--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: The Kigyō You Should Know image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # The Kigyō You Should Know 1 By blending time-honored traditions with a bold, futuristic vision, the Japanese kigyō, meaning company, contributes remarkable precision, creating ripple effects felt far beyond the country’s shores. It is no coincidence that Japan ranks among the world’s highest in terms of R&D expenditure annually, often at over 3% of national GDP. **Robust Trading** **TOYO Corporation** “We have established a robust network to ensure that tools reach our clients seamlessly. While some of these items may be less profitable, they are crucial to the smooth operation of machines. Most of our clients are working to improve efficiency, and we want to help them achieve those goals,” says President Iichiro Haga. **Innovative Inks** **T&K Toka Co., Ltd.** “Customers are looking for shorter manufacturing times with lower energy consumption. We benefit our customers through environmentally friendly products.UV-curing inks are promoted as more efficient, which contributes to lower energy use during curing,” says President and CEO Nobumasa Ishiai. **Filtration Without Borders** **Nichidai Filter Corporation** “Our products are used worldwide, with a strong presence in the automotive, healthcare and energy industries, where precise filtration is critical. Our filters are used in areas like food processing, engine components and medical devices, where their durability and efficiency really stand out,” says President Atsuto Nakamura. **Silicon Success** **PHT Inc.** “The auto wafer demounter is our best-selling product. It takes a sliced wafer from the ingot, demounts it from the plate and then accommodates it into the cassette. Only three companies worldwide specialize in this type of equipment, and we are one of them,” says President Kiyotoshi Kou. **Precision Etching** **SPP Technologies Co., Ltd.** “We focus on MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) and compound semiconductor technologies, both critical in areas like sensors and energy-efficient devices. These technologies are essential for AI-driven systems, where vast amounts of data are processed at the edge,” says President Toshihiro Hayami. The Kigyō You Should Know ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/the-kigyo-you-should-know-1/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/the-kigyo-you-should-know-1/"},"headline":"The Kigyō You Should Know 1","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:28:13.583Z","dateModified":"2026-06-09T07:27:59.574Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/the-kigyo-you-should-know-1/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/the-kigyo-you-should-know-1/","name":"The Kigyō You Should Know 1"}}]}] ```