1914
World War I begins
Panama Canal opens
1916
Foundation of Nippon Kayaku Seizo Co., Ltd. (Head office: 1-1 Yurakucho, Kojimachi-ku, Tokyo)
Shinzo Oshigami assumes position of president
Shinzo Oshigami assumes position of president
1917
Receives license for manufacturing dynamite
Begins manufacturing Yamazakura Dynamite and Yamaume Dynamite
Establishment of the Soviet Union
1918
Head office moves to 1-1 Eiraku-cho, Kojimachi-ku, Tokyo
World War I ends
1920
Establishment of the League of Nations, Japan becomes a member
1922
Establishes Kayaku Kogyo K.K.
Jotaro Yamamoto assumes position of president
1923
Establishes Nippon Fuse Co., Ltd.
Great Kanto Earthquake
1926
Death of Taisho Emperor and coronation of Showa Emperor
1927
Jotaro amamoto retires, Yasusaburo Hara assumes position of director
Great Depression starts
1928
Acquires Teikoku Senryo Seizo Co., Ltd.
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1931
Establishes Yamakawa Seiyaku Co., Ltd.
Mukden (Manchurian) Incident
1932
Yamakawa Seiyaku launches aspirin tablets, anti-inflammatory analgesic
Puppet government set up in Manchuria (Manchukuo)
1934
Merges and absorbs Kayaku Kogyo K.K.
Merges and absorbs Nippon Fuse Co.,Ltd., Nippon Detonator Seizo Co.,Ltd. and Chugai Detonator Co.,Ltd.
Teikoku Senryo Kokura branch plant begins manufacturing of insectiicides, rat poison, and soil fumigant Chloropicrin
1935
Yasusaburo Hara assumes position of president
1937
Establishes Chosen Kayaku Seizo K.K.
Second Sino-Japanese War starts
1939
World War II begins
1941
Asia-Pacific War starts
1943
Merges and absorbs Teikoku Senryo Seizo Co., Ltd. and Yamakawa Seiyaku Co., Ltd.
1944
Merges and absorbs Nippon Shikiso Seizo K.K and Tokyo Senryo Kogyo K.K.
B29 bombing raid of Tokyo
Tonankai earthquake
1945
Loses assets at end of World War Ⅱand starts reconstruction
Approves corporate name change to Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.
Air raids on Tokyo, atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
World War II ends
Establishment of the United Nations
1946
Rents Tokyo Second Army Arsenal Iwahana Manufacturing Plant from Ministry of Finance
Closes sites in Himeji and Tokyo
Official proclamation of the Japanese constitution
Nankai earthquake
1947
Moves head office to 5-5 Ichibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
1948
Begins manufacturing antibiotic Penicillin
Fukui earthquake
1949
Implement fixed exchange rate (¥360 to the dollar)
1950
Closes Osaka site
Korean War
1951
Launches Kayarus top-grade direct dyes
San Francisco Peace Treaty
1953
Korean Armistice Agreement
1954
Develops fluorescent dyes
1955
Begins manufacturing hepato tonic amino acid DL-Methionine
1956
Signs contract for the introduction of Diazinon technology from Geigy AG, Switzerland
Moves head office to 1-6 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Penicillin shock
Japan joins United Nations
1957
Begins manufacturing Diazinon technical grade for insecticides
Soviet Union successfully launches Sputnik 1
1959
Launches Variotin™ solution for athlete's foot (tinea pedis)
Launches C-type instantaneous electric detonator
Ise-wan Typhoon (Typhoon Vera)
1960
Launches Kayalon Polyester dyes
1961
Launches Mikacion reactive dyes
1962
Establishes corporate motto and corporate spirit
Launches amino acid for feed use DL-Methionine
1963
Recipient of the Deming Prize
Establishes Nippon Peroxide Co., Ltd
Signs contract with Standard Oil Co., Ohio (US) for the introduction of acrylic acid technology
1964
Begins manufacturing Diazinon granules for insecticides
Niigata earthquake
Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train) begins operations
Tokyo Summer Olympic Games
1965
Closes Iizuka and Kokura sites
Japan‐Republic of Korea Basic Relations Treaty
1967
Lunches NEOLAMIN™ 3B intravenous, nerve-muscle functional activator
1969
Launches BLEO™ for injection, anti-cancer antibiotic
Launches Kayacryl dyes
Apollo 11 mission; first lunar landing
1970
Establishes Kayaku Nurye Co., Ltd.
Establishes Nissho Kayaku Co., Ltd.
Japan World Exposition (EXPO '70)
1971
Construction of Takasaki plant; starts up as a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant
Smithsonian Agreement; exchange rate set at ¥308/US$
1972
Sapporo Winter Olympic Games
Japan and the People's Republic of China issue a joint statement for the normalization of relations
1973
Yasusaburo Hara becomes chairman, Junzo Kondo assumes position of president
Launches Muscalm™ tablets, anti spasmogenic drug
Construction of No. 2 manufacturing facility for o-Cresol Formaldehyde epoxy resin (EOCN)
Signs contract for purchase of industrial land in Minoshima region
Shift to floating rate system (yen/dollar)
First oil shock
1974
Launches Kayacryl ED dyes
Signs contract with Aireco, Ltd. (US) for the introduction of slurry explosive technology
Closes Kiyama plant
Launches high molecular weight cationic residual flocculant
1975
Okayama-Hakata section of Sanyo Shinkansen (bullet train) line opens
1976
Establishes PT PETROKIMIA KAYAKU
Closes Iwamizawa plant
1977
Closes Orio plant and Orio branch explosives laboratory
1978
Launches hot compress Mom™-Hot
Narita International Airport opens
1979
Signs contract with Standard Oil Co., Ohio (US) for technological cooperation
Pilot production of dipentaerythritol penta-/hexa-acrylate (DPHA) UV-curing resin
Second oil shock
1980
Junzo Kondo becomes vice-chairman; Tsunekazu Sakano assumes position of president
Iran-Iraq War breaks out
1982
Establishes Tokyo plant
Opens New York overseas office (present-day Nippon Kayaku America, Inc.)
Establishes Tokyo branch
Establishes Kashima plant
Tohoku, Joetsu Shinkansen (bullet train) begin operations
1983
Launches sulrry explosives Kayamite No.2
Dissolution of Nissho Kayaku and transfer to Oita Chemical Co., Ltd.
Moves head office to 1-11-2 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
1984
Launches Randa™ Inj. anti-cancer drug and Millisrol™ Inj. nitroglycerin drug
Launches TG-SA developer
1985
Closes Kokura dye plant; establishes Nishi-kokura Industry Co., Ltd.
Establishes Kayapolar Co., Ltd.
1986
Establishes new corporate symbol
Space shuttle Challenger explodes
Chernobyl nuclear accident occurs in Soviet Union
1987
Launches Bestatin™ Cap. and Lastet™ Inj. ant-cancer drugs
Launches Cyclosal insecticide
1988
Opens overseas office in Europe (present-day Euro Nippon Kayaku GmbH)
First domestic shipment of C3 catalysts
Seikan Tunnel opens
1989
Launches Millisrol Tape, nitroglycerin transdermal patch for the treatment of heart diseases
Tsunekazu Sakano becomes chairman, Kazuhiko Takeda assumes position of president
Death of Showa Emperor; Coronation of Heisei Emperor
Berlin Wall falls
1990
First domestic shipment of C4 catalysts
Launches Diazinon SL Sol insecticide
Resins for Fresnel lenses becomes a core business
1991
Establishes Polatechno Co., Ltd.
Signs contract for joint development of Inflators with Sensor Technology Co., Ltd.
Launches Lana ™ AG, diabetes diagnostic drug kit
Japan's economic bubble collapses
1992
Releases the Declaration on Health, Safety and Environmental Protection
1993
Establishes Taiwan Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.
Establishes Shanghai overseas office
Construction of pilot plant for the manufacturing of Kayatone construction materials
Development of CCR-1030 resin for resists
Hokkaido‐Nansei‐Oki Earthquake
1994
Begins delivery of 505 aluminum Inflators for driver's seat
Begins shipments of aqueous heat-sensitive UV overcoat agents
Begins shipments oh Kayatoron Sealants for LCDs
Launches Spanidin™ for I.V.infusion immunosuppressant and Odyne™ tablets for prostate cancer therapy
Kansai International Airport opens
1995
Acquires certification for quality assurance management system
Launches Fareston™ tablets for breast cancer therapy
Establishes NIPPONKAYAKU FOOD TECHNO CO., LTD.
Establishes Zhaoyuan Advanced Chemical Co., Ltd. (ZAC)
Releases the Declaration on Health, Safety, Environmental Protection and Quality
Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
1996
Establishes Wuxi Advanced Chemical Co., Ltd. (WAC)
Launches ULTEX slurry explosives
Closes Takasaki Research Laboratory
First overseas shipment of C3 catalysts
1997
Begins delivery of 701 non-azide Inflators for driver's seat
Teruo Nakamura assumes position of president
Acquires inflator business from Sensor Technology Co., Ltd.
Hong Kong returns to China
Asia currency crisis
1998
Begins mass production of Micro Gas Generators
Launches TG-SH developer
Establishes Nippon Kayaku Medinet Co., Ltd.
Nagano Winter Olympic Games
1999
Invests in capital of Indet Safety Systems a.s. (ISS)
Withdraws from the construction materials Kayatone business
Begins full-fledged manufacturing of colorants for inkjet printers
World population tops 6 billion people
2000
Releases Nippon Kayaku Charter of Conduct and Code of Conduct
Establishes NIPPON KAYAKU TOKYO Co., Ltd. and NIPPONKAYAKU FUKUYAMA Co., Ltd.
Establishes LifeSparc, Inc.
IT (Internet) bubble bursts
2001
Begins delivery of 60Φand 70Φ steel Inflator
Transfers equity in Nippon Peroxide Co., Ltd. to Hodogaya Chemical Co., Ltd.
9/11 terrorist attack on US
2002
Establishes MicroChem Corp.
Establishes KAYAKU CHEMICAL （WUXI） CO., LTD. (KCW)
Full-fledge launch of NC3000 epoxy resin
Introduction of euro as standard currency for the EU
2003
Enters UV-curing liquid Sealants for LCD market
Enters generic anti-cancer drugs market
Koichiro Shimada assumes position of president
Launches TG-SH (H) developer
FDA approves GlycoMark (Lana™ 1,5- AG) diabetes diagnostic drug kit
US and UK strike on Iraq
2004
ISS and LifeSparc,inc. become wholly-owed subsidiaries
Launches IA-call™ intra-arteral anti-cancer injection
2005
Launches Voglibose generic active pharmaceutical ingredient (APIs), diabetes therapy
2006
Launches Paclitaxel injection “NK”, anti-cancer drug
Establishes NIKKA FINE TECHNO CO., LTD.
Establishes Kayaku Safety Systems (Huzhou) Co., Ltd. (KSH)
2007
Establishes Kayaku Safety Systems de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (KSM)
Releases KAYAKU spirit
Subprime mortgage crisis
2008
Starts up Kayaku Japan Co., Ltd.
Closes Tokyo (pharmaceuticals) plant
Collapse of Lehman Brothers
2009
Launches Bicalutamide tablets “NK” for prostate cancer treatment
2010
Akira Mandai assumes position of president
2011
Kashima plant suspends operations for 2.5 months after Great East Japan Earthquake
Completes liquidation of LifeSparc, Inc.
Acquires colorants for inkjet printers business from ILFORD Imaging Switzerland GmbH
Great East Japan earthquake
Kyushu Shinkansen (bullet train) begins operations (Hakata-Kagoshima Chuo)
World population tops 7 billion
2012
Establishes Kayaku Safety Systems Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (KMY)
Begins mass production of A221 side Airbag Inflators for side collisions
2013
Launches G-CSF pharmaceutical, Filgrastim BS Inj. syringe “NK”
2014
Launches HepaSphere™ and Embosphere™, artificial embolization material for promoting embolization of blood vessels in the central circulatory system
Moves head office to 2-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo
Launches touch panel adhesives
Launches the antihuman TNF-α monoclonal antibody, Infliximab BS for I.V. infusion “NK”
2015
Liquidation of Zhaoyuan Advanced Chemical Co., Ltd. (ZAC)
Masanobu Suzuki assumes position of president
Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) begins operations (Nagano-Kanazawa)
2016
100th anniversary of the founding of Nippon Kayaku
