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ABOUT - ノーリツ鋼機

NORITSU

"Always become the best in every field we enter."
1951. Thus the founder declared after inventing
an automatic photo print washer,
and thus the history of Noritsu Koki began.

Few people will ever see all the things we have made over the years,
but they are all devices that play vital roles in the world.

Over the years, we have expanded beyond our manufacturing roots
to tackle new challenges in fields
— fields that society widely needs today.

Things that people need through the changing years. Things that make people happy.
Things that become necessities. Things that support lives from behind the scenes.
We continuously create things that become the very foundations of society.

Seriously, dedicatedly, sparing no effort, we will pioneer the next era.

That is our mission and our promise to the world.

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENTMESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT

We create
products and services
that are essential
to society.

Ever since Noritsu Koki was founded in 1951 on a foundation of manufacturing, it has stirred the hearts and minds of clients all over the world with its diligent effort and spirit of service.

However, society has changed suddenly and drastically in the past couple of decades. We took the bold step of reestablishing ourselves by developing new businesses and reorganizing existing businesses so that we could face the changing times head on. In these times of constant change, we are pushing forward boldly in all our business ventures, from those closely tied to everyday life to those aimed at the future, with the aim of creating unique and unparalleled businesses that are highly sought-after globally and that become part of the very fabric of society.

At the root of this new ambition is superior technology, a group of companies with a rich history of achievements and highly experienced talents. Through a series of spin-offs and mergers, we have created a climate and a platform for continuous growth for both people and companies which will help them provide fresh value to society.

With the founder's principles in our hearts, the Noritsu Koki Group will continue to work actively and enthusiastically in fields widely needed by society. Expect great things from our future and from the new tomorrow we will create.

  • MISSION
    Prosperity for society and people
  • VISION
    A corporate group that continues
    producing “No. 1/Only 1” businesses
  • VALUE
    Understand the needs of the age and think one step ahead.

    Pursue products and services that enrich lives.

    Respect the potential for growth and innovation and support a spirit of challenge.

MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT

  • Representative Director and CEO
    Ryukichi Iwakiri

    Born in 1978. Joined F&M in 2001. Joined (now DIGITAL HOLDINGS) in 2003. Became a director in March 2011. Appointed as Representative Director in June 2018.

  • Director and CFO
    Ryosuke Yokobari

    Born in 1990. Joined ES NETWORKS in 2012. Public Tax Accountant in December 2016. Become CFO of the company in April 2020.

  • Company director
    Kazue Murase

    Born in 1972. Became Representative director of FUNDARD Co., Ltd. in June 2022. Became a company director of the company in March 2024.

  • Company director(audit and supervisory committee chairman)
    Akihisa Ota

    Born in 1973. Public Accountant registration in April 2005. Public Tax Accountant in February 2007.Became a company director (audit and supervisory committee member) of the company in June 2015.

  • Company director(audit and supervisory committee member)
    Motoaki Ibano

    Born in 1951. Joined IBM Japan in 1974. Director of Recruit. in April 1988. Became a company director (audit and supervisory committee member) of the company in June 2015.

  • Company director(audit and supervisory committee member)
    Tsuyoshi Takada

    Born in 1972. Lawyer registration in April 2000. Became a company director (audit and supervisory committee member) of the company in March 2021.

  • Representative Director and CEO
    Ryukichi Iwakiri

    Born in 1978.Joined F&M in 2001. Joined (now DIGITAL HOLDINGS) in 2003. Became a director in March 2011. Appointed as Representative Director in June 2018.

  • Director and CFO
    Ryosuke Yokobari

    Born in 1990. Joined ES NETWORKS in 2012. Public Tax Accountant in December 2016. Become CFO of the company in April 2020.

  • Company director
    Kazue Murase

    Born in 1972. Became Representative director of FUNDARD Co., Ltd. in June 2022. Became a company director of the company in March 2024.

  • Company directorCompany director(audit and supervisory committee chairman)
    Akihisa Ota

    Born in 1973. Public Accountant registration in April 2005. Public Tax Accountant in February 2007.Became a company director (audit and supervisory committee member) of the company in June 2015.

  • Company directorCompany director(audit and supervisory committee member)
    Motoaki Ibano

    Born in 1951. Joined IBM Japan in 1974. Director of Recruit. in April 1988. Became a company director (audit and supervisory committee member) of the company in June 2015.

  • Company director(audit and supervisory committee member)
    Tsuyoshi Takada

    Born in 1972. Lawyer registration in April 2000. Became a company director (audit and supervisory committee member) of the company in March 2021.

  • Executive Officer
    Yukiko Katabe
  • Executive Officer
    Megumi Iwamoto

STORYSTORY

1951
  • Everything we do is to make people need us and to make them happy

    "I want my clients to feel the emotions of their photos as soon as possible." That was how Kan'ichi Nishimoto, the founder of the company, felt as he ran a photo studio in post-war Wakayama Prefecture. Those feelings led him to invent an automatic photo print washer by applying the principles behind a water wheel. It was a groundbreaking invention that shortened film developing time and removed the fear of power outages, completely overturning the existing mindset that expected photo development to take a lot of time and energy. In no time at all it had become a top-selling product. Using his invention as the catalyst, Kan'ichi Nishimoto established the Noritsu Optical Machinery Works Limited. The foundations of this company were built on the manufacturing of photo processing devices.

  • Spreading first-class manufacturing around the world

    Through the development of the RF−20E black-and-white film processor, the company succeeded in automating the black-and-white film development process for the first time in the world. We also changed the company name and organizational structure from Noritsu Optical Machinery Works Limited to Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd. (the current name of the company) to make it easier to expand into different business areas. The company's market share rose swiftly, sustained by the founder's ambitions of "Always become the best in every field we enter" and "Always keep making first-class products" and the popularization of photography brought about by rapid economic growth. The desire to expand overseas led to further business development.

  • The 45-minute miracle that shook the world

    There was a time when the process of developing color film took almost a week from the time the customer placed the order at the store to the development process to the time the prints were finally handed to the customer. As color photos gained popularity, the need for faster processing times rose increased day by day. Thus the development of technology that could automate systems and speed up processing began. After much trial and error, the QSS-1 model Automatic System (the origin of the MiniLab) was developed, which consolidated the whole process from development to printing. The idea of development in only 45 minutes revolutionized the fundamental concept behind photo processing machinery at the time. Three years later, the QSS-2 was completed. It was equipped with a computer which could control color development and other aspects of the system. The QSS-2 became the driving force that propelled the company to launch in America and make great strides overseas.

  • Overcoming an era of turmoil and becoming a future-oriented company serving society as a whole

    In the 2000s, the market for the company's products shrank substantially due to the industry's shift towards digitization. The imaging department faced an existential crisis. In addition, founder Kan'ichi Nishimoto passed away in 2005. Management found itself standing at a major crossroads, a time of great upheaval with the company's very survival on the line. At that time, we decided to turn the company around by returning to our founding principles. We started by thinking in reverse, figuring out what fields modern society needed and creating businesses in those areas. We began expanding into different business areas through aggressive acquisitions.

  • Parting with past businesses and developing the foundations of society for the next generation

    After the company headquarters moved from Wakayama city in Wakayama Prefecture to Minato-ku, Tokyo in 2015, we decided to sell our original photo processing device business while bringing new companies into the Group through a series of acquisitions. We headed full speed into fields that promised solutions to various issues facing modern society without clinging to the status quo.

  • Building a global core businesses and moving to the next stage

    In an era of rapid change, the next growth strategy is required. Based on our vision of continuing to produce "No. 1/Only 1" businesses, we began realigning the diverse businesses that entered the Group through acquisitions and consolidating our core businesses. Guided by the ambition of our founder to "create things that people need and things that make people happy," we are aiming to become a business entity that will be the very foundation of society. AlphaTheta, the global leader in the manufacture and sale of DJ equipment, joined the Group in April 2020, followed in May 2021 by JLab, the top player in the U.S. market for under-US$100 earphones and headphones, and we redefined manufacturing as our core business. We have now entered a period of reform, consolidating the uniqueness of our businesses and management resources to create a framework that offers stability and growth potential even in an environment made chaotic by COVID-19 and other adversities.

  • Becoming a Group that continually takes on challenges in the pursuit of sustainable co-creation

    Through rapid business restructuring, we are reinforcing the Group's sustainability activities aimed at the co-creation of a sustainable society. To meet the expectations of our stakeholders, we have identified key social issues the Group should address. Regarding business growth, we will formulate a Medium-Term Management Plan for the new stage, centered on our core manufacturing business. While carrying on with the pursuit of "No. 1/Only 1" businesses, we will continue to take on the challenge of maximizing corporate value through the growth of individual businesses and across the entire Group.