100 Stories1984 Asahi Kasei’s Outstanding Winners of the Medal with Purple Ribbon

In the 100 years of Asahi Kasei’s history, many individuals achieved outstanding accomplishments. Asahi Kasei has had many prominent figures, such as Shitagau Noguchi, the founder, and Kagayaki Miyazaki, who is known as the restorer of the company. In addition, in recent years, more of Asahi Kasei’s members have been recognized worldwide, not only in Japan. A few examples include Nobuo Yamaguchi, recipient of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, and Akira Yoshino, Nobel Prize laureate.

In this article, we would like to focus on the winner of the Medal with Purple Ribbon. The Medal with Purple Ribbon is awarded to individuals who have made inventions or discoveries in the field of science, individuals of outstanding achievements in the fields of academics, sports, arts, or culture.

Even though Asahi Kasei is known for its achievements in the field of sports as many of its athletes have participated in the Olympics, receiving the Medal with Purple Ribbon in the science and technology field directly honors Asahi Kasei’s achievements and gives the company a sense of pride as a manufacturer.

In fact, from 1984 when Maomi Seko first received the Medal with Purple Ribbon until Hajime Nagahara received it in 2020, eight people were awarded this medal in the field of science and technology.

Maomi Seko, the first awardee at Asahi Kasei, received the medal when he was the vice-president in 1984. He was awarded this medal for the Development of NaCl Electrolytic Technique with Ion Exchange Membranes. This is a technology that protects humanity from mercury and asbestos pollution and greatly contributes to energy conservation.

In 1988, Akira Yomiyama, who was the vice-president at the time, became the second person to achieve such a remarkable accomplishment. He pioneered the research and development of technologies in plants. His achievements include the Development of Method for Producing Adiponitrile by Electrodimerization. In addition, the accomplishments he achieved by putting great effort into development and playing key roles in various technical fields were also acknowledged, adding to the reasons he received the medal.

In the 2000s, many individuals started receiving this medal. In 2003, Ichiro Shibasaki received the Medal with Purple Ribbon for the Development of High-sensitivity Thin-film Hall Elements, and in the year after, the Nobel Prize laureate, Akira Yoshino, received it for the Lithium-ion Battery and its Evolution.

Moreover, Junzo Masamoto received it in 2006 for the Development of New Process for Manufacturing Polyacetal Resin, and Shinsuke Fukuoka received it in 2008 for the Development of Novel Process for Polycarbonate Production from CO₂ without Using Phosgene.

Polycarbonate is a material used in the body of mobile phones and cameras and in automobiles. Thanks to Fukuoka’s development, polycarbonate can now be developed using CO₂, one of the substances that are causing global warming, and without using the deadly poison, phosgene. This environmentally-friendly technology literally contributes to people’s lives around the world.

In 2015, Masaya Yamashita, who developed Electronic Compass that is essential for map apps on smartphones, received the Medal of Purple Ribbon for the Development of Electrotonic Compass and Automatic Adjustment Method. The Electronic Compass is holding the world’s top share as one of Asahi Kasei’s leading technologies.

In 2020, Hajime Nagahara received this medal for the Development of Cyclohexene Process for Cyclohexanol, an Intermediate for Production of Nylon. In recent years, the need for lightweight automobiles has been rising to save the environment and conserve energy, causing the global market for nylon to expand. Against this background, developing a safer zero-waste technology that saves resources and energy and is able to reduce CO₂ emissions by 30 percent was highly recognized.

The history of receiving the Medal with Purple Ribbon can be regarded as Asahi Kasei’s development history, but it can also be regarded as the result of the employees' collective strength. Hard work and intelligence, such as taking on new challenges and developing things that never existed, led to receiving the Medal with Purple Ribbon.