Established as OTOWA Electric Appliance Works in Gojozaka, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto.
Started manufacturing and sales of retractable safety devices.
1947
Started manufacturing Otowa type current limiters and delivered to power distribution companies.
1950
Accepted manufacturing rights for paper arresters invented by Chugoku Electric Power Company through years of research and began manufacturing under the product name of P-valve lightning arresters.
1955
Reorganized into a joint-stock company.
Reorganized into a joint-stock company and moved the head office to Shibata-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka.
1961
Tokyo sales office is established; delivery of low-voltage P-valve surge arresters began
1971
Hasegawa Electric Industry Co. is acquired by The OTOWA Group.
1972
Received an award as an excellent tax filing corporation
1980
LGL lightning arrester for low-voltage power supply is developed.
1981
Surge shelter (lightning resistant transformer) is developed.
1997
ISO9001 (JIS Z 9901:1994) certification is acquired
1998
OTOWA Group acquired all shares of NIP Engineering Corporation (formerly known as Japan Lightning Rod Industry Co., Ltd.)
OTOWA Group established Meneon Corporation (formerly known as Otowa Engineering Corporation).
1999
Registered as an electrical contractor (Minister’s License)
2000
ISO 14001 certification is acquired
Head office in Amagasaki City is established.
2003
Created the Annual Lightning Photo Contest
Began accepting international students for internships.
2004
Developed Japan’s first Zinc Oxide type Class I SPD and Class II SPD
2005
The establishment of The Tokyo Headquarters.
OTOWA Group established Ceraon Co.
Otowa Korea Co. is established by OTOWA Group.
Introduced Japan’s first IEC and JIS-compliant testing equipment.
2006
Selected as one of the “300 Energetic MONOZUKURI (Manufacturing) small and medium enterprises that support tomorrow’s Japan” by METI (The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and SME (The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency)
2008
Established Lightning Technology Center in Amagasaki City.
2009
Established the North Daito General Exposure Testing Center in Okinawa Prefecture.
2012
Established OTOWA Group Geological & Environmental Tech Co.
2014
Selected as the “Next Global Niche” by METI (The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) in the Top 100 Global Niche Companies.
2015
Began accepting international student internships for the ABE Initiative (Industrial Human Resource Development Initiative for African Youth).
2016
Celebrating the 70th anniversary of our founding
Implemented countermeasures against lightning damage at a high technology school in the Republic of Rwanda, Africa.
Selected as “Hyogo Only One Company” by Hyogo Prefecture.
2017
The number of visitors to the Lightning Technology Center reached 30,000.
JICA Small and Medium Enterprises and SDGs Business Support Project: Implementation of human lightning damage countermeasures in the Republic of Rwanda, Africa (2017-2018)
2018
Head Office relocated to Lightning Technology Center
Kyushu Plant celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Selected as a “Regional Future Driving Company” by METI (The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry).
2019
Kobe Plant celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Recognized as an excellent health management corporation by METI (The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
Commissioned by MOFA (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs) as a special envoy for TICAD public-private partnership promotion.
JICA Small and Medium Enterprises Overseas Development Support Project – Dissemination and Demonstration Project – Start of lightning damage countermeasures in the Republic of Rwanda, Africa (2019-)
2020
Recognized as an excellent health management corporation by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Recognized by JICA as a JICA-SDG partner (～2023)
2021
Recognized as an excellent health management corporation by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Our employee was promoted to Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest organization of electrical and electronic professionals.
2022
Re-certified as a “Hyogo Only One Company” by Hyogo Prefecture
Representative Director and President Osamu Yoshida retires as Chairman of the Amagasaki Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2023
Certified as an excellent health management corporation by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
2024
Osamu Yoshida assumed as chairman
Atsushi Yoshida assumed as president
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