News

1. Outline of Chimney Teardown Project

(1) Object

Number of objects	Two chimneys (made of ferroconcrete)
Construction Size	Western chimney: 1931; Eastern chimney: 1933 Western chimney: 47.5m in height, circumference of 4.15m at the base and 2.85 m at the top Eastern chimney: 47.5m in height, circumference of 4.70m at the base and 3.05 m at the top
Application	For boiler (used for the remaining facilities even after the cessation of rayon production)
Termination of operation	Western chimney: November 2007; Eastern chimney: December 1997

(2) Chimney teardown

Schedule	Plan to commence teardown operations on July 14, 2008 and complete them the end of August 2008
Demolition company	Fujiki Komuten Co.,Ltd.

2. Outline of Kuraray Museum

(1) Objective

• (i) To maintain the old headquarters that has remained since the inauguration as a new "office building" together with trees in the surrounding area and make use of it as a new administration office for the headquarters and the Kuraray Museum, as well as a communication space for all the Group employees, including the Company's predecessors.
• (ii) The Kuraray Museum is going to be established at the site of the auditorium adjoining the "office building" to preserve reference materials, videos, pictures and building models that portray Kuraray's history. Materials are going to be digitized for the purpose of providing better search and access services through a virtual museum system. There will not be many exhibits on display since the Kuraray Museum will not be open to the general public.

(2) Overview of the building

• Steel-reinforced one-story building
• Total site area: 229m²
• Total floor area: 171m²

1. History of Kurashiki Plant (Sakazu)

This year, Kuraray commemorated the 82nd anniversary since its inauguration as Kurashiki Kenshoku Co. by the founder, Magosaburo Ohara, in 1926. Established in April 1928 and starting the production of rayon yarn in the following month, the Kurashiki Plant (Sakazu), the headquarters in those days, was one of Kuraray’s oldest plants.

2. Background of the Kurashiki Plant's Restructuring

Initially Kuraray had three main bases: the Kurashiki Plant (Sakazu) for development and production; the Kurashiki Research Laboratories for R&D; and the Kurashiki Plant (New Kurashiki = Tamashima). However, several conditions encompassing: (1) the growing necessity for integration of development functions amid increasingly advancing and complex technological development; (2) impossibility of responding to future environmental changes on the back of deteriorating buildings and facilities at Sakazu; and (3) difficulties in business operations in the urban development of the surrounding area. Given this, the Company decided in July 2005 to transfer its development function, production facilities and back-office sections to Tamashima, and as a part of the plan, Kuraray established the Production and Technology Development Center in Tamashima (current Kurashiki Plant) in May 2007.

3. Major Exhibits at the Kuraray Museum

• Photographs, plant models as of 1970, model of research facility before teardown, face plats and signboards used since the foundation, all issues of in-house magazines and product samples
• Search and access services to past in-house magazines and TV commercials through the virtual museum system
• There are circles marked on the floor to show the actual size of the chimneys' diameters, the original pillars of the cafeteria and the ventilator system, preserved from the actual site, reminding visitors of bygone days.