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This is Nitta Archives, which records footsteps
for over 100 years since our establishment.
In the Archives, you will find that Nitta has
developed unexpected products.
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| 1888 |
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| Power
driving leather belt |
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| Manufactured Japan's
first power driving leather belts |
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Nitta's founder manufactured
leather for shoe-making in those days.
Exploiting his leather manufacturing
techniques, he developed and showed
leather belts at an exhibition where
visitors were struck with admiration
at his tanning techniques. One of these
visitors, Osaka Boseki, commissioned
power driving leather belts. Until then,
there were only imported belts in the
domestic market; so, quality made-in-Japan
products were keenly wanted. It was
Nitta that first succeeded in producing
quality power driving leather belts
to respond to such a desire in Japan.
With this as a turning point, Nitta
achieved name recognition in the spinning
industry. Nitta's products are still
used in spinning machinery. |
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| 1911 |
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| The
Nagoya branch at the time when Nitta
launched production of Japan's first
tannin solid extracts. |
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| Nitta launched production
of tannin solid extracts for the first
time in Japan |
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| Through the leather tanning
process, Nitta's founder discovered
that the bark of daimyo oak and root
skins of Nobu trees contained good-quality
tannin. In those days, surging demand
for leather products caused the depletion
of daimyo oak and Nobu trees on the
main island of Japan. Under these circumstances,
raw materials to extract tannin were
rarely offered in the market. The founder
noticed that there were many daimyo
oak forests in Tokachi of Hokkaido.
Then, he founded the Tokachi Seiju Factory
to produce tannin solid extracts for
the first time in Japan. While the company
cut down the forest, it started afforestation
for the future. In the beginning, only
the bark of these daimyo oaks was used
as a raw material to obtain the tannin.
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| Nitta
Plywood |
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| Nitta is the father
of plywood |
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Trunks of the daimyo
oak trees were utilized mostly for sleepers
of railways after the bark was removed
from them. Nitta then used and commercialized
them as plywood. Thanks to Nitta's developed
glue bond with excellent heat and water
resistance, "beniya" (plywood)
was finally patented in 1923.
Applications of the plywood expanded
to construction of Japanese and Western-style
buildings, fixtures, airplanes, locomotives,
steam vessels, instruments, toys and
automotives. |
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| 1917 |
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| Osaka
Kashiwara Gelatin Plant |
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| Nitta launched production
of glue and gelatin |
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In those days, the quantity
of consumed glue and gelatin increased
in Japan. Domestic products, however,
were not satisfactory in terms of production
volume and quality. Nitta knew that
raw materials for the glue were a by-product
of the belt manufacturing process. Then,
the company studied Western glue production
methods, and finally commercialized
the glue. When the company launched
production of industrial gelatin, Japanese
industries escaped dependence on imported
glue and general industrial gelatin.
The company launched research into edible
and medical gelatin, while the company
also launched development of photographic
gelatin, which was technically difficult
to produce.
The plant built to manufacture glue
and gelatin became the number one plant
in the East in quality and production
volume of glue and gelatin. |
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| 1923 |
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| Livestock
ranching in Hokkaido |
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| Livestock ranching
in Hokkaido |
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Nitta seriously launched
livestock ranching in 1923, utilizing
a vast area of land. This stock farm
produced light racing horses, while
the farm launched breeding of dairy
cattle. The company built a butter production
plant and launched fully into production
of butter and condensed milk as well.
This ranching division was transferred
to the Hokkaido Dairy Product Sales
Association (the predecessor of Yukijirushi
(Snow Brand)) and Kyokuto Rennyu of
the Meiji Seika Group.
After World War II, the company founded
Nitta Farm to produce thoroughbred racing
horses. In 1967, a famous Japan Derby
horse, Asedenko, was born there. |
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| Primary
school and commercial college opened |
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| Primary school and
commercial college opened |
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At that time, there were
many children who could not go to school
because they had to work to supplement
the family income. Nitta's founder opened
Yurin Jinjo Primary School for these
children in Osaka in 1911. The founder
shouldered any and all operation costs,
and also outfitted necessities to pupils
including school supplies, clothes and
shoes. After 12 years, he donated all
property of the primary school to Osaka
City.
In addition, Nitta's founder opened
Matsuyama Commercial College (the current
Matsuyama University) in his hometown,
Matsuyama City in 1923. He sponsored
foundation and operation of the college.
These activities were based on the founder's
wish to contribute to society not only
through technology and business but
also through education. |
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