World Eye Reports provided the
story.
Leading the world in digital
print finishing solutions
Pharmacy education specialist has
strong ties with Chinese institutions
Masanori Sasatsu, PhD,
president of TUPLS
Eijiro Hori, president of Horizon
International
Developing video games with eye on China’s gamers
From a relatively young
age, Yuke Taniguchi’s hobby
has been to create his own
video games. At 16, he got
his first job as one of the
youngest professional video
game developers in Japan.
By the time he was 24, he
had already started his own
company.
That company — YUKE’S
— has now grown to 250
employees, with two offices
in Japan — Yokohama and
Osaka — and a research and
development center in Los
Angeles.
“We released our first
title in 1995, when the first
Sony PlayStation came out,”
said Taniguchi, founder and
president of YUKE’S. “Now
we are focusing on high-
end games which are being
developed for PlayStation,
XBox and Nintendo.”
YUKE’S is today known
best for its Worldwide Wres-
tling series, which started in
2000 and continues to be a
big success in Asia and the
United States.
“We wanted to create a
game with a lot of drama
and emotional contrast, and
we found this in professional
wrestling,” Taniguchi said.
Today, as WWE becomes
more popular in China,
Taniguchi is looking into
new cooperation agree-
ments with companies
that specialize in Chinese
entertainment. “We have
the experience and the
technology, so if we part-
ner up with a Chinese
entertainment company,
we will be able to create
a very good product spe-
cifically suited to Chinese
tastes,” he said.
Aside from expanding its
reach into the Chinese mar-
ket, YUKE’S is also involved
in the Japanese pachinko
slot machine business. “We
are already working with
Sammy Corp and other
leading companies to make
the machines more enter-
taining and fun,” he said.
“As a result, we are produc-
ing some of the bestselling
machines in Japan.”
www.yukes.co.jp
World Eye Reports provided
the story.
Diode leader targets the giant market next door
China’s expanding and
growing economy has
become by far the world’s
most important for manu-
facturers. Nihon Inter Elec-
tronics Corp is well aware of
this, and has been focusing
its investment to this mar-
ket.
After a period of restruc-
turing, the NIEC is heading
full-speed into growth, with
further expansion planned
under the direction of Tae
Ho Kim, its president and
CEO.
“We have already planted
the seeds,” he said. “Now,
with increased manufactur-
ing and servicing capabili-
ties, we are more than ready
to compete and increase our
market share overseas.”
The NIEC manufactures
power semiconductor devic-
es. It has been the pioneer
and leading provider of
Schottky barrier diodes. It
also maintains the major
share in diode modules in
Japan, distributing and sup-
plying its products primarily
to the auto and industrial
sectors.
“As part of our strategic
initiative to expand overseas,
we have started new partner-
ships with local distributors
and started to shift our prod-
uct specs to align with local
markets. We are also hiring
more application engineers
to better understand local
customer needs and improve
our technical servicing capa-
bility, both to our customers
and distributors.
“Chinese customers have
the virtue of developing
quickly and rapidly adapt-
ing to change. Change is
opportunity and we want to
be ready,” Kim said.
The NIEC has set chal-
lenging goals for itself and
its future — and China is the
driving force that will be the
key to realizing them.
“We want to increase our
overseas business from the
current 30 percent of our
total to 50 percent,” Kim
said. “In the near future, we
can see products designed
and developed locally in
our neighboring country
China.”
www.niec.co.jp/english
World Eye Reports provided
the story.
Tae Ho Kim, president and
CEO of Nihon Inter Electronics
Corp
WWE2K15 is the latest game in
the WWE series.