Questions & Answers
Q & A
Inspired by you
What type of company is Toyobo?
A High-function product manufacturer with a 130-year old history
On May 3, 1882, Japan's first privately owned large-scale spinning company Osaka Boseki was established by Eiichi Shibusawa, a famous industrialist in the Meiji era. On June 26, 1914, Toyobo Co Ltd was established by the merger of Mie Boseki and Osaka Boseki. Now, 130 years after its establishment, Toyobo continues to provide special technology in a broad range of fields. At present, we supply a very wide range of high-function products such as films, automotive products, environment related products, bio-materials and pharmaceuticals. We are very well established as a manufacturer of many kinds of "high-function products" and are constantly developing and adding new ones.
See the "Toyobo Story" for details of our development."Please tell me about the Toyobo corporate philosophy
Junri-Sokuyu: a personal motto of Toyobo’s founder, Eiichi Shibusawa
The ancient proverb Junri-Sokuyu ("Adhering to Reason Leads to Prosperity") was a personal motto of Eiichi Shibusawa, the founder of Toyobo. It remains the fundamental principle of Toyobo today. Eiichi Shibusawa helped to modernize Japan during the early 20th century, and was instrumental in the founding and development of more than 500 companies.
The phrase Jun-ri-Soku-yu is composed of four Chinese characters, the second of which ("ri") has dual meaning, "reason" and "ethics." It expresses the idea of thinking and acting rationally and logically. It encompasses the need to retain respect for morality and ethics, the fundamental nature of being human, and an ethical sense of values.What is Toyobo's vision?
Toyobo aims to become the category leader providing new value in the environment, life science, and high-function product fields.
Toyobo is expanding its speciality business globally based on the core technologies of polymerization, modification, processing and biotechnology. We provide new value as a manufacturer of high-function products in five target fields: the environment, life science, electronic and information displays, automotive, and lifestyle and safety.
See "Strategy & Vision" for more details about Toyobo’s future direction.What kind of cutting-edge technologies does Toyobo have?
Development of products for a sustainable society
Toyobo hydrolysis resistant film is used as the back sheet in photovoltaic cells, the representative form of clean energy. It is a polyester that is polymerized without the use of a heavy metal catalyst. Our high melting point polyamide resins use biomass materials. We also have a broad range of cutting edge technologies including high heat resistance/low heat expansion polyimide film and excellent polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cells.
See "Innovation Spotlights" for details of other Toyobo developed products.Where can Toyobo products be found?
In all manner of places all around you
For example, many of our films are used as wrappings for confectionery or retort packaged foods. Our highly transparent films are also used in the panels of liquid crystal displays as well as in automobiles in the plastic parts of doors or cup holders and airbag fabric. In fact they can be found in very many of the items encountered in everyday life.
Click here for details of our products.Please tell me about the Toyobo overseas business expansion.
Responsible for developing software in Python, object-oriented database and grid using proprietary Quartz Strengthening overseas production bases and the promotion of joint ventures
The acceleration of overseas business development is an important Toyobo Group initiative. To increase overseas sales we are strengthening overseas production bases and promoting joint ventures. We have also expanded Toyobo Group domestic sales and will continue to provide "high function" products worldwide.
Click here for a list of our major group companies.Please tell me about the Toyobo environmental policy.
A dual-pronged policy to protect the global environment
We undertake two kinds of environmental activity: specific "environmental activities" that we do ourselves, and "business activities" that contribute to the environment through our products. Environmental activities include the reduction of CO2 output by optimizing logistics and forest protection activities in the "Toyobo Future Forest" in the Wakayama prefecture. We also contribute to environmental protection through our business activities by developing a wide range of products that comply with all the environmental regulations. We are also working on a contribution towards more renewable energy sources by providing film for solar power generation systems.
Click here to see our products with features that contribute to society and the environment.
Click here for details of our environmental activities.What exactly are CSR activities?
Contribution to society through products and technological development
At Toyobo, we believe that it is important to unify governance and Corporate Social Responsibility activity. For example, we are contributing to society through various corporate activities such as the development of technology for processing seawater into drinking water. This will help countries that are struggling with water shortages. We are developing VOC emission treatment equipment to reduce energy consumption and help to preserve the environment. The company is also reducing CO2 output by the optimization of logistics.
Click here for a feature on our products that contribute to society and the environment.Click here for details on Toyobo environmental activities.Is it true Toyobo also makes pharmaceuticals and cosmetics?
Cutting edge biotechnology with more than 70 years of history
In the 1940s we started research into yeast that could process waste water generated during pulping which is part of the rayon manufacturing process. This marked the start of Toyobo biotechnology. We now provide products that are employed in cutting-edge medicine. These products include reagents for research, enzymes for diagnostics, antibodies and bio-chemicals used in genetic analysis technology. We are also gaining a great deal of attention as the developer and manufacturer of extremely high quality natural moisturizing skincare cosmetic ingredients.
Click here for details on product types.Is it true that Toyobo can turn seawater into drinking water?
Providing a solution to the world's water crisis
There are many places all around the world that do not have adequate drinking water resources, sometimes hardly any at all. People may find it difficult to obtain sufficient drinkable water on a daily basis. Seawater desalination plants are gaining a great deal of attention as a means of securing a stable supply of drinking water. Toyobo has developed an efficient reverse osmosis membrane, Hollosep® that can be used in desalination equipment to provide drinkable water in places where sea water is available and fresh water is in short supply.
Click here for details of the Seawater desalination equipment.Is it true Toyobo can make plastics from plants?
Plastic made from "castor beans" that are used to make castor oil
Many of the plastics we use in our daily lives are made using oil as the raw material. However, oil is a limited resource and burning it generates CO2 which we all know increases the speed of global warming. There is a vigorous movement towards the creation of plastics without the use of oil. For example, products made from raw materials such as sugar cane fiber have less impact on the environment because they are biodegradable and return to the earth when they are buried. Also the CO2 generated when such material is burned is the “same” CO2 that was used by the plant when it grew. At Toyobo, we are using "castor beans" as raw material to make a highly heat resistant resin.
Click here for details of Toyobo high heat resistant resin "Vyloamid®" made from castor beans.I have heard that Toyobo has made a fiber that is stronger than steel. Is that true?
High-performance Fiber that is lighter than water and stronger than steel
Toyobo's high-performance fiber "Dyneema®" is approximately 8 times stronger than steel piano wire. A 10mm diameter "Dyneema®" rope can support up to 20 tons (theoretical value). Taking full advantage of this strength, "Dyneema®" can be used in a wide range of products ranging from ships rope and fishing line to safety equipment such as protective gloves and headgear.
Click here for details of the ultra-high strength polyethylene fiber "Dyneema®."