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| 1947 |
The company name changes to Aso Mining Co Ltd from Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co Ltd. The company starts shipping limonite in the form of iron ores to Yawata Steel Works run by Yawata Iron & Steel Co Ltd. |
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| 1961 |
Yawata Iron & Steel Co Ltd opens a subsidiary, Ariake Iron & Steel Co Ltd, in Kumamoto City, and starts supplying manufacturing materials to the new company. |
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| 1965 |
Aso Mining Co Ltd is closed down following the closure of Ariake Iron & Steel Co Ltd. |
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| 1966 |
Japan Limonite Mining Co Ltd is founded and starts operating The First Aso Mine as a limonite mine. The company commences shipment to Tanabe Glaze Store, Yamaguchi Bengal Red Co Ltd and Iwao Jiki Kogyo Co Ltd. |
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| 1968 |
Limonite receives recognition with its effect as an adsorption agent for hydrogen sulfide, and the company starts providing limonite as a raw material of desulfurizing hydrogen agents.
Customers: Nihon Tokushu Rozai Co Ltd; Seitetsu Kagaku Co Ltd; Tokyo Gas Co Ltd; Osaka Gas Co Ltd; others. |
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| 1971 |
The study on desulfurizing hydrogen agents is commenced with Kumamoto Regional R&D Program Fund at the Kumamoto Prefecture Industrial Research Institute. |
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| 1973 |
Mitsui Mining & Coke Co Ltd starts using a dry desulfurizing method with limonite as its desulfurizing hydrogen agent. The company starts shipping 700 tons of limonite per month in collaboration with Mitsui Mining Co Ltd, Mitsui & Co Ltd and Nippon Steel Corporation. |
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| 1977 |
Following the study by the Kumamoto Prefecture Industrial Research Institute, the company creates a new desulfurizing hydrogen agent by blending limonite with intermediately treated industrial waste collected from other companies.
The company commences the recycling of industrial waste. |
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| 1978 |
The company obtains permission to act as Industrial Waste Disposer.
*Kumamoto Prefecture Environment Maintenance Order
No 10 … May 2 |
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| 1979 |
The company obtains permission to act as Industrial Waste Disposer.
*Kumamoto Prefecture Environment Maintenance Order
No 183 … September 29
*Nagasaki Prefecture Environment Maintenance Order
No 155 … July 31 |
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| 1981 |
The company obtains permission to act as Industrial Waste Disposer.
*Kumamoto Prefecture Environment Maintenance Order
No 457 … October 12
*Fukuoka Prefecture Industrial Waste Disposer
No 520 … November 10 |
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| 1982 |
To widen the application of Aso yellow ocher, the research on potential of Aso yellow ocher as a livestock feed begins at Kumamoto Prefecture Livestock Experiment Station. |
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| 1983 |
The company starts production and sales of a limonite-based livestock feed.
*The notification to act as an animal feed manufacturer is submitted to Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) … 31 July 1979 |
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| 1985 |
The company starts production and sales of a limonite-based soil improvement agent (Active Iron). |
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| 1986 |
The company starts production and sales of limonite-based nourishing iron for aquaculture.
*The change in notification to act as an animal feed manufacturer is submitted to MAFF … October 7 |
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| 1993 |
Sales of Aso yellow ocher as feed for stockbreeding begin under the trade name, “Light Mineral”. |
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| 1994 |
The company obtains permission to act as Industrial Waste Intermediary Disposer.
*Kumamoto Prefecture Permission No 4320023388 … September 19 |
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| 2001 |
Patents on the recycling of desulfurization hydrogen agent are filed jointly with Kumamoto Industrial Research Center. In addition, the subsidy for creative technology research and development is awarded by the Kumamoto Prefectural Government. |
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| 2002 |
| The company name changes to Japan Limonite Co Ltd (formerly Japan Limonite Mining Co. Ltd.).
The company starts selling “Limonic”, “Limonido” and general consumer products such as “Vigor” and “Limotan”. |
|
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| 2003 |
Sales of limonite chinas, “Ibushi” series, begin (Sosuiyaki, Daichi-no-wa). |
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| 2005 |
Sales of limonite ceramic tiles and bathing appliances, “Yushoseki” begin. Limotiles are introduced to ganban-yoku facilities at Kurokawa hot spring resorts in Aso and across Japan. |
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| 2006 |
Capital increases to 100 million yen. |
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| 2007 |
Sales of a cosmetic soap, “Aso Odo Shabon”, begin. In 2008, the soap is awarded for the Kumamoto Best New Product of the year. |
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| 2016 |
The Kumamoto Prefectural Government awards the company as a Yoka Boss company (an Excellent Management company). |
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| 2017 |
METI awards the company as a “Regional Future-Leading Company”. |
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| 2018 |
The Kumamoto Prefectural Government awards the company as a “Blight Company”. |
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| 2019 |
The company opens its MS Mineraso Obihiro Office in collaboration with Maezawa Engineering Service Inc. |
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