Chronology

The Nippon Steel Group has achieved growth in step with the expanding applications and demand for steel, a fundamental material that supports people's daily lives. Here, we present a part of that history.

1945-1950s

Nippon Steel
Sumitomo Metals
NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN
1949

Shin-Fuso Metal Industries, Ltd. was established (Company's founding).

1950

Yawata Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. and Fuji Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. were established (Company's founding).

1950

Narumi China Corporation (former China Manufacturing Department) was established.

1952

Shin-Fuso Metal Industries, Ltd. was renamed Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.

1953

Merged with Kokura Steel Manufacturing Co. and established Kokura Works, an integrated steelmaker.

1955

Hikari Works of Yawata Iron & Steel began operation.

1958

Tokai Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. was established.
Yawata Iron & Steel inaugurated the Tobata Area of Yawata Works.

1959

Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd. (former Copper Rolling and Aluminum Rolling Department) was established. Central Research Laboratories, present Amagasaki R&D Center, was established.

1959

"NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN Co., Ltd." founded through merger of Nichia Steel Co.,Ltd. and Nihon Teppan Co., Ltd.

1960-1970s

Nippon Steel
Sumitomo Metals
NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN
1960

Nippon Metal Industrys Sagamihara Works built

1961

Sakai Works of Yawata Iron & Steel began operation.

1961

Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd. (former Aircraft Instruments Department) was established.

1962

Nisshin installed and blew in its first blast-furnace at Kure Works to start integrated steelmaking

1963

Sumitomo Special Metals Co., Ltd. (former Magnetic Steel and Electronic Parts Manufacturing Departments) was established.

1963

Nisshin's Ichikawa Works completed
Three plants of Nanyo, Tokuyama, and Tonda consolidated and inaugurated as Shunan Plant (present Shunan Works) "PAINTITE" released

1965

Kimitsu Works of Yawata Iron & Steel began operation.

1965

"Gas Wiping (YG) Process", our epoch-making development to attain uniform coating weights introduced

1966

Kainan Steel Tube Co., Ltd. was established.

1966

Nisshin obtained business right from Kobe Steel, Ltd. to operate the Sakai Works

1967

Tokai Steel became Nagoya Works of Fuji Iron & Steel.

1968

Yawata Iron & Steel absorbed Yawata Steel Tube Co., Ltd.

1968

Kashima Works was established.

1970

Yawata Iron & Steel and Fuji Iron & Steel merged to form Nippon Steel Corporation.

1970

"ALSTAR" released
Nisshin invested in Acerinox, S.A.,Spanish-Japanese stainless steel joint venture.
Relevant technical assistance started

1971

Nippon Steel absorbed Fuji Sanki Pipe & Tube Co., Ltd.
Oita Works began operation.

1971

Tandem Sendzimir mill started

1972

Nippon Metal Industrys Kinuura Works started operation

1974

Engineering Division Group was organized.

1974

Hasaki Research Center, present Hasaki R&D Center, was established.

1977

Engineering Division was established, marking entry into engineering business.

1980-1990s

Nippon Steel
Sumitomo Metals
NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN
1980

Merged with Kainan Steel Tube Co., Ltd. (to form Kainan Steel Tube Works).

1984

New Materials Projects Bureau was organized.
Nippon Steel Chemical Co., Ltd. was inaugurated through the merger of Nippon Steel Chemical Co., Ltd. and Nittetsu Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.)

1985

Nisshins Amagasaki plant renamed Amagasaki Works to specialize in stainless steel pipes & tubes

1986

Electronics Division was organized.

1987

Electronics & Information Systems Division, New Materials Division, and Service Business Division (integrated to Urban Development Division in June 1992) were organized.

1988

Kainan Steel Tube Works was integrated in Wakayama Works.

1988

Wheeling-Nissin, Inc. in the U.S. started commercial production

1989

Urban Development Division was organized.

1990

Electronics Division was established.

1991

Technical Development Bureau was organized by integrating Central R&D Bureau and Plant Engineering & Technology Bureau, and R&E Center began operation.

1992

Merged with Nippon Stainless Co., Ltd. (Naoetsu Works and Kashima Stainless Steel Works were established.)

1993

Semiconductor Division was organized (abolished in April 1999).

1994

Kashima Stainless Steel Works was integrated in Kashima Works.

1997

Silicon Wafer Division was organized (abolished in April 2004).

1998

Merged with Sumitomo Sitix Corporation.

1998

Ningbo Baoxin Stainless Steel Co., Ltd.in China started commercial production

1999

"ZAM®", highly corrosion resistant hot-dip coated steel sheet launched on the market

2000-2010s

Nippon Steel
Sumitomo Metals
NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN
2000

Divisionally integrated operation system within the Nippon Steel Group based on product item or business area was introduced in the steelmaking and steel fabrication sector.

2000

Sumitomo Metals spun off its Kokura Works and Naoetsu Works and made them into Sumitomo Metals (Kokura), Ltd. and Sumitomo Metals (Naoetsu), Ltd. respectively.

2000

Nisshins Toyo Works completed

2001

Operations of Nippon Steel's Electronics & Information Systems Division and its subsidiary Nippon Steel Information & Communication Systems Inc. were integrated to organize NS Solutions Corporation.

2002

Announced alliances with Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. and Kobe Steel, Ltd.
All operations of Nippon Steel's Urban Development Division were integrated into Nippon Steel City Produce, Inc.

2002

Announced alliances with Nippon Steel Corporation and Kobe Steel, Ltd.
Silicon wafer business was transferred to Silicon United Manufacturing Corporation.

2003

Stainless steel business was spun off to Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel Corporation.

2003

The stainless business was split off and became Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel
Corporation. Wakayama Works' upstream operation was split off and became Sumikin Iron & Steel Corporation
(Nippon Steel absorbed the company in 2018)

2006

Engineering and construction business was spun off to Nippon Steel Engineering Co., Ltd.
New materials business was spun off to Nippon Steel Materials Co., Ltd.

2008

The titanium business was split and was absorbed by Sumitomo Metals (Naoetsu), Ltd.

2009

Nisshins F-Tech.Plaza established

2011

Agreed to commence consideration of business integration with Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.

2011

Agreed to commence consideration of business integration with Nippon Steel Corporation.

2011

Baru Stainless SDN.BHD. started commercial production

2012

Merged with Sumitomo Metals (Kokura), Ltd. and Sumitomo Metals (Naoetsu), Ltd.

2012

NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN Holdings Co.,Ltd. established through business integration of Nisshin and Nippon Metal Industry

Nippon Steel Corporation and Sumitomo Metal Industries
NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN
2012

Incorporated on October 1, integrating Nippon Steel Corporation and Sumitomo Metal Industries.

2014

"NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN Holdings, NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN and Nippon Metal Industry completed tripartite merger to start business under new trade name of Nisshin Steel Co.,Ltd.
Nisshin Steel Stainless Steel Tubing Co., Ltd. inaugurated through consolidation of Amagasaki Works and Nippon Metal Tube Co.,Ltd."

2016

NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN A&C Co., Ltd. established, through merger of the Company's coating and building materials businesses including the Ichikawa Works and the businesses of Nisshin A&C Co., Ltd.

2017

NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN became a member of Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Group

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal
2019

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation was renamed Nippon Steel Corporation.

2019

Became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
Stainless steel sheet business separated
Renamed "NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN CO. LTD."

2020 and beyond

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal
2020

Merged with Nippon Steel Nisshin Co.,Ltd.
Steelworks are integrated and reorganized as six steelworks,namely the Muroran, East Nippon, Nagoya, Kansai, Setouchi and Kyusyu Works.

2022

Muroran Works and East Nippon Works Kamaishi Area were reorganized to become North Nippon Works.

2025

Merged with Nippon Steel Stainless Steel Corporation and Nippon Steel Pipe Co., Ltd.
Yamaguchi Works was established.