Top interview was published in the South China Morning Post.

Friday, July 4, 2014 S11

SPECIAL REPORT: JAPAN COUNTRY REPORT

Rarely can a company boast of ahistory that dates back to the advent of the industry it serves. Butsuch is the case for NikkatoCorporation, one of Japan’s leadingmanufacturers of advanced ceramicsthat supports the growth of modernelectronic industries.

Established in 1913 to supportJapan’s industrialisation of domesticchemical porcelains used intechnological research fields, Nikkatohas contributed greatly todevelopments in Japan’s scientificand industrial fields. From importingchemical porcelains from Germany,Nikkato now applies its advancedtechnology development capabilitiesto serve leading Japanese companies in the fields of steel andelectronic components.

As ceramic materials becamewidely used in the environmental andenergy fields, Nikkato manufacturedmore products including wear- andheat-resistant ceramics used todownsize electric materials suchas multilayer ceramiccapacitors, dielectrics andpiezoelectric ceramics.These electric materials areloaded in portable electronicdevices such assmartphones.

With the increase inelectronic device customersworldwide, the demand forNikkato’s ceramic products alsoincreased. Pursuing furthergrowth in Asia, Nikkatoemploys a long-termtechnical partnershipwith a manufacturer inTaiwan to remaincompetitive.

“Nikkato has awider variety ofreliable products butwith a low volume,”says TakashiNishimura, president.“We serve the mid-to high-endcustomers such asKyocera and TDK,as we provide

high-quality products.” Guided by itsphilosophy of building societiesthrough industrial innovations, Nikkatonurtures partnerships witheducational and national institutions.Its co-operation with the NationalIndustrial Research Institute ofNagoya developed proprietaryproducts such as yttria-stabilised zirconia (YTZ)ceramics. YTZ equipment andgrinding media have high mechanicalproperties, high densities, high purityand smooth surface conditions thatresult in higher wear resistance aswell as superior grinding anddispersing efficiency for electricmaterials, pigments, paints andadvanced materials.

“We continue to manufactureproducts with added value in Japanwhile expanding our exports,”Nishimura says. “We will go on todevelop products that cannot beeasily done by other companies.”

Nikkato drivesceramicsinnovation to build industries

Takashi Nishimura,president

frames. It is also the only company inthe country that produces turntablesfeaturing forward loading andunloading capabilities for car parks,and its facilities can service electriccars. Its vehicle lift technology is nowregarded as a standard in tower-typeparking structures.

Compared to traditional parkinggarages, automated car park systemscan be more cost-effective, as theyrequire less building volume and lessground area than conventionalfacilities. From a three-car parking lot,Nissei is able to transform the area intoa 36-car parking space and efficientlymanage costs and maintenancerequirements. Its standardisedconstruction method ensures a quickturnaround, as Nissei assembles high-

Parking convenience andsafety issues are steadilyrising in Asia as emergingeconomies charge tobusiness and infrastructure

development. Providing valuablespace and efficiency with itsautomated parking systems andprefabricated houses, Nissei BuildKogyo is creating next-generationspace management solutions that addvalue to residential, commercial andproduction sites.

Nissei has been developingstructure systems with proprietarytechnology since its establishment in1961. It is the only prefabricated housemanufacturer in Japan that producesits own building materials, includingroof panels and lightweight steel

quality, company-manufacturedmaterials on site. This method reducesworkload and improves work safety.

“We always aim to providecomprehensive support – fromdevelopment, manufacturing andconstruction to after-sales services,”says Atsuhiro Morioka, president.“Nissei Build Kogyo will dedicateevery effort to developing our companyto meet today’s demands for a sociallyvaluable enterprise.”

Vehicle demand in China isforecast to grow 8 to 10 per cent thisyear, largely driven by steady personalincome growth combined with fallingvehicle prices. As the number of carsincrease, Nissei is enhancing its corecompetencies and strengthening itsfootprint on the mainland and in other

similar markets, particularly in Thailandand Malaysia. It entered into a jointventure with a local Chinese companyand operates a two-storey parkingsystem for the Fudan UniversityShanghai Cancer Center. It continuesto showcase its various tower parkingsystems in Bangkok, Singapore,Taiwan and South Korea.

“Our joint venture experience inShanghai allowed us to focus more onoperating parking spaces, aside fromselling the systems,” Morioka says.“We also reach out to governmentpeople and architects, offering ourknow-how in solving parking problems.With the high cost of land, our towersand parking solutions can save a lot offloor space and improve the safety ofparking lots.”

Nissei Build Kogyo createsspace-saving parking systems

Atsuhiro Morioka, president

Confidence is currency in an erawhere body image has increasinglybecome a concern. Maruko is aveteran in trading in this business,providing shapewear for 36 years.Fashionable women of Japan havebeen walking with a spring in theirstep thanks to Maruko shapewear.

Regardless of age and bodyshape, Maruko strives to makewomen feel beautiful by providingtools that improve body contour.

“We consider ourselvesprofessionals of beauty,” saysHidefumi Asakura, president and CEO. “We help women achieve a lifestyle of beauty.”

Maruko uses the latesttechnologies to ensure it constantlymanufactures superior products, suchas the ones that are part of the best-selling Carille and Belleages AvanceSakura lines. The company applies 118 sewing processes, three times theindustry standard, in its shapewearsuch as the full cup body suits. Aside from meticulous production

processes, Maruko also uses high-quality materials such as leavers lace and nano-level fibre in producing functional, light and comfortable shapewear.

In addition to shapewear, Marukooffers health food supplements andbody care cosmetics, and conductsconsultations in its salon-type stores.

Maruko also provides after-salesservice – to recommend healthsupplements that aid the slimmingprocess or to provide tips onmaintaining the ideal bodyline.

Given the similar silhouettes ofJapanese and Chinese women,Maruko hopes to be as successful on the mainland as it is in its homemarket. Laying the foundation for its expansion, Maruko established a retail store in Dalian to study the market and understand itsdifferences with Japan.

Maruko has big plans for themainland, including a future flagshipstore. Aside from opening a subsidiaryin Shanghai in charge of marketingproducts, Maruko also plans to establish a shop in Beijing.

“The high-end underwearbusiness is a niche business inChina,” Asakura says. “We see this changing as income levels rise. We are developing productsspecifically for the China market to meet the imminent demand.”

Beauty takes new shape with Maruko

Hidefumi Asakura, president and CEO

The successful merger of the Tokyoand Osaka stock exchanges into theJapan Exchange Group (JPX) lastyear established one of the world’slargest exchanges. The significanceof the integration, however, goesbeyond size. It created synergies thatcould make Japan the most preferredcapital investment destination in Asia.

“We are very much on track withexpectations,” says Atsushi Saito,JPX’s group CEO. “The merger hasbeen a triumph, and internationalinvestors are realising the benefits.”

JPX combines Tokyo StockExchange’s experience in cash equityor stock transactions and OsakaSecurities Exchange’s expertise inderivatives trading. The integrationhas also significantly reduced costsas participants have to deal with onlyone exchange. With the followingwind of Abenomics, such widercoverage and cost advantages haveboosted equity trading value fromabout 1 trillion yen (HK$76 billion) in2012 to about 3 trillion yen last year.

To expand its product range, JPXwill offer more exchange-traded fundsand derivatives. It is also planning todevelop an infrastructure fund marketfor construction projects across Asia.

One of JPX’s most interestinginitiatives, however, is to promote aprofessionally oriented bondmarket. It offers issuers aflexible regulatoryframework that allowsfor Englishdisclosure and theuse of globalaccounting

guidelines such as the InternationalFinancial Reporting Standards and theUnited States Generally AcceptedAccounting Principles. JPX hopes thedepth of the market will form a robustplatform for its development and allowJPX to become a centre for financingactivities in the region. The market hasseen bond issuance offeringprogrammes by Asian entities such asIndia’s ICICI Bank, the AsianDevelopment Bank and Maybank.

Setting its sights beyond Japan,JPX is supporting the launch of asecurities exchange in Myanmar by2015. “We are opening the door all theway for collaborations with ourneighbours,” Saito says. “We willgladly address any barriers they mayfind in working with us.”

JPX presents vastopportunities for global investors

Atsushi Saito, Group CEO

years of innovation, INTAGE combinesreliable and accurate syndicated dataservices with customised research tooptimise marketing via proprietarysolutions that help clients maintain acompetitive advantage.

With a strategic overseaspresence and dedicated local teamsacross China, India and throughoutSoutheast Asia, INTAGE merges localinsight and the latest mobiletechnology developments from Asia

with its expertise in informationservices and integrated systemssolutions. This allows it to offercomprehensive coverage on local and international market trendsthat can be meaningfully integratedinto businesses.

“We believe that our resources,services, technology and expertisecan very powerfully guide our clients’business expansion in Asia andaround the globe,” Miyakubi says.

Steering towards mobile and digitaltechnologies in ever-drasticallychanging and high-growth horizons inAsia, Japanese firm INTAGEHOLDINGS heads INTAGE Group,consisting of more than 20subsidiaries and allied companieswith nearly 2,600 full-timeprofessionals throughout Asia, topave the way with innovative marketresearch solutions.

To enhance its business andengage in further development,Japan’s market research leader andthe world’s seventh-largest has beenaggressively engaging in futuregrowth initiatives. This includes a jointventure established in 2012 with NTTDOCOMO, Japan’s largest mobiletelecommunication service operator.Dubbed DOCOMO InsightMarketing,the venture fuses INTAGE’scomprehensive research expertisewith NTT DOCOMO’s mobilecommunications technology to offercutting-edge marketing solutionsbased on NTT DOCOMO’s nationwidecustomer base.

Driven by its solid achievementsand its future-oriented initiatives, thecompany hopes to make its next leapforward in Asia over the next fewyears, as it enhances its offering in the region.

“As a market research-relatedbusiness, we are committed tocontributing to the decision-makingprocesses of clients,” says KenjiMiyakubi, president andrepresentative director. “We believein not only providing data, but in alsobeing responsible for that data andhow it can be used to expand aclient’s business and fostersustainable growth.”

Refining its approach through

INTAGE Group redefinesmarketing research in Asia

Kenji Miyakubi, president and representative director

As the Asia-Pacific inches towards becoming the leader in theglobal printed circuit board (PCB)industry over the next few years,Japanese PCB manufacturer ShiraiElectronics Industrial anticipatesgrowing consumer demand withimproved production facilities andfresh products.

The company is committed toupgrading its key overseas productionhub in China, where the electronicinformation industry is experiencingthe fastest growth and output. TheChinese market for PCBs exceededHK$300 billion in 2012.

“Our strategy for our Zhuhai plantis to streamline it further to enable it toproduce products of higher quality in alarger volume,” says Jinsho Kojima,president and chief operating officer.“We expect further growth especiallyin the automobile industry, so we aretrying to prepare ourselves for

increased business opportunities tocater to those changes.”

Established in 1970, Shiraiproduces PCBs used in a wide rangeof products, including flat-paneltelevision sets, air conditioners,computers and in-vehicle parts. Thecompany has globalisedmanufacturing operations throughfactories across China, Japan andSoutheast Asia, and scored a turnoverof US$229 million last year.

Shirai serves a diverse range ofindustries, including automobiles,consumer electronics, controlequipment and communicationdevices, apart from producingmultilayered, high-performance andenvironment-friendly PCBs.

In addition, Shirai providesinnovative solutions in printed wiringboard (PWB) inspection systems.Shirai’s VISPER automated visualinspection system allows PWB

manufacturers to maintain the highestlevel of reliability and quality.

In March this year, Shirai launched a transparent and flexiblePCB, which can be attached to light-emitting diodes. It also presented adouble-sided copper pin PCB board,which significantly reduces heat.Shirai hopes to introduce theseproducts in Asia.

“Our key to success is havingdiverse customers in differentsectors,” Kojima says. “By diversifying,we are less inclined to be impacted bythe cyclic changes in our industry.”

Shirai boosts printed circuit-board production in Asia

Jinsho Kojima, president andchief operating officer

Sponsored Section in co-operation with Discovery Reports