Environmental Water Treatment Knowledge: Meaning and Role of Asahi Kasei (Japanese Chemical Company)
Company Profile (same as March 31, 2020) [5]
Date of establishment: May 21, 1931
Representative Director and President: Hideki Kohori [4]
Registered capital: 103.4 billion yen [5]
Total assets (group): 2,797.9 billion yen [5]
Fiscal year: April 1 to March 31
Number of employees: 50,352 (entire group) [5]
Asahi Kasei's first decade of development was achieved by expanding the production of industrial chemicals and derivatives such as caustic soda, chlorine, fertilizers, nitrocellulose, industrial explosives, cuprammonium rayon, and viscose filament (viscose filament production ended in September 2001). In the years after World War II, Asahi Kasei began to expand into broader new fields and grew into a front-runner of Japan's chemical industry. [5]
1922: Asahi Silk Weaving Co., Ltd. established. [5]
1931: Nobeoka Ammonia Silk Co., Ltd. established. [5]
(Date of establishment: May 21, 1931; registered capital: 10 million yen) [5]
1933: Nobeoka Ammonia Silk Co., Ltd. merged with Nippon Bemberg Silk Co., Ltd. and Asahi Silk Co., Ltd. The company was renamed 'Asahi Bemberg Silk Co., Ltd.' (registered capital: 46 million yen) [5]
1943: Asahi Bemberg Silk Co., Ltd. merged with Nippon Nitrogen Explosives Co., Ltd. and began production and sales of explosives and other products; the company name was changed to 'Nippon Nitrogen Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.' (registered capital: 54.4 million yen). [5]
1946: Renamed Asahi Kasei Industries, Ltd. [5]
1949: Stock listed on the first sections (equivalent to the main board) of the Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya stock exchanges. [5]
1952: Joint venture Asahi Dow Limited established with Dow Chemical of the United States, entering the Kawasaki area. [5]
1957: Asahi Dow Limited began producing polystyrene, entering the synthetic resin field. [5]
1959: Officially began production of acrylic fiber 'Cashmilon' in Fuji, formally entering the synthetic fiber field. [5]
1960: Began selling 'Wrap Fresh' (Saran Wrap), entering the resin products field. [5]
1962: Began producing acrylonitrile in Kawasaki. [5]
1967: Began producing lightweight aerated concrete 'Hebel' in Matsudo, formally entering the building materials field. [5]
1968: Sanyo Petrochemical Co., Ltd. established, formally entering the petrochemical field in the Mizushima area. [5]
1971: Asahi Schwebel Co., Ltd. established, entering the glass fiber fabric field. [5]
1972: Sanyo Ethylene Co., Ltd. (now Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation) was completed in the Mizushima area of Japan, an ethylene production center with an annual capacity of 350,000 tons. [5]
The same year, the 'Hebel Haus' business was officially launched, formally entering the housing field. Asahi Kasei Homes Corporation was established. [5]
1974: With the establishment of Asahi Medical Co., Ltd. (now 'Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd.'), began producing artificial kidneys, entering the medical device field. [5]
1976: Asahi Kasei Textile Corporation established, strengthening the textile business. The same year, Asahi Kasei Construction Materials Corporation was established. [5]
1980: Miyazaki Electronics Co., Ltd. (now Asahi Kasei Electronics Co., Ltd.) established, beginning to enter the Hall element business; Hall sensors began production. [5]
1982: Merged Asahi Dow Limited, strengthening the synthetic resin business. [5]
1983: Asahi Microsystem Co., Ltd. (now Asahi Kasei Microsystem Co., Ltd.) established, formally entering the LSI field. [5]
1992: Merged with Toyo Jozo Co., Ltd., strengthening the pharmaceutical and medical business and entering the liquor field. [5]
1994: Merged Asahi Kasei Textile Corporation, strengthening the textile business. [5]
2000: Acquired the European and American composite resin production subsidiaries transferred from Nippon Steel Chemical Co., Ltd., securing production bases in Europe and America. [5]
2001: The company name was changed from 'Asahi Kasei Industries, Ltd.' to 'Asahi Kasei Corporation'. [5]
2002: Transferred the shochu and low-alcohol beverage business to Asahi Breweries, Ltd. and Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd. [5]
2003: Transferred the sake and synthetic liquor related businesses to Oenon Holdings, Inc. [5]
The same year, switched to a branch/holding company system. It transformed into a group management structure consisting of a holding company and seven operating companies: Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation, Asahi Kasei Homes Corporation, Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, Asahi Kasei Fibers Corporation, Asahi Kasei Microsystems Co., Ltd., Asahi Kasei Construction Materials Corporation, and Asahi Kasei Life & Living Corporation. [5]
2007: Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation absorbed and merged Asahi Kasei Life & Living Corporation. [5]
2008: Asahi Kasei Kuraray Medical and Asahi Kasei Medical started as operating companies. [5]
2015: Acquired the US-based Polytechnic Group, making it a member of the group; the same year established Asahi Kasei Advance Corporation, engaged in trading of textiles, chemicals, etc. [5] [14]
2012: Asahi Kasei Kuraray Medical Co., Ltd. and Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. merged (the surviving company named Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd.). [5]
The same year, acquired the US-based Zoll Medical Corporation as an affiliated subsidiary. [5]
2009: Asahi Kasei Electronic Materials Corporation established. [5]
2016: Established Mitsubishi Chemical Asahi Kasei Ethylene Corporation, beginning joint operation of the ethylene center. [5]
The same year, Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation, Asahi Kasei Fibers Corporation, and Asahi Kasei Electronic Materials Corporation were merged into Asahi Kasei Corporation, transforming it into an operating holding company. [5]
2017: Stock trading unit changed from 1,000 shares to 100 shares. [5]
2018: Acquired the US-based Sage Automotive Interiors, Inc. and made it a consolidated subsidiary [5]
Unveiling ceremony of Asahi Kasei (China) Bioprocess Technology Center [7]
In 2024, Honda Motor Co. and Asahi Kasei Corporation jointly announced an important cooperation; the two parties have officially signed a shareholders' agreement aimed at transforming the existing Asahi Kasei Canada subsidiary into a joint venture focused on the production of lithium-ion battery separators. [8]
2025: Asahi Kasei Advance Corporation and Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd. signed a basic agreement to conduct an absorption merger in October 2026, with Teijin Frontier as the surviving company. [14]
In 2020, Nagoya University of Japan and Asahi Kasei jointly developed a laser diode (LD) capable of emitting the shortest-wavelength ultraviolet light to date (in the UV-C wavelength range), with potential applications including sterilization and disinfection, dermatology, and DNA analysis. [1]
On May 13, 2020, Asahi Kasei ranked 634th on the 2020 Forbes Global 2000 list. [2-3]
