One example of Nikkiso’s efforts to develop and sell environment-friendly products is the cryogenic pump, a submerged-motor pump used for low-temperature gases, such as LNG and LPG. LNG, in particular, is heralded as a clean energy resource that will play an important role in coping with environmental problems. In Nikkiso’s cryogenic pumps, the pump and motor are combined into a single unit that is submerged directly by liquefied gas, avoiding the risk of gas escaping into the surrounding environment.

More than a quarter of century ago, cascades in the thrust reverser systems of jet engines on commercial aircraft were made of metal, typically magnesium alloy or aluminum. In 1983, Nikkiso became the fi rst manufacturer in the world to succeed in the development of CFRP composite cascades. This breakthrough led to aircraft that were more lightweight and fuel-efficient. Today, most commercial aircraft are equipped with Nikkiso’s CFRP composite cascades, which lead to safe landings and reduced environmental impact.

Among the current global population of around 7 billion, 1 billion people are suffering from hunger while another 1 billion are overweight and therefore susceptible to various lifestyle-related diseases. This scenario led Nikkiso to introduce the TABLE FOR TWO program in the employee cafeteria of its Kanazawa Plant in February 2011.

The concept behind TFT is that by eating one meal in the developed world, a person can give the gift of a meal to someone in a developing country. TFT accomplishes this primarily by partnering with cafeterias, adding ¥20 per meal to the charge, which TFT uses to provide school meals to children in developing countries. This ¥20 is approximately the amount needed for one meal in a developing country, and the program helps provide school lunches to children in Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, South Africa and Ethiopia. Through this program, simply through their everyday meals people can help feed children in developing countries and make themselves healthier in the process.

When introducing the TFT program at our employee cafeteria at the Kanazawa Plant, we began providing meals under TFT’s healthy meal guidelines, which stipulate the number of calories, nutritional balance and amount of vegetables. Since entering the program, the Kanazawa Plant has provided meals to more than 100 children each week.

The history of Kaga Zogan—the Japanese traditional craft of metal inlaying—dates back around 400 years to the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, and now is steadily gaining popularity in the rest of the world. The art of Kaga Zogan focuses on quality, not showiness. This is a philosophy that Nikkiso shares, as the Company strives to create products with everyhigher levels of quality, making Kaga Zogan a natural fi t with Nikkiso’s corporate spirit.

The Sokeikai Foundation, Nikkiso support from foundation, preserves and encourages the spread of Kaga Zogan as an important Japanese cultural tradition, as well as to trains future artisans in the craft. Through the Sokeikai Foundation, Nikkiso also aims to contribute to the community from which Kaga Zogan originates, helping to invigorate Ishikawa Prefecture.

As one aspect of these activities, in December 2010 the foundation held an overview special exhibition titled “The Kaga Zogan Microcosm.”This show highlighted some of the underlying secrets of the art, including introductory comments by Kaga Zogan artisan Kodo Murakami.

One of the reasons for the attractiveness of Kaga Zogan is the subtle refi nement of the colors it employs, lending it a sense of dignity. Inlays of sumptuous gold or silver are set into red/brown or black base metals, which sometimes are accented copper alloys of subdued gray. The result is a blackish copper color that leaves a distinctive impression of unstated elegance.