Company Info

History

History with photographs

Contributions to the development of the fabric materials industry and the pioneering of trade with China

Kogyo Textile Co., Ltd., the forerunner of Tokokosen Corporation, was founded through the capital participation of leading companies in the rubber and textile industry in May 1947. (The name was later changed to Kosen Universal Corporation.)

During the turbulence of the postwar distribution network, the company’s basic roles at the time of its establishment were to acquire and supply materials related to the rubber and textile industry. The company focused not only on distribution operations, but also worked on the expansion of various other operations as well, including quality improvement, new product development, and information provision to accumulate technical know-how. These actions eventually led to the establishment of a solid foundation in the fiber materials and product sectors of the rubber and textile industry.

In the meantime, Kogyo Textile Co., Ltd. established Toko Bussan Co., Ltd. in December 1953 as a trading company specializing in trade between Japan and China, in order that it could resume trade with China, which was suspended after the war.

For nearly 20 years before diplomatic relations with China were normalized in 1972, Toko Bussan Co., Ltd. was the first to succeed in developing several large-scale import and export business with China, paving the way for the normalization of trade between the two countries. Furthermore, the company has played a major role in the development and expansion of trade between Japan and China through its continuing high level of business performance, exporting such goods as various industrial plants, machinery, steel, and chemicals, and importing goods such as petroleum, coal, chemical raw materials, light manufactured products, and agricultural products. Among these activities, the company promoted extensive technical cooperation and joint projects in response to the progressive reforms and open-door policies that China implemented from the 1980s. In this way, Toko Bussan Co., Ltd. was able to establish a firm footing in Japan-China trade.

In addition, activities carried out by the successive chairmen and executives of the company, including its presidents, were highly regarded by both Japan and China.

President Ikkann Kawase’s meeting with Prime Minister Chou En-lai on June 12, 1975. He was the last foreigner to meet Zhou Enlai officially.

Chairman Ryuji Kobayashi celebrating Mr. Jiang Zemin’s assumption to the position of General Secretary at the 40th anniversary reception of the People’s Republic of China, held at the Great Hall of the People on October 3, 1989. As Chairman Kobayashi had known Mr. Jiang since the 1970s when he was working for the Machine Building Industry of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society.

The title “Envoy of China-Japan friendship” presented to Chairman Ryuji Kobayashi from the Japan-China Friendship Association in December 1994.

The title “Honorary member of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade” presented to Chairman Ryuji Kobayashi from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in December 1994.

President Okitsugu Nieda, currently Chairman, at a meeting with Vice Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People in April 2001.

Delegates from the 2006 Japan-China Economic Association visiting China meeting Premier Wen Jiabao on September 5, 2006. Chairman Okitsugu Nieda of our company participated in activities when visiting China as Deputy Leader of the delegation.

Chairman Okitsugu Nieda met with Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People on September 27, 2007.

Invited by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the 33rd delegation sent by Japan-China Economic Association visited China in September 2007. Chairman Okitsugu Nieda of our company joint it as Deputy Leader. The delegation, with over 150 members, was the largest one since the foundation of the Association which celebrates its 35th anniversary. It met with Premier Wen Jiabao and attended the reception held at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China.

Chairman Okitsugu Nieda of our company visited Beijing and Chengdu in September 2008 as a deputy leader of the 34th delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association. The delegation met with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 21st. On 24th, our Chairman Nieda made a proposal speech titled “Extending Toll Manufacturing Model by Foreign-funded Enterprises to inland China” at the general meeting with the People’s Government of Sichuan Province in Chengdu City.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda of our company visited Beijing and Anhui Province on September 9, 2009 as a deputy leader of the 35th delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association. After the plenary meeting with related government agencies, the delegation met with Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda of our company visited Beijing on December 2, 2009 as a deputy leader of the 35th delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan. After the exchange meeting and the business talk with Ministry of Commerce, the delegation had an interview with Vice President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People of Beijing, and conferred about the present Chinese economy, the Japan-China cooperative relations, etc.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda of our company visited Hubei, Hunan and Beijing on July 4, 2010 as a deputy leader of the 36th delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan. Other than the talk with government person in charge and the national leader, the interview with Vice Premier Wang Qishan came true on the last day and exchanged opinions about Japan-China relations and international economy, a strike problem to occur frequently.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda of our company visited Beijing and Henan on September 8, 2010 as a deputy leader of the 36th delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association. After the plenary meeting with each related government agencies, the delegation met with Vice President Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda of our company visited Beijing and Gansu on July 24, 2011 as a deputy leader of the 37th delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan. The interview with Premier Wen Jiabao was realized on the arrival first day, and the yell to revival of Japan was sent from the Premier.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda of our company visited Beijing, Guangxi and Jilin on September 5, 2011 as a deputy leader of the 37th delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association. After met with Vice President Li Keqiang, the delegation performed plenary meeting with each related government agencies at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda of our company visited Beijing and Shangdong on April 24, 2012 as a deputy leader of the 38th delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan. The delegation performed the commemorative activity such as a seminar, a lecture, the reception on the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China, this year as "Friendship Year for Japan-China People-To-People Exchanges".

Senior Advise Okitsugu Nieda met with Vice Presesident Li Yuanchao at the Great Hall of the People on March 22, 2013.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda of our company visited Beijing on March 22, 2013 as a deputy leader of the 38th delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association. The delegation performed exchange of opinions for the improvement of Japan-China economic relations in the interview with Vice President Li Yuanchao and the Chinese government leader at the Great Hall of the People of Beijing.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda visited Beijing and Fujian as a deputy leader of the 39th delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan in 2013. He met with Vice Premier Wang Yang in Zhongnanhai, Beijing on April 16, 2013.

Senior Adviser Okitsugu Nieda of visited Beijing and Shanxi as a deputy leader of the 39th delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association in 2013. He met with Vice Premier Wang Yang at the Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong in Beijing on November 19, 2013.

Commemorative photo with Vice Premier Wang Yang in Zhongnanhai, Beijing on April 15, 2014.
President Yusuke Arai visited Beijing, Guizhou and Shanghai as a deputy leader of the 40th delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan in 2014.

President Arai visited Beijing and Shandong as a deputy leader of the 40th delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association in 2014. He met with Vice Premier Wang Yang at the Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong in Beijing on September 24, 2014.

Commemorative photo in front of Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 14, 2015.
President Arai visited Beijing and Xi'an as a deputy leader of the 41st delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan in 2015. He met with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Photo Credit: Press representative (Kyodo news)

Commemorative photo with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 5, 2015.
President Shigenobu Okura visited Beijing as a deputy leader of the 41st delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association in 2015.
He met with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

President Okura visited Beijing and Chongqing as a deputy leader of the 42nd delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan in 2016. He met with Vice Premier Wang Yang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 12, 2016.

Commemorative photo with Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 21, 2016.
President Shigenobu Okura visited Beijing as a deputy leader of the 42nd delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association in 2016. He met with Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Commemorative photo with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 10, 2017.
President Shigenobu Okura visited Beijing as a deputy leader of the 43rd delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan in 2017. He met with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Commemorative photo with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 21, 2017.
President Shigenobu Okura visited Beijing and Guangdong as a deputy leader of the 43rd delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association in 2017. He met with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

President Shigenobu Okura visited Beijing, Zhengzhou and Luoyang as a deputy leader of the 44th delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan in 2018. He met with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 9, 2018.

President Shigenobu Okura visited Beijing and Zhejiang as a deputy leader of the 44th delegation organized by Japan-China Economic Association in 2018. He met with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Commemorative photo with Vice Premier Hu Chunhua at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 18, 2019.
President Shigenobu Okura visited Beijing and Hebei as a deputy leader of the 45th delegation organized by the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan in 2019. He met with Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.