History

Corporate history

1916 Jan

Ohara Shunji Shoten founded for the purpose of manufacturing, selling, importing, and exporting chemical products used in industry.

Corporate history

1918 Dec

Ohara Shoten Co., Ltd. established as a corporation with capital of 500,000 yen.
Shunji Ohara appointed as first President.

Corporate history

1923 Sep

Store destroyed by fire in the Great Kanto Earthquake. Completed a temporary store the next month.

Corporate history

1929 Apr

Relocated to Kobuna Gashi (now Kobuna-cho) in Nihonbashi-ku, where the head office is currently located.

Corporate history

1935 Apr

Established a sales office in Osaka (now the Osaka Branch).

Business field expansion

1938

Started manufacturing recycled zinc.

Corporate history

1943 Dec

Ohara Shoten Factory became a designated military factory.

Corporate history

1944 Dec

Changed the company name to OHARA & CO., LTD.

Corporate history

1945 Mar

Factory destroyed by fire in the Great Tokyo Air Raid.

Corporate history

1950 Jun

Increased capital to 5 million yen.

Business field expansion

1955年 Aug

Increased capital to 25 million yen.
In response to growth in the petrochemical industry, entered new fields of organic chemicals and synthetic resins, in addition to the existing inorganic chemical field.

Corporate history

1957 Jul

Increased capital to 50 million yen.

Corporate history

1957 Jul

Established a Kyushu sales office in Kitakyushu City (now the Kyushu Branch).

Corporate history

1962 Jan

Increased capital to 100 million yen.

Business field expansion

1963

Annual sales exceeded 5 billion yen.
Established our Ishinomaki Factory within the factory premises of Tohoku Pulp Co., Ltd. (now Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.) in Ishinomaki City.
Started production of aluminum sulfate.

Corporate history

1969 Aug

Increased capital to 150 million yen.
Annual sales exceeded 10 billion yen.

Corporate history

1973 May

Established an office in Fukuyama (now the Fukuyama Sales Office).

Business field expansion

1974

Entered new fields, including pharmaceutical intermediates, animal drugs, and food.
Annual sales exceeded 20 billion yen.

Corporate history

1982 Dec

Increased capital to 250 million yen.

Business field expansion

1983

Entered advanced fields, such as new materials, biotechnology, and new ceramics.

Corporate history

1985 Aug

Established a sales office in Nagoya (now the Nagoya Branch).

Corporate history

1985 Oct

Completed a new head office building.

Overseas business expansion

1988 Jun

Established an office in Bangkok to expand our overseas business.

Corporate history

1988 Dec

The 70th anniversary of our founding.

Corporate history

1990 Mar

Increased capital to 784.6 million yen.

Business field expansion

1992 Jun

Established J. O. CHEMICAL CO., LTD. as a joint venture with Jujo Paper Co., Ltd. (now Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.) in Ishinomaki City.


Overseas business expansion

1993 Dec

Closed the Bangkok office and established a new local corporation, OHARA (THAILAND) CO., LTD.


Corporate history

1998 Dec

The 80th anniversary of our founding.

Overseas business expansion

2000 May

Established a local corporation in Singapore, OHARA CHEMICALS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.

Corporate history

2002 Mar

Acquired ISO 14001.

Overseas business expansion

2002 May

Established a local corporation in Shanghai, OHARA CHEMICAL (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.

Corporate history

2008 Dec

The 90th anniversary of our founding.

Business field expansion

2010

Entered the automotive related business as an additional field.

Overseas business expansion

2013 Jun

Established a local corporation in Thailand, OHARA CHEMICALS (THAILAND) CO., LTD.

Overseas business expansion

2015 Feb

Established a local corporation in Indonesia, PT. OHARA HALIM CHEMICALS INDONESIA.

Corporate history

2015 Apr

Nagoya Sales Office upgraded to the Nagoya Branch.

Corporate history

2018 Dec

The 100th anniversary of our founding.

Corporate history

2022 Feb

Joined the Japan Business Federation (KEIDANREN).