About the Morimura Group
History of the Morimura Group
The Morimura Group, a leading corporate group in the Japanese ceramics and porcelain industry, traces its roots back to 1876, when Morimura Gumi (now Morimura Bros., Inc.) was founded by brothers Ichizaemon and Toyo Morimura, pioneers of the Japanese trading industry.
The history of the Group dates back to January 1904, when the founders of Morimura Gumi established Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha (later Nippon Toki Ltd.; now Noritake Co., Limited), which was followed by the spinoff in May 1917 of the company’s sanitary ceramics division to form Toyo Toki Co., Ltd. (now TOTO Ltd.) and by the spinoff in May 1919 of the insulators division to form NGK Insulators, Ltd.
Also in May 1919, Okura Art China (currently Okura Art China, Inc.) was established. In February 1924, Ina Seito Co., Ltd. (now INAX Corporation; merged with TOSTEM in October 2001) was established. In September 1936, Nitto Gypsum Co., Ltd. (which merged with Noritake Co., Limited in June 1985) was established. In October 1936, NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. (currently Niterra Co., Ltd., a spinoff from the NGK Insulators, Ltd. spark plug division) was established, forming the foundation of the Morimura Group today.
Spirit passed down from generation to generation
NGK SPARK PLUG (※) was founded in 1936. Tracing its roots back to the Morimura Gumi (1876), founded by Ichizaemon Morimura, the founder of the Morimura Group, the company has a history of more than 140 years. ※Changed English company name to Niterra
Ichizaemon Morimura, the founder, was an honest and dedicated man of commerce. Determined to recover his fortune, which had been lost overseas, he rose to the challenge of undertaking overseas trade for the sake of his country. Eventually, his business ventures led him to the manufacture of ceramics and porcelain, and the Morimura Group was born.
Niterra is the ultimate product of this destiny.
"The Unselfish Life of Ichizaemon Morimura" was published
In April 1998, Soshisha Publishing released "The Unselfish Life of Ichizaemon Morimura" by Yukio Sunagawa.
Just what kind of secrets and history lies behind the formation of the Morimura Group?
What kind of person was Ichizaemon Morimura, who was the man behind the Group's formation, and what kind of contributions did he make to society?
His noble spirit, superior management techniques, and surprisingly austere way of life that have until now been almost entirely unknown are vividly and tangibly depicted in this book.
Tracing our history from the birth of Morimura Gumi to the modern day
1876-1899
- 1876
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- Sixth-generation head of the family Ichizaemon Morimura and his brother Toyo established the Morimura Gumi in Tokyo.
- Younger brother Toyo traveled to the United States and started a miscellaneous goods retail business.
- 1878
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- Toyo Morimura established the Hinode Shokai Morimura Brothers store in New York (changed to Morimura Brothers in 1881)
- 1897
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- Morimura Bank established (merged with Mitsubishi Bank in 1929)
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- 1899
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- Research institute founded at the Nagoya branch of Morimura Gumi, which commenced research into the manufacture of white hard porcelain.
Honesty and Passion
Delivering good products on time at affordable prices. Morimura Brothers' honest attitude was appreciated even in the U.S., where the culture was different, and the company established its credibility. The modest trading that had started in the spirit of self-reliance and refusal of support from the Meiji government gradually grew into a major business as Morimura Brothers gained a reputation for honesty and passion.
Seeking to satisfy customers with quality products
"We will not sell anything that is useless after the customer takes possession of it"
Magobei Okura, who was in charge of purchasing, was committed to integrity in terms of products. That integrity was passed down to his eldest son, Kazuchika, who preached that "a supply of quality products and the satisfaction of consumers is the reality that we need to grasp." Based on this commitment to quality products, the various Morimura ceramics companies flourished.
1900s–1930s
- 1917
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- The sanitary ceramics division of Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha was spun off to establish Toyo Toki Co., Ltd. (now TOTO Ltd.)
- Restructured as an incorporated company, Nippon Toki, Ltd.
- 1919
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- Nippon Toki's insulator division was spun off to establish NGK Insulators, Ltd.
- Okura Art China, Inc. was established
- 1921
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- NGK Insulators commenced research on spark plugs
- 1930年（昭和5年）
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- NGK Insulators launched spark plugs for sale
- 1936年（昭和11年）
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- The spark plug division of NGK Insulators Ltd. was spun off as NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
- 1937年（昭和12年）
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- NGK SPARK PLUG (now renamed Niterra) started production of NGK spark plugs
Total participation, consistent products:
"Even if only one product in a thousand is defective, the customer who buys it has a 100% defective rate"
With the move from tableware to industrial products, the demand for consistency and uniformity of products became more stringent. In order to realize products that consistently delivered the performance that customers demanded, Magoemon Ezoe required discipline and a strong sense of participation from his employees. This philosophy of "producing quality products" and "participation of all employees," in which all employees in all workplaces dedicate themselves to the principles of "monozukuri" in order to produce quality products, has been passed down through the generations at Niterra Co., Ltd.
Morimura Group Map of Company History
Introduction to Morimura Group Companies and Affiliated Organizations
Cultural efforts through fine tableware, state-of-the-art cutting, shaving, and polishing technologies, new media and fine ceramics technologies, recruiting, business reporting, and more.
Information on the TOTO Washlet, system kitchens, and other water-related products and showrooms, as well as information on stores for purchase, providers for extensions or remodeling, and events and books such as TOTO Gallery Ma and Bookshop TOTO.
NGK Corporation helps build a better society through its ceramic technologies, including the technologies underlying insulators used to transmit and transform electric power, ceramics used to clean exhaust emissions, and NAS batteries for storing electricity.
This is the website of Niterra, showcasing its top-class technology in diverse fields ranging from exhaust gas sensors for automobiles, ceramic IC packages, medical products, and more.
This is the website of a general trading company engaged in the import, export, and domestic sales of ceramics, refractory raw materials, aerospace equipment, metals, raw materials and products for the electronics industry, chemicals, machinery and plant facilities, flavors and fragrances, food products, household goods, and more.
This is the website of one of the finest manufacturers of Western-style tableware in Japan. The website introduces Okura's directly-managed stores, mail order business, cultural activities, upcoming events, and more.
Established in March 1970 with a donation from Mrs. Shigeko Okura, who inherited the vision of the late Kazuchika Okura, to promote science and technology in the field of ceramics. Since then, the foundation has rewarded research that has contributed to the development of ceramics and has provided grants for research that will contribute to future developments.