The history of the synthetic resin industry in Japan goes back to 1913 when Dr. Jokichi Takamine, discoverer of adrenalin and takadiastase, acquired the right to manufacture and sell tar-acid resin Products in Japan. The business was financed by the Sankyo Co., Ltd., and a factory was built at Shinagawa, near Tokyo. In 1923 a subsidiary company known as the Japan Bakelite Co., Ltd., was formed with a paid-in capital of 1,200,000 yen. This firm considers itself an affiliate of the Bakelite Corporation of the United States and, according to an existing agreement, cannot export to the United States. Its territory includes the Japanese Empire and Manchukuo. China is considered an open market.
The original plant at Shinagawa was partially destroyed by fire in 1919, and the following year was moved to Mukojima, Tokyo. The firm makes tar-acid resins, and a full line of products covered by the patents of the American concern. Included are laminated sheets, molding compounds, molded articles, surface coating resins, laminated resin gears and spindles for rayon mills. An interesting development is the adaption of tar-acid resin lacquers to the production of Japanese lacquer ware such as bowls, vases, etc.
Since the establishment of the Japan Bakelite Co., several other firms have started the production of synthetic resins. The Tokyo Electric Co., an affiliate of the General Electric Co., makes tar-acid resins under the trade name Tecolite. Products are used principally for insulation, although molding compositions and molded articles such as are used by the electrical trade are commercially produced.
The Matsushita Electrical Works at Osaka are producers of tar-acid resins and articles made therefrom. The output is used largely for radio and electrical equipment. The Nissholite Manufacturing Co., Ltd., with a factory at Yasui-cho, Uzumasa, Kyoto specializes in decorative laminated material sold under the trade name Nissholite. The Japan Nitrogenous Fertilizer Co. (Nippon Chisso Hirijo Kabushiki Kaisha) is an important maker of tar-acid resins, marketing them under the trade names Chissolite, Safeloid, and Minaloid. The Yokahama Resin Co., a relatively small company, produces tar-acid resins and markets them in the form of molding powders. The firms listed account for practically all of the Japanese production of synthetic resins and for about 50 percent of the molded articles made from them. The remaining 50 percent of the output of molded articles is made by a large number of small firms, the majority being household industries. It is reported that there are about 2,000 of these so-called plants already engaged in this relatively new industry.
Production.
The Japanese production of manufactures of tar-acid resin reported by the Department of Commerce and Industry is shown in table [30]. These data include the output of plants employing more than five operators and apparently account for only half of the total.
Table 30.—Manufactures of tar-acid resins: Production in Japan, 1929-35
| Year | Quantity | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Of quantity reported | Additional1 | Total | ||
| Pounds | ||||
| 1929 | 28,681 | $46,594 | $125,404 | $171,998 |
| 1930 | 607,800 | 52,409 | 442,583 | 494,992 |
| 1931 | 744,119 | 99,907 | 268,594 | 368,501 |
| 1932 | 286,422 | 36,584 | 367,220 | 403,804 |
| 1933 | 229,854 | 26,747 | 516,903 | 543,650 |
| 1934 | 1,435,977 | 193,857 | 926,951 | 1,120,808 |
| 1935 | 3,176,441 | 477,526 | 923,546 | 1,401,072 |
1 Quantity not reported.