Newsweek International 09/13/2019

Glass manufacturing is an industry that dates backs millennia. And as human technology has progressed, glass has always had its place, from its use in ancient weapons, to solar panels and the touch screens that surround us today. With material scientists finding increasingly new and innovative uses for glass, it is considered by many to be the defining material of our time, while U.S. firm Corning Inc. has hailed the era in which we are now living as ‘The Glass Age’. For two centuries, Japanese company Ishizuka Glass has been at the heart of the glass industry. And as the company marks its 200th anniversary in 2019, it will continue to explore and investigate the properties and secrets of glass to advance into innovative new fields. “We have decided to…

Japan’s Chuken Kigyos are the strong, agile and technology adept SME that form the backbone of Japanese industry. They are sometimes referred to as the ‘hidden champions’, as their products often go unnoticed by the end consumer. However their specialized technology is essential for larger firms – including the household names we associate with Japan, from Toyota and Nissan to Panasonic and Sony – to make their final end-user products. In fact around 80 percent of Japanese corporations depend on these SMEs that work in niche markets and have developed unique capabilities in innovation. And like these bigger firms, Chuken Kigyos adhere to the strict principles of Monozukuri, the Japanese philosophy of craftsmanship and attention to detail that defines the superior, unmatchable quality of the ‘Made in Japan’ brand. “We…

In 1964, the Tajima Group developed their multi-head embroidery machine. Its goal was to make high-end manually produced embroidery accessible and familiar to people internationally, and to cultivate rare artisanal skills developed over generations with advanced technology. Since then, the company has provided over 3,000 embroidery machine models to thousands of customers in more than 130 countries around the world – making the Tajima brand synonymous with embroidery and a pioneer of the garment & textile manufacturing industry globally. “Our brand and company are famous for the multi- head embroidery machines which came from the idea of automation for the garment & textile industry,” explains Mr Hideki Tajima, President of Tajima Industries Ltd. “Embroidery used to be made by sewing machine with one operator, however, the development of its multi-head…

“Water is life,” so goes the age-old saying. And for Japanese company Nihon Trim, developing water with superior functional properties to support the extension of life and prevention of illnesses has been its mission since its establishment in 1982. Today, Nihon Trim’s electrolyzed hydrogen water apparatus, the ‘Trim Ion’, can be found in over one million households in Japan. And that number will continue to grow, both at home and abroad, where the company is looking to expand in the Chinese and U.S. markets over the coming years. Aside from eliminating impurities and harmful substances, the ‘Trim Ion’ generates electrolyzed hydrogen water (hereunder ‘EHW’), which is known to have several health benefits such as relieving gastrointestinal problems. “Today, lifestyle related illnesses have become a pressing problem not only in Japan…

Uchino are masters in comfort. Since 1947, the firm has specialized in crafting high-quality towels, bathrobes, resort/ loungewear and baby products. When it comes to every stage of the production process—from procurement of the best cotton raw materials to the adoption of pioneering technology to weave the final product—the company spares no effort in delivering the finest Japanese quality to its customers. And this meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship is literally palpable as soon as an Uchino towel touches your skin. “At Uchino, our first priority is to provide comfortable material to our customers. As a result, our production method is, without a doubt, a strenuous and lengthy process; but the results of our production are undeniably unmatched” Speaking with the company’s president, Nobuyuki Uchino, his enthusiasm and passion…

2001  “We always thought we were safe. We were wrong,” Newsweek reported in grief following the devastating September 11th attacks. The day “began as a sparklingly early-autumn morning in New York. Then the unimaginable happened.” Terrorists hijacked commercial jets and plowed into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, marking “the deadliest attack on American soil in history.” The human toll of 2,977 lives (including 19 hijackers) was “beyond imagining” and the psychological impact from that day still affects a nation that can never forget. 1943 “It is a safe assumption that Adolf Hitler is a worried man,” Newsweek wrote, “if this photograph doesn’t show a harassed man we never saw one.” The September 8th, surrender of the Axis Italians to the Allies caused great Nazi consternation. It changed the dynamic…