Corporate History

1882

May 3
Establishes Osaka Boseki, a predecessor to the Company, as the first private spinning company in Japan based on the spinning business plan formulated by Eiichi Shibusawa

1883

July
Osaka Boseki starts operating a cotton-spinning business at the Sangenya Plant (located in what is now Taisho-ku, Osaka)

1886

November
Launches Mie Boseki, a predecessor to the Company

1890

October
Osaka Boseki purchases a cotton fabrics plant and starts concurrent operation of textile manufacturing business

1893

July
Osaka Boseki transitions to a public limited-liability company
October
Mie Boseki transitions to a public limited-liability company

1914

June 26
Osaka Boseki and Mie Boseki merge to form Toyobo (the Company, headquartered in Yokkaichi, Mie; share capital: ¥14.25 million; renamed Toyobo Co., Ltd. in October 2012)

1918

November
Establishes Miyukikeori Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary)

1919

May
Establishes Kyoto Some-saisei Co., Ltd. (renamed Toyo Cloth Co., Ltd. in February 1926; currently a consolidated subsidiary)

1920

March
Head office moves to Kita-ku, Osaka (relocated to the current site in Kita-ku in April 2022)

1927

December
The Katata Rayon Plant (Otsu, Shiga, where the Research Center is currently situated) starts producing rayon

1929

December
Establishes Toyo Iou Kogyo Co., Ltd. (renamed Toyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd. in December 1959, which merged with the Company in March 2010)

1931

March
Merged with Osaka Godo Boseki

1934

December
The Tsuruga Plant (Tsuruga, Fukui; currently the Tsuruga Functional Materials Plant) starts operating and produces rayon

1937

July
The Iwakuni Plant (Iwakuni, Yamaguchi; currently the Iwakuni Functional Materials Plant) starts operating and produces rayon

1940

May
The Inuyama Plant (Inuyama, Aichi) starts operating and produces pulp for chemical textiles

1948

October
The Inuyama Plant starts trial production of yeast from black liquor (inception of the biotechnology business)

1949

January
Establishes Brasilana Productos Texteils Ltda. (renamed Toyobo Do Brasil Ltda. in December 2001; currently a consolidated subsidiary)
May
Listed on the Tokyo and Osaka Stock Exchanges

1955

April
Establishes Toyobo Do Brasil Industria Textil Ltda. (renamed Toyobo Do Brasil Participacoes Ltda. in December 2013; currently a consolidated subsidiary)
December
Establishes Industrias Unidas, S.A. (currently a consolidated subsidiary)

1956

September
Establishes Japan Exlan Company, Limited (which started producing acrylic fibers in April 1958; currently a consolidated subsidiary)

1960

April
Establishes Ritto Seni (renamed Kureha Limited in July 1989; currently a consolidated subsidiary)

1963

February
The Tsuruga Plant starts producing cast polypropylene films (production transferred in January 1981 to Tsuruga Film Co., Ltd., which became Cast Film Japan Co., Ltd. in January 2015; currently an associate accounted for using the equity method)

1964

May
The Iwakuni Plant starts producing polyester (polymerization, spinning)
December
The Tsuruga Plant starts producing biaxially oriented polypropylene films (production transferred to Inuyama Plant in April 1969)

1966

April
Merges with Kureha Boseki and taps into the nylon business (Tsuruga Nylon Plant; currently the Tsuruga Functional Materials Plant)

1968

March
The Inuyama Plant discontinues the pulp business and switches to the film business

1970

June
Makes a full-fledged foray into the plastics business

1971

September
Enters the biochemistry business
October
Establishes Toyobo Real Estate Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary)
December
The Inuyama Plant starts producing biaxially oriented polyester films

1972

July
Establishes Toyobo Engineering Co., Ltd. (currently a consolidated subsidiary)

1975

May
Enters the active carbon fiber business

1976

July
The Inuyama Plant starts producing biaxially oriented nylon films
August
The Tsuruga Plant starts producing polyester spunbond nonwoven fabrics
September
The Katata Research Center and the Takatsuki Research Center are consolidated to form the Research Center

1977

October
Starts producing the “Printight” photosensitive water-wash nylon resin relief printing plate

1978

November
Launches the Tsuruga Enzyme Plant (currently the Tsuruga Biochemicals Plant)

1980

May
The Iwakuni Plant starts producing the “HOLLOSEP” reverse-osmosis membranes for seawater desalination (currently the Iwakuni Membrane Plant)

1983

November
Launches the Iwakuni Membrane Plant

1984

May
The Iwakuni Membrane Plant starts full-fledged production of artificial kidney hollow fiber

1985

October
Enters the pharmaceutical business
December
Starts full-fledged production of engineering plastics

1989

April
Takes over the sales team for the acrylic fiber “Exlan” division from Diafibers Co., Ltd.

1990

May
Launches the Otsu Pharmaceuticals Plant

1991

April
Starts full-fledged production of the “Dyneema” ultra-high-strength polyethylene fiber

1992

April
Launches the Tsuruga Biochemicals Research Center

1995

November
The Tsuruga Plant and the Tsuruga Nylon Plant are consolidated under the name of the Tsuruga Plant

1998

October
The Tsuruga Plant starts full-fledged production of the “ZYLON” high-performance fibers with excellent durability and heat resistance

2001

April
Merges Nippon Magphane through absorption-type merger to form Tsuruga Films Plant

2002

February
Establishes Toyobo Wool Co., Ltd. (Toyobo Techno Wool Co., Ltd. from April 2003; merged by Miyukikeori Co., Ltd. through an absorption-type merger in April 2018)
April
Introduces a production center system in the Tsuruga and Iwakuni areas, and reorganizes into the Tsuruga Research and Production Center (Tsuruga Fibers Plant, Tsuruga Film Plant, Tsuruga Functional Materials Plant, Tsuruga Polymer Plant, Tsuruga Biochemicals Plant and Tsuruga Biochemicals Research Center) and the Iwakuni Production Center (Iwakuni Fibers Plant, Iwakuni Polymers Plant and Iwakuni Functional Membranes Plant)

2003

October
Introduces the production center system in the Toyama area, and reorganizes three cotton processing plants (Nyuzen, Inami, Shogawa) into the Toyama Production Center

2006

April
Consolidated the Tsuruga Textile Plant into the Tsuruga Functional Materials Plant, and renamed the Iwakuni Textile Plant as the Iwakuni Functional Materials Plant

2008

April
Spins off development/sales divisions of textiles and trading business of the Company and films and functional polymers business, industrial materials business, and textiles and trading business of Shinkoh Sangyo Ltd. to establish Toyobo Specialties Trading Co., Ltd. (renamed Toyobo STC Co., Ltd. in October 2013; currently a consolidated subsidiary) through a joint incorporation-type company split

2010

March
Merges with Toyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd. to launch the Takasago Plant

2012

October
Changes the company name to Toyobo Co., Ltd.

2018

April
Establishes Xenomax - Japan Co., Ltd., which produces and sells “XENOMAX” high heat-resistant polyimide film

2019

October
Acquires shares in Teijin Film Solutions Limited and PT. Indonesia Teijin Film Solutions and converts them into subsidiaries, with the companies renamed Toyobo Film Solutions Limited and PT. Indonesia Toyobo Film Solutions (currently a consolidated subsidiary), respectively

2021

April
The Company merges with Toyobo Film Solutions Limited through an absorption-type merger to launch the Utsunomiya Plant

2022

April
Toyobo STC Co., Ltd. spins off its textile business to launch Toyobo Textile Co., Ltd.

For more information on the history of the company's growth and the birth of its products, see here.

TOYOBO STORY