1960s

1960s

Kuraray used outside technology to commercialize polyester, and independently developed and marketed man-made leather CLARINO™. In addition, Kuraray was the first Japanese company to export PVA fiber plants to China, before the normalization of diplomatic ties.

1960
Nippon Velcro established (capital participation in 1964, absorbed into Kuraray in 1984).
Commercialized hook-and-loop fastener MAGICTAPE™.
Nippon Velcro began producing MAGICTAPE™.
Commercialized KURALON™ long staple fiber (Okayama).
PVA fiber plant in China
1961
Commercialized PVA film (Kurashiki: halted in 1969).
Osaka Goseihin Co., Ltd. (now Kuraray Trading Co., Ltd.) established.
1962
Began producing PVA using the natural gas method at the Nakajo Plant.
Began producing PVA film (Saijo).
1963
Began using Company trademark.
Exported integrated PVA/PVA fiber manufacturing plant to China.
Established representative office in New York (transferred to Kuraray America, Inc. in 1996).
1964
Commercialized polyester short staple fiber (Tamashima).
Established Kuraray Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Established Hokkaido Mingei Mokko (now Kuraray Interior Co., Ltd.).
Commercialized man-made leather CLARINO™ (Kurashiki: moved to Okayama in 1966).
Established Kyosei Chemical Co., Ltd.
CLARINO™ exhibition
1965
Established representative office in Hamburg, West Germany (moved to Düsseldorf in 1968).
1966
Completed plant for mass-producing CLARINO™ (Okayama).
1968
Established Niigata Kasei Co., Ltd. (now Kuraray Niigata Kasei Co., Ltd.).
Established Central Research Laboratory (now Kurashiki Research Center, and Analytical Technology and Solutions Laboratory).
President Jou Sengoku took office.
Started producing vinyl acetate and PVA using the ethylene method (Okayama).
1969
Commercialized ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer emulsion.
Commercialized polyester long staple fiber (Saijo).
Advertisement for CLAVELLA™ at its launch