Tohoku Rubber Co., Ltd.
Japanese industrial rubber manufacturer producing rubber sheets, hoses, industrial rubber goods and escalator handrails.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
Tohoku Rubber Co., Ltd. (東北ゴム株式会社) is a Japanese industrial rubber manufacturer headquartered in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. The company traces its origins to 1940 (Showa 15), when the Tohoku Rubber Industrial Association Joint Facility Industry was established with national treasury subsidies, and it was formally incorporated as Tohoku Rubber Co., Ltd. in November 1943 (Showa 18). It began as the only specialist conveyor belt factory in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions, producing conveyor belts, hoses, rolls and sheets. Over the decades the company broadened into a diversified rubber manufacturer. It acquired the Arakawa plant of Riken Rubber in 1950 and built a hose manufacturing base, obtaining JIS certification for rubber hoses in 1953 and for rubber belts in 1954. In 1963 it entered a capital, technical and business tie-up with Hitachi Cable, Ltd. It later added rubber screens (1971), the Eleric antibacterial product line (1982), ceramic hoses and Z-1 liners (1983), and MPL hoses (1990). In 2000 it relocated its factory to Sendai Port and withdrew from belts and high-pressure hoses, refocusing on sheets, hoses, industrial rubber goods and escalator handrails. It began full-scale production of rubber handrails in 2002 and urethane handrails in 2003. Tohoku Rubber became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Cable in 2009 through a share exchange, and later integrated sales operations with Hitachi Cable Shoji in 2012. In January 2021 it integrated its sales and design divisions to unify production and sales. Following the renaming of Hitachi Metals to Proterial, Ltd. in January 2023, the company began operating as part of the Proterial Group. Its current president is Yasuo Tachibana. The company supplies industrial rubber products for a wide range of customer needs, including synthetic rubber sheets, abrasion-resistant sheets, slit tapes, surface-adhesion-prevention sheets, antistatic mats, floor sheets and rubber screens; rubber hoses including large-diameter, long-length and ceramic-lined hoses; industrial rubber goods such as flexible containers for plants, civil engineering bags, water supply bladders, snow-melting hot water mats and ultra-abrasion-resistant bend pipes; and escalator handrails in rubber and urethane, including antibacterial versions. It holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and its handrail was recognized under the Miyagi Prefecture "Miyagi Sugure MONO" program in 2010. The company survived the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, fully restoring production by October 2011.
History
Tohoku Rubber Co., Ltd. was founded in 1940 (Showa 15) as the Tohoku Rubber Industrial Association Joint Facility Industry, established with national treasury subsidies. In November 1943 (Showa 18), it succeeded to all the business of that entity and was incorporated as Tohoku Rubber Co., Ltd. It was the only specialist conveyor belt factory in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions, producing conveyor belts, hoses, rolls and sheets. A photograph from around 1946 shows the factory in Nagamachi, Taihaku-ku, Sendai. In the early postwar period, the company produced flat belts and cloth-wrapped hoses in addition to conveyor belts. In December 1950 it acquired the Arakawa plant of Riken Rubber Co., Ltd. and moved braided hose equipment there, installing a lead-coating machine in 1950. In June 1953 it obtained JIS certification for rubber hoses, establishing its foundation as a hose manufacturer, and in July 1954 it obtained JIS certification for rubber belts. Also in 1954 it absorbed Tohoku Shinko Rubber, inheriting production of tires, tubes, rubber footwear, raincoats and gloves, becoming a comprehensive rubber company through diversified operations. In August 1963 the company entered a capital, technical and business tie-up with Hitachi Cable, Ltd. In 1960 it had produced its first converter hose for Kawasaki Steel's converter, sized Φ250×20m, a major advance over the previous Φ150×10m. In January 1971 it began production of rubber screens. Around 1970 it commercialized the "Backner" flexible container for powder transport, applying tire and rubber footwear manufacturing technology, later extended to liquid transport. In March 1980 it manufactured cooling return pipes for Tokyo Electric Power Co. In December 1982 it began manufacturing and selling Eleric, and in April 1983 it began manufacturing and selling ceramic hoses and Z-1 liners. In November 1990 it began manufacturing and selling MPL hoses. In November 2000 the company relocated its factory from Nagamachi to the current site at Sendai Port and withdrew from belts and high-pressure hoses. In November 2001 it obtained ISO 9001:2000 certification. In May 2002 it began full-scale production of rubber handrails, and in July 2003 it began production of urethane handrails. In March 2003 it obtained ISO 14001:1996 certification, migrating to ISO 14001:2004 in March 2006. In April 2006 it absorbed Tohoku Rubber Sales Co., Ltd. and Tohoku Processing Co., Ltd. In October 2009, through a share exchange, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Cable, Ltd. In June 2010 its handrail was certified under the Miyagi Prefecture "Miyagi Sugure MONO" program. On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami struck; the factory was severely damaged, but all approximately 150 employees evacuated safely thanks to regular drills. All employees worked on recovery, and by the end of October 2011 nearly all lines were restored. In April 2012 it integrated sales with Hitachi Cable Shoji Co., Ltd. In January 2021 it integrated its sales and design divisions into Tohoku Rubber, unifying production and sales. In January 2023, following the renaming of Hitachi Metals, Ltd. to Proterial, Ltd., the company began operating as part of the Proterial Group. As of April 2024, the president is Yasuo Tachibana.
- 2023
Began operating as part of Proterial Group following Hitachi Metals name change
- 2021
Integrated sales and design divisions, unifying production and sales
- 2012
Integrated sales with Hitachi Cable Shoji Co., Ltd.
- 2011
Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami; fully restored by October
- 2010
Handrail certified under Miyagi Prefecture "Miyagi Sugure MONO" program
- 2009
Became wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Cable, Ltd. through share exchange
- 2006
Absorbed Tohoku Rubber Sales Co., Ltd. and Tohoku Processing Co., Ltd.
- 2003
Obtained ISO 14001:1996 certification; began urethane handrail production
- 2002
Began full-scale production of rubber handrails
- 2001
Obtained ISO 9001:2000 certification
Products and positioning
Industrial rubber manufacturer serving diverse industries with custom-engineered rubber products, emphasizing quality, environmental responsibility and safety.
Cerabend Hose
Ceramic-lined hose for abrasion resistance
Abrasion-resistant product series
Includes abrasion-resistant rubber sheet and sandblast hose
Rubber screens
Custom-made rubber screens
Eleric 2
Product that suppresses bacterial growth on surfaces
Escalator handrails
Rubber and urethane handrails for indoor and outdoor escalators, including antibacterial versions
Rubber sheets
Synthetic rubber sheets, abrasion-resistant sheets, slit tapes, surface-adhesion-prevention sheets, antistatic mats, floor sheets
Rubber hoses
Large-diameter, long-length and ceramic-lined hoses
Industrial rubber goods
Flexible containers, civil engineering bags, water supply bladders, snow-melting hot water mats, ultra-abrasion-resistant bend pipes
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