About NGK

Morimura Group

History of the Morimura Group

The evolution of the group began in January 1904 with the founding of Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha (later to become Nippon Toki, Ltd. Currently Noritake Co., Limited) by the Morimura brothers. The sanitary ware division was then spun off in May 1917 to form Toyo Toki Co., Ltd. (currently TOTO Ltd.). Subsequently, the insulator division was spun off to establish NGK Insulators, Ltd. in May 1919.

In the same year, Okura Toen (currently Okura Art China, Inc.) was established. Thereafter, Nitto Seiko Ltd. (merged with Noritake Co., Limited in June 1985) and NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. (a spin off from the spark plug division of NGK Insulators, Ltd.)(currently Niterra Co., Ltd.) were established in 1936, forming the basis of the Morimura Group today.

Headquarters factory at the time of establishment

This diagram explains the history of the Morimura Group.

Publication: "The Unselfish Life of Ichizaemon Morimura"
List price: JPY 2,000

Yukio Sunagawa's "The Unselfish Life of Ichizaemon Morimura" was published by Soshisha Publishing.
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.

Links to Relevant Websites

Noritake Co., Limited Introduces cultural activities relating to tableware, advanced cutting, grinding and polishing technologies, new-media and fine ceramics technologies, employment opportunities, business information as well as business reports, etc. Noritake Co., Limited

TOTO Ltd. Introduces plumbing products, such as bidets and system kitchens, and also provides information on distributors, structural renovation companies and events and publications at its galleries and Bookshop TOTO etc. TOTO Ltd.

NGK Insulators, Ltd. NGK INSULATORS, LTD. 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.

Niterra Co., Ltd. The corporate website of Niterra Co., Ltd., which possesses top-of-the-line technological prowess in a wide range of fields such as NGK sparkplugs, automotive exhaust gas sensors, IC packages, and filters for mobile communications apparatuses. Also provides information on car races. Niterra Co., Ltd.

Morimura Bros., Inc. The corporate website of the general trading company that performs the import, export and domestic sales of ceramics, heat resistant raw materials, aircraft materials, metals, industrial raw materials and products for the electronics industries, chemicals, plant machinery, flavorings and foodstuffs, and household goods, etc. Morimura Bros., Inc.

Open new windowOkura Art China The corporate website of Japan's foremost manufacturer of luxury western tableware.. Introduces Okura company stores and mail-order operations, cultural activities and scheduled events, etc. Okura Art China

Diagram of the Morimura Group's History

* Each company within the historical Morimura Group is currently an independent legal entity, and there are no capital relationships such as parent-subsidiary or affiliated company ties among them. Furthermore, there is no personnel exchange, including concurrent appointments of executives, and each company maintains its managerial independence. While the companies share a common philosophy and historical background, the Morimura Group is not an economic group. Each company operates autonomously, conducting its business activities based on its own management policies.