Harima Chemicals Group, Inc.

About Us

Message from the President

President Yoshihiro Hasegawa
PresidentYoshihiro Hasegawa

A Symphony of Future Prosperity Played
by Humans and Nature
That is our Wish at Harima Chemicals

Harima Chemicals Group has consistently utilized its wealth of accumulated know-how to effectively transform chemical resources obtained from the natural pine tree into value-added products for the enrichment of people and industry. Our innovative lineup, a result of dedicated R&D since Harima's foundation in 1947, has been the driving force behind our constant success as a world-renowned pine chemicals manufacturer. We will continue to promote global business development, both domestically and overseas, as an advanced eco-friendly corporation who considers the earth to be one field. Furthermore, the establishment of the Shorai Foundation is the materialization of our wish to assist in the advancement of science and technology.

The essence of our work at Harima is summed up by our basic philosophy: "Live a better life with what nature provides."
It is our sincere hope that we can further enrich people's lives in harmony with nature and technology while pursuing the creation of a more prosperous society.
With this firmly in mind, we will continue our endeavor to become a global leader in the field of pine chemicals by further deepening and maximizing the synergy between all companies within the group.

Shorai Foundation for Science and Technology

The Shorai Foundation for Science and Technology was established in March 1983 following receipt of an award granted to then-president and Harima founder, Sueyoshi Hasegawa by the Japanese government for the company’s contributions to the advancement of research and development on tall oil. Ever since, the foundation has actively promoted the advancement of science and technology, through subsidizing and encouraging research, study and international exchange.

"Shorai" roughly translates as "the wind blowing through pine trees"; phonetically similar to the word "shorai" which means "future" in Japanese, it symbolizes the foundation’s orientation to the future of technology and development of society.

Among the winning researchers are two Nobel Prize Laureates:

  • 1986 grant winner, Dr. Ryoji Noyori
    Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2001
  • 1991 grant winner, Dr. Akira Suzuki
    Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2010