PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Pursuing the potential of technology and aiming to create new values
In 2017, we commemorated the 100th anniversary since the founding of Mikasa. I believe that the spark behind the establishment of the Mikasa brand, which is widely recognized, was the passion of our predecessors for developing balls. In 1932, one of the companies that would later form Mikasa developed the seamless rubber ball prior to World War II. This ball would serve as the precursor to the hollow ball in Japan and led us, as a company in Hiroshima, to be known around the world as Mikasa, the maker of volleyballs. I believe that the driving force behind this is none other than the technical capabilities that have been ceaselessly handed down since our founding and continuously polished which has pushed us to nurture, produce, and spread them widely across the globe.
These strengths of ours are also being utilized in the field of industrial rubber products. We have established a firm position in fields related to ships and pumps. Our water lubricated bearings have received high praise, not only in Japan but from overseas, as an environmentally-friendly technology. At the moment, sports equipment, with a focus on balls for competitive use, and industrial rubber products are the two main pillars of Mikasa’s business. Now that 100 years have passed since our founding, we will reexamine our assets of technical and human capabilities with an eye toward the next 100 years in order to fulfill the growing demands in our two existing businesses and discover a business that will fulfill the needs of new generations and serve as our third pillar. The times are changing at a speed that cannot be compared to the past. By integrating our strengths with change, Mikasa will appropriately strive to create new values.