Machinery

Ogawa Industry, founded in 1939, is an SME which manufactures and sells high-precision metal parts for automobiles and construction. In line with the trend of localizing production and parts procurement in the automobile industry, the company decided to follow its operation in China by establishing a new production site in Mexico, a country in the midst of a rush in inbound foreign direct investment. As soon as it began moving forward, the renegotiation of NAFTA was announced. To accommodate changes in the business environment, the company began reviewing its business strategy in cooperation with a JETRO Partner. We introduce the actions they took to reduce investment risk and shorten the preparatory period for the new production base.

For business owners who are looking to expand globally or looking to develop a completely new market, it’s difficult to tackle various issues in unknown territory. Asking for external advice could be one solution. JETRO offers support to handle different business practices and rules, and assists business dealings with foreign firms. JETRO introduces three successful cases in this program: exporting children’s furniture to Europe, setting up juice stands in Thailand and developing a tool with local standards for a German client. All three companies benefited from support programs of the Consortium for a New Export Nation by working with JETRO experts in various fields.

A business without an owner was the dream shared by a group of young men when they left the measuring instrument business they worked at to create a company of their own-one where each would take turns as president. The dream became reality in 1985, when ACT Electronics Corporation opened for business, the name ACT being short for both "Active" and "Analog and Computer Technology."

Treating sewage and wastewater can be expensive and put a heavy load on natural resources. ALCO CO., LTD. harnesses the power of soil microbes to purify water for some of the country's best known parks and public spaces, using a method that is ecologically sound and economically viable.

Founded in 1973, Azuma Engineering Machinery Inc. has carved out a niche over its 40 years of operation as a specialist in automated and semi-automated, labor-saving equipment. Akihisa Akano, director of the company's administrative section, says its main products are servo heat staking machines, rapid prototyping 3D plotter machines and plastic gate-cutting machines.

In developed countries, clean drinking water is hardly a concern. Yet amidst burgeoning populations and poor infrastructure, emerging countries struggle to ensure access to potable water. Azuma Solar Co., Ltd. has developed an efficient solar water heater that can also produce drinkable water.

Drilling holes through stainless steel has long posed a daunting task. Stainless steel is often desired for its strength, but that durability also makes drilling holes a tedious process-until now. Tottori Prefecture-based Bic Tool Co. Ltd. has developed the energy-saving Gekkou drill, a cobalt drill bit considerably faster and more efficient than conventional ones.

Interest in the potential of 3D printing technology is growing, yet high cost and complexity mean use of 3D printers is still mostly limited to engineers and hobbyists. BONSAI LAB, Inc. hopes to bring low-cost, easy-to-use 3D printers to schools, giving children the tools to shape the future.

"Shape your ideas" is the slogan of Chinougijutsu Co., Ltd., and its mission is to find a robotic solution to every problem. As experts and consultants, the firm's personnel offer each customer complete service-from analyzing specific needs and the budget available to producing a practical solution with innovative technology.

Clean water is necessary for our life, but in many developing countries, access to wastewater treatment facilities is limited, and untreated wastewater is released to rivers, lakes and the ocean. Contamination of the source of drinking water causes water-borne diseases. DAIE INDUSTRY CO., LTD. has advanced technology for treating domestic wastewater. DAIE’s products are called Johkasou, which means “water purifying tank” in Japanese. Johkasou look like conventional septic tanks that are used in many Asian countries, but their functions are completely different from those of a standard septic tank.

Many companies profess to value customer feedback, but at Daiki Rika Kogyo, customer voices are the primary engine for product development. From its launch, the company has created equipment-based on user needs-for scientific research into soil and moisture, resulting in an extensive lineup of predominantly original products.

Supermarket shoppers grabbing bags of chopped cabbage don't usually stop to think about the work that went into them. The daily processing of thousands of cabbages are required to supply hundreds of stores with leaves crisp and fresh enough to attract customers. And central to the process is the kind of industrial food-processing machinery developed by Dream Development Industrial Co., Ltd.

"We are inspired to achieve what others say they can't do," says Nobuyuki Takabatake, president and CEO of E.S.Q. Ltd., in summarizing his company's approach to micro metal tube production. Applications of micro metal tubing are wide-ranging, but E.S.Q.'s notable success stories include manufacturing parts for the anti-lock braking system in German luxury automobiles, engineering structural tubing for an aerospace defense contractor (Continue)

At the end of Japan's economic bubble in 1990, Hiroyuki Saito and Junichi Abe got together to create embedded software. Though the timing was tough, their company, Excelsoft Corporation, survived and thrived.Today, the Excelsoft Corporation has expanded. It now makes factory automation software (such as automobile production line robot controllers), office automation software (including financial applications) and electronic circuit hardware.

Fujii Corporation Co., Ltd. is a Niigata Prefecture-based manufacturing company, a snowy prefecture located 200 miles north of Tokyo, with nearly 150 years of history. They have been growing as a leading manufacturer of snowblowers and have been exporting mainly throughout Europe and Japan.

Given Japan's historical disadvantage with regards to natural resources and its traditional reverence for nature, the country has been at the forefront of creating industrial developments that are both efficient and environmentally friendly. This drive for increased efficiency led to the Wonder Process Craft (WPC), as it was dubbed by Japan's automakers, developed by Fujikihan Co. Ltd.

Treating water that has been contaminated with oil is a difficult challenge. Previous methods have not only proven inefficient, their byproducts have a foul smell. The Aichi-based firm Fujimix Co., Ltd. has While it may not have a catchy name, discovered a way to remove fats and oil from water by harnessing an ingenious biological solution.

Headquartered in Saijo City in Ehime Prefecture, Fujita Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has a history of 80 years and operates two factories spanning over 50,000 square meters, producing foundry casting and industrial machine for castings. While Fujita's main customers include domestic giants, its expertise in developing labor- and cost-saving original machines on the factory floor is increasingly in demand throughout Asia and beyond. Since founding an iron-casting foundry in Nihama City in 1936, Fujita has remained loyal to its original corporate mission: "Through iron, we continue to change, contribute and advance." and a slogan of "Change is our challenge, improvement our daily task."

In recent years, modernization and human activity have brought about drastic changes to our environment. Fujiwara Industry is working to reverse this negative cycle by using basic know-how as the foundation of all its new inventions.

It was 54 years ago that Hakko Corporation was founded by Kosaku Abe. His aim was to offer a flexible, convenient and eco-friendly hose to the world using Japan's technology. With the use of resin, and the creation of new machines to bring ideas to life, Hakko has contributed to society across a range of industries.

Formed in 1948, Hara Machinery Co. Ltd. originally started as an offshoot of the family's stone masonry business, producing tools to process and shape rock. It now primarily focuses on making machinery to handle crystalline silicon ingots. The steady progress of technology over the years has accumulated the company a wealth of expertise, and the products that it makes are some of the most capable and complex in the industry.

Working in conjunction with researchers at Mie University and venture company Liposome Engineering Laboratory, Inc., Hashimoto Electronic Industry Co., Ltd has created the world's first automated, multi-functional, liposome manufacturing equipment.

The expertise of Heartland.Data Inc. has been accrued over 32 years developing software, including car and home audio solutions. Even the company's name bears testament to its passionate commitment to high-quality products and excellent customer service. Striving to develop and grow through challenges, and sharing the happiness with customers by using their advanced technologies are central to the company's philosophy. The logo representing Heartland. Data Inc. portrays the form of connected bamboo shoots that grow forth together. And growing is certainly what it's doing-with offices in Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo and the U.S., Heartland.Data is striving to share its knowledge and products across the globe.

When people think of "robotics," they might imagine scenes from science-fiction movies. Compared with Hollywood's version, though, the reality isn't as glamorous or terrifying. But one aspect is accurate-robotics remains at the cutting-edge of human technology. And Japan is the world's leading innovator.

Even the most routine medical operation carries some risk. Doctors opening up a person's body try to make as small an incision as possible, and work on as small an area as possible, in order to minimize that risk. Fortunately experts are constantly working to provide tools and equipment that allow the lowest possible physical impact on patients' bodies.

"Necessity is the mother of invention," the saying goes and that's precisely what made Hirosugi-Keiki Co. Ltd. shift into a radically different business model than when it first began. The company's founder, Ichiro Sasaki, was already an experienced engineer when he started his own business in 1980 building instruments to measure water depth.

With almost 60 years of experience, Hinode Electric Co., Ltd., knows a thing or two about fuses. CEO Kazuhiro Hirahara's grandfather started the manufacturing company in 1946. It was incorporated as Hinode Electric in 1955. At the time, there was a growing need for fuses that could cut off electricity quickly and reliably.

Global resources are running out as growing populations demand ever more food, housing and, crucially, water. But how does water get to where it's needed? How do public and private utilities measure output to different areas? How do private companies manage the flow of water in their buildings?

As the world faces escalating concerns about global warming and the deterioration of ecological resources, Japan is leading the green revolution as its engineering industry strives to eradicate unnecessary pollution.IKEN Engineering Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of radiation-proof materials founded in 1978, seeks solutions to the toxicity problem through the creation of environmentally conscious construction paneling.

Electronic devices keep getting smaller and more complex thanks to the remarkable progress made in semiconductor technology. But semiconductors must undergo a rigorous quality control process to ensure their circuits are free of defects. Experts at the aptly named inspec Inc. play a critical role: they create specialized inspection equipment using their expertise in image processing, optical sensors and mechatronics.

For patients who have a great deal of difficulty communicating with or connecting to others, it can often feel like being trapped. To help these people, Intelligent System Co., Ltd. has been continuing development on a therapeutic robot that brings a sense of peace and well-being through the power of touch.

Semiconductor material is the foundation of the chips and electronic circuits that power modern electronics. Silicon, silicon carbide, sapphire and other types of semiconductor material are produced into thin, highly polished, circular discs known as "wafers," which typically range in diameter from 25.4mm to 300mm.

Kajiwara Inc. may be a third generation family business, but it's one that has changed considerably under the leadership of each successive family member. The grandfather of the company's current president, Hidehiro Kajiwara, started operations in 1939 as a repairman for food processors in the Kappabashi area, which happens to be the heart of Tokyo's restaurant supply stores.

With many CEOs around the world obsessively focusing on the big picture, some of the key details can be lost. And it's on those crucial stepping-stones that Kanto Electronics Corporation (KEC) places its focus. Also known as Katoro, the Chiba-based electronics manufacturer specializes in the assembly of product parts along with the creation of assembly machines.

Keihin Kogyosho has been in business over 75 years, since 1936 when they started to produce diamond polishing and grinding tools for the aircraft industry. At the vanguard of technology for the time, they were the first company in Japan to produce mounted wheels.

With ever-expanding populations concentrated in urban centers, food production is a mounting concern. Lack of land, cost of transport, import duties and many other challenges abound. Keystone Technology Inc. addresses these issues with LED (light emitting diode)-powered vegetable-cultivation systems. "Global warming has had a serious impact on the stable production of food," says CEO and founder Seiichi Okazaki. The company began in 2006, marketing LED lights for plant factories. But it soon expanded into developing its own plant-factory systems. Now Keystone produces plant-cultivation systems as well as uses their own products to grow vegetables in urban Yokohama.

Factory automation specialist Kodensha is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Over its 96-year history, it has renovated its business several times to fit the changing needs of customers. In its first incarnation, Kodensha spent some 30 years manufacturing motors for agricultural equipment, before producing control panels over the following three decades.

Whether called shish kebab, satay or yakitori, the practice of spearing cut meat and grilling it over an open flame is a part of food cultures around the world. In Japan, yakitori (grilled chicken) is prepared with chunks of different chicken parts speared with bamboo sticks. Although the spearing has traditionally been done by hand, companies are increasingly letting automation handle the task.

In our industrial age, massive machines mass produce almost everything we use. The machines, and the factories that house them, however, are built, set up and run by people. When moving often delicate and heavy pieces of machinery by hand, specialized, high-quality tools are required. Konno Corporation, based in Tokyo's Adachi Ward, is Japan's number one producer of these tools. Under their EAGLE brand, they've developed a number of dedicated tools for lifting and moving heavy and precision machinery safely and efficiently.

Imagine several kilo ampere of electricity heating an area to 1,500 degrees Celsius in a split second. Other than pure lightning, this might seem like something out of science fiction, but Koyo Giken Inc. has developed such technology for high-speed welding applications. Koyo Giken designs and manufactures Myspot, a table spot welder that instantly creates durable, high-quality bonds between metal surfaces at the touch of a button.

Quickly building prototypes of new products is a necessary part of the design process for various industries. Because it often requires highly trained staff and specialized equipment, companies tend to outsource it to trusted partners. Kyowa Industrial is one firm that has continuously proved itself to be a reliable company that can deliver high-quality prototypes for industries ranging from automotive and aircraft to LCD makers and medical devices.

Kyowakiden Industry Co., Ltd. was established in Nagasaki in 1948 as a business providing waterworks and electric power utilities that were helping the city recover from the war. Today, Kyowakiden is active across a broad range of environment-related endeavors in Japan and overseas, including water treatment facilities, electrical and industrial machinery, as well as maintenance and operations.

Necessity has driven KSS Co., Ltd., headquartered in Ota City, a Tokyo ward well-known and respected for manufacturing, since it opened its doors in 1964. Although founders Tadanori Shinohara and Yoshifumi Ohta engaged in manufacturing gauges when first established, they learned precision miniature ball screws were in urgent demand, and started mass-producing the item in 1978. Ever since, KSS has continued to grow and expand its product line-and its manufacturing facility in Niigata Prefecture, which has been expanded five times since 1984-while keeping abreast of changing needs. Not only did it develop the world's smallest ball screw in 2001-with a shaft diameter of 1.8 millimeter-but also it followed that up with a compact, coupling-free, motorized ball screw. Now entering its fifth decade, KSS continues to innovate. And its goal isn't to be the best-but to be the only.

Never underestimate the importance concrete plays in society. From ancient Rome to Tokyo's towering skyscrapers, it is the material upon which many a great human development has been built. With today's increasingly complex and impressive structures, what is needed is a means to ensure that only concrete of the highest quality and durability is used.

The metal reed is a tool that's essential to almost every aspect of our modern lives. Products that are made using the metal reed are high precision metal meshes and silk screens. They are used in printing electronic components such as printed circuit boards. They're indispensable in the mass production of every woven material that human beings create.

"Reuse" and "reduce" are concepts well understood by Osaka-based, cold-forging specialist Matsuda Corporation. Its technicians use efficient manufacturing not just to aid the environment but also save clients time and money. Cold forging is the process of forging metal without heat, at room temperature.

Just winches-that's what Maxpull Machinery and Engineering Co., Ltd. has been doing for nearly 40 years. Since 1976, it has focused entirely on developing and producing safe, high quality manual and electric winches. With CEO Koichi Ono currently at the helm, Maxpull naturally continues to provide only the best. However, in these times of globalization, Ono has expanded the company's vision. Until now, Maxpull's products have been available internationally via trading companies. But Ono aspires to provide his company's creations directly to interested companies, creating long-lasting partnerships abroad. Toward that end, Maxpull has obtained ISO 9001 and CE certifications for the peace of mind of potential partners.

When Mechanics Electronics Computer Corporation (MECC) Co., Ltd, was founded in Fukuoka in 1973, there were just three staff members offering repair and maintenance of medical monitors. At the same time however, the company succeeded in developing key pieces of medical equipment, making its name as a pioneer in the field of equipment engineering. Currently, MECC's core business is producing equipment to spin nanofibers-fibers with a diameter of less than 100 nanometers. Its latest NF1001 model launched in January 2012.

Before technology becomes commercial and easily accessible, the scientific principles that make it possible need to be researched and studied. In Japan, as with the rest of the world, the cutting-edge of technological research and innovation can be found on university campuses. One of the country's leading labs is the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) in Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Though the factory of MIKAMI Co. hums with activity, second-generation CEO Makoto Mikami still makes time to sit down and explain the nuts and bolts of his company. Established in 1967 by Mikami's engineer father, the enterprise began with just one numerically controlled lathe-cutting machine. Now in its 47th year, three factories are pumping out parts from their locations north of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture. Within them, 35 employees are all busily engaged in the production of high-precision metal components. Thus parts are made for machines in fields as diverse as medicine, construction and automotive technology. The parts MIKAMI makes aren't always visible from the outside. But they are indispensable for a safe and smooth operation. Therein lies the essence of the company's motto, "Making the impossible possible."

Miraikikai Inc. designs lightweight, battery-powered robots that can autonomously clean large-scale solar panel arrays. Though its head office is in Kurashiki City in Okayama Prefecture, the Miraikikai ("Future Machines") laboratory and research offices are housed in a facility near Kagawa University's Faculty of Engineering. Born and bred in Kagawa Prefecture, company CEO Dr. Tohru Miyake is a graduate of the Faculty of Engineering at Kagawa University and established Miraikikai there while still a student. As a child, Dr. Miyake became interested in machinery and robotics through exposure to his father's packaging factory in Kagawa. While studying at the university's Department of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, he designed a bingo-playing robot that defeated all the competition in the NHK "Robocon" contest.

The world of smartphones and video games is engrossing, but until recently the connection has been through the senses of sight and sound. Thanks to the truly revolutionary products of Miraisens, Inc., a new dimension of feeling will be coming into play for citizens of the digital domain.
If you've played a game system in the last ten years or so – or, for that matter, owned a mobile phone – you've experienced it. The vibration in your pocket when you get an email, or your game controller as it rumbles to accompany on-screen action. But what if that game controller could actually push or pull your hands in one direction or the other as you turned a corner in a driving game, or if your smartphone were able to make you feel as if you were touching something with depth, even though you may have only had your fingers on a flat screen?

Established in the Suginami Ward of Tokyo in 1963 by Raitaro Muramatsu, Miruc Optical Co., Ltd. has been designing and manufacturing optical equipment and precision machine tools for more than 50 years. Its first product, the Measure Scope of a monoscopic microscope used in industrial manufacturing remains a strong seller today.

Mitsuwa Pump Co., Ltd. is a family operation that spans three generations. Established in 1956 by Yoshio Kobayashi, the company has provided thousands of slurry pumps for United Nations and UNICEF agricultural projects in countries such as Laos, Kenya and Cambodia, aiding refugees with irrigation and helping to provide clean water.

Making sure that crops and other food products stay fresh is of crucial importance for businesses in the agriculture and food industry, and could have a strong effect on their bottom lines. NAC Corporation's Foamest line of machines help these companies prevent food waste, thanks to the help of millions of tiny bubbles.

In a world progressing more and more toward automation, Nihon Shoryoku Kikai Co., Ltd. (NSK) has carved out a niche in helping clients save time and money with specialized industrial robots and automated processing for materials such as plastic, non-woven fabric, glass fiber and other types of non-metallic material.

Ogi is a small city in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The sleepy hamlet lies among rice fields and under a skyline of purple mountains. Though it might not resemble the setting for a global technology leader-it's nevertheless home to Nishimura Works Co.

Over the last fifteen years, the innovative Just Flare Piping System from Nissyo Techno Co., Ltd. has made a major change in the construction industry. The groundbreaking device has improved efficiency in the piping process, an essential element in construction.

Hajime Kubo at Oumu, Hokkaido-based Nitto Construction had a dilemma: construction projects were diminishing but he didn't want to cut workers, as other jobs in his small town were scarce. Inspiration hit in 1999, when a falling piece of concrete struck a bullet train passing through a tunnel.

Nogamigiken had modest beginnings. Founder Shinryo Nogami started his namesake company in 1970 as a one-man operation specializing in grinding-a trade in which he was an experienced veteran. Though small in size (then called Nogami Seiken), it was big on skill and grew from one tiny room in Tokyo to a three-factory facility in Nogami's home prefecture of Ibaraki.

Ammonia is used in everything from fertilizers to chemical industry products. The gas is also used as a cleaning agent for the silicon chip and semiconductor manufacturing industry—and with the world's appetite for electronics rising daily, it’s being produced in ever-increasing amounts. To not only cope with but also make use of the gas, companies exist that produce machines to convert ammonia into non-toxic chemicals.

Sometimes the toughest challenges can make the best opportunities. Such was the case with Ohmura Seisakusho Co., Ltd. The metal-component manufacturer, founded in 1930 and based in Saitama Prefecture, had based much of its business for decades around supplying pistons to a famous Japanese motorcycle company. When the motorcycle maker decided to move its factory and part-sourcing overseas, the outlook could've been pretty gloomy for Ohmura Seisakusho.

Bringing inexpensive, portable water treatment methods to poorer communities around the world can be a profound challenge. Some devices require chemicals that can be expensive or difficult to use or store, or have high power requirements. Ogiso Kentiku Co., Ltd. has developed an innovative means of filtering water, and one that has its own fascinating back story.

Kobe-based Okutani Wire Netting, Mfg, Co., Ltd. possesses well over a century of experience working with metal products, with roots that reach back to 1895. In the days before machines and automation, the family business was engaged in weaving metal wire by hand to create netting and mesh products such as strainers, baskets, cages and ladles, examples of which are on display in the company's Kobe showroom. Yet as the times changed, Okutani Wire Netting's literal handiwork became produced mechanically and, in 1967, the company started "metal punching," or perforated metal operations. It eventually outsourced much of its wire mesh products to original equipment manufacturers.

Researchers are making great strides in constructing theories about biomolecular matter such as antibodies and DNA-but visually confirming such theories often poses a challenge. Thus, it was a great breakthrough when atomic force microscopy was developed in the 1980s to capture images of and measure matter at nanoscale resolution.

At SAIDA Manufacturing, there's a small, tabletop model of a Japanese Zen garden, complete with rocks and a sea of sand raked into patterns. Upon closer inspection of the intricate lines, however, one realizes that these are no mere grains of sand but tiny, intricate metal screws.

Foot, hip and knee pain is something that's considered inevitable as people age. Due to the discomfort, hip and knee replacements as well as other surgeries have become commonplace. Kiyoshi Sakamoto, CEO of Sakamoto Sekkotsuin Ltd. in Okayama Prefecture, believes this doesn't have to be the case. In fact, this pain is both preventable and treatable without any need to go under the knife.

Against a world of big elevator manufacturers, Sanei Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has carved out its own niche. The company started in 1972 when founder Yasuzo Kaneda left his engineering job at an elevator-maker and applied his know-how and experience toward the production of lifting equipment for elevators. Strong growth over the years has seen Sanei Manufacturing become a respected brand in its field, both locally and internationally.

Japan's northernmost major island of Hokkaido differs geographically from its other main islands, with wide, sweeping plains across a large portion of the land, making it ideal for growing a variety of crops-especially potatoes. It's here that Sanei Industry Co., Ltd. developed its potato harvester and other agricultural equipment, which it's now introducing to the world stage.

In 1983, Hiroshi Sugai resurrected his family spring-making business in the form of Satte Spring Co. With in-depth knowledge and a collection of high quality machinery, the company hit the cutting-edge of precision spring manufacturing. More than 30 years later, the third generation of the Sugai family is now involved. Managing Director Riki Sugai takes care of the day-to-day while CEO Toshiyuki Sugai oversees Satte Spring's branch in Kunshan, China. And founder Hiroshi remains involved as chairman. Driven by the Sugai family's never-give-up spirit, Satte Spring continues to spring forward into the future.

Sawaya is a company with many branches, but upon close inspection the connections between them become clear, with each branch of the company demonstrating a commitment to one of sustainability's "Three R's," that is, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Japanese craftsmanship is legendary. Throughout the ages, precision, attention to detail, refinement and quality have always been associated with the country's goods. The concept of monozukuri means so much more than its literal translation of "making things." It implies a dedication to a process honed over time, edging as close to perfection as can be.

Shinshu Ceramics Co., Ltd. is a family-run business, newly helmed by Osamu Sakurada. Sakurada took over from his father Tsukasa Sakurada in July 2014, to spearhead a new generation of innovation. Though there are only ten full-time employees working at the company, together they've developed the new use of a material with the potential to change the world.

The city of Sanjo in the middle of Niigata Prefecture has a long history of metalworking. Since the 16th century, craftsmen there have been churning out metal tools and cutleries among other products, and even now the area is full of small-scale family enterprises as well as larger companies engaged in world-class metalworks.

Inkjet printing is hardly new, but with the invention of an inkjet principle that is different from existing technology, SIJ Technology has brought it forward by a giant leap. The company's groundbreaking device is capable of ultra-precision printing onto diverse materials on the sub-micrometer scale, with an internal camera to enable real-time observation.

Borescopes are used to inspect small, narrow spaces inaccessible to the human eye. In the medical world, such devices are known as endoscopes and have enabled physicians to see inside the human body with minimal invasion. SPI Engineering Co., Ltd. produces industrial borescopes that enable detection, inspection and quality control across a variety of applications.

The world is a mechanical one. The prominence of machines in business has risen significantly over the last few decades, as many industries have turned to robotic labor as the backbone of operations, especially in the field of engineering.
However, as many manufacturers of industrial machinery fall into a cycle of producing the same old products to fulfill existing demands in the market, the state of engineering faces the danger of becoming stagnant.

As the world becomes ever more globalized, more and more clinical and trial samples are sent across borders to central laboratories. But protecting the integrity of these specimens during transport is of paramount importance. Not only can the samples be damaged, any leakage could result in exposure to harmful or contagious diseases. Tokyo-based Sugiyama-Gen Co., Ltd. has created a solution to this problem with its Barria Pouch, a durable plastic pouch for clinical and trial samples that can withstand a wide range of temperatures as well as high pressure.

Japanese culture is one of many virtues. Among its many definitive traits is the philosophy of mottainai ("nothing ought to be wasted"), wherein materials are valued and thus reused-an approach that finds much relevance in an era when resources are becoming increasingly rare and exhausted.

At the establishment of System Instrumentation almost 30 years ago, the company worked doing automation for the production of TV, video and radio cassette recorders for big electronics makers like Sony and Panasonic. They later moved on to make a prototype energy-saving device in collaboration with a venture capital company, but the product wasn't successful for various usability reasons.

A crucial aspect of production for sophisticated materials that go into lithium-ion batteries, ceramic capacitors and Evs is the heating stage. Many ingredients need to be treated at precisely high temperatures, and sometimes in special firing atmospheres. TAKASAGO INDUSTRY Co., Ltd. specializes in constructing industrial kilns for some of Japan’s – and the world’s – largest manufacturers.

Japan's engineering and technological industry has reached the summit of the global market. Fueled by their quest for perfection, the meticulous work and research that Japanese manufacturers put into their production guarantees output of the highest caliber. This reliability has rendered the "Made in Japan" tag all the more coveted among consumers.

Microfluidic devices can be used in drug discovery and DNA research, and semiconductors power every aspect of our digital lives. In this dynamic and competitive market, constant improvement of the technology and performance of products is critical. TECNISCO is using their expertise to help firms manufacture the crucial products used for medical investigation or building delicate sensors.

Makoto Terashima is the third-generation leader of Toko Co., Ltd., a firm founded 73 years ago by his grandfather. Terashima Senior was working for a tool company in Tokyo when he set up his own company in 1940 to distribute the products. Operations ceased after Japan's 1945 defeat in the Second World War.

A machining and manufacturing company based in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, Top Seiko Co., Ltd. specializes in machining hard and dense materials. From the time of its foundation in 2001, CEO Yoichi Azai has had one goal: to make his company the top precision machining and manufacturing company in the world.

Okinawa-based company Trim works across a number of areas including food distribution and sales, education and environmental improvement; it runs a number of pubs and taverns. But it's the recycling division, under Representative Director and President Iwao Tsuboi, which has grown from a side business to become Trim's flagship initiative.

Slip rings are the components that allow electronic devices to maintain an electrical connection even through 360-degree rotation. Tsubame Radio Co., Ltd. prides itself on developing slip rings to meet client needs, including exceptionally small, thin and economical slip rings guaranteed to last 20 million cycles.

Not only did Uchida Co., Ltd. complete 45 years of business in 2013, but it also marked a remarkable transformation from mannequin-maker to supplier of parts for the aerospace, industrial, robotic and medical industries. CEO Toshikazu Uchida's parents started the company in 1968 under "Uchida Kougei," when huge growth in the department store industry led to a demand for plastic clothing models. Using a composite material called glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), Uchida Co. also produced large objects such as the oversized bowling pins seen outside bowling alleys.

More than 60 years ago, the predecessor of Vantech Co., Ltd was Kabutogi Manufacturing Co., Ltd, which forayed into manufacturing fountain-pen nibs. Machines pressed out the metal parts but assembly was done by hand, so when mass production by larger pen-makers took over, the company decided to switch over to metal filters. "We were able to use the same machines," explains Toru Oshima, Vantech's current CEO.

Some years later, the decision has proven a wise one: the company ships some three million filters every month, and Vantech's share in the Japanese domestic market is around 50 percent. Oshima says Vantech filters are used the most in air-conditioning, refrigerators, and air conditioning systems for cars.

For factory line or assembly workers involved in highly technical tasks, flipping open an instruction manual simply isn't an option when you’re working with both hands. The InfoLinker from WESTUNITIS CO., LTD. allows its users to share video while receiving detailed feedback and instructions from the inside of an eyeglass lens.

Increasingly in modern society parents are working outside the home, and some find themselves putting in long hours away from their children. Smartphones and tablets are convenient but many parents are reluctant to put such devices in the hands of small children. Yukai Engineering Inc.’s robot BOCCO allows parents to communicate with their children, simply and safely.