Kawakin Core-Tech Co., Ltd.

16/04/2026

Kawakin Core-Tech extends its gratitude to the Instituto del Cemento y del Concreto de Guatemala (ICCG) for inviting Ben Britto to speak at the 50th commemoration of the 1976 Guatemala earthquake, an important moment to reflect on past lessons and future responsibilities.

The 1976 earthquake reshaped Guatemala and raised seismic awareness. Much progress has been made since then, but the challenge now is to move beyond earthquake-resistant design and embrace a fully resilience-focused approach, especially for essential facilities. The targeted goals for these facilities include:

✅Protecting people and communities
✅Ensuring the integrity of essential facilities and lifelines
✅Minimizing economic disruption
✅Ensuring critical systems can operate immediately after an earthquake

During the presentation, Ben Britto highlighted that Guatemala can, and should, learn from the experiences of other countries without paying the high price of living through catastrophic disasters. The way forward is to prioritize the retrofitting or reconstruction of structures to ensure the continuity of essential infrastructure after a major earthquake. He also emphasized the need to shift from rebuilding after disasters to preparing in advance, so essential systems remain operational, and communities can recover faster.

At the same time, it is crucial to remember that many people and communities remain vulnerable, despite the progress made. Strengthening resilience means ensuring that no one is left behind.

This 50-year commemoration is not only about honoring memory, but also a timely reminder of what happened, why it matters, and why taking action today is essential to avoid repeating the past.

Kawakin Core-Tech remains committed to supporting resilience initiatives in Central America through knowledge exchange, innovation in seismic protection technologies, and international collaboration. The legacy of 1976 in Guatemala reminds us of the cost of vulnerability; the next 50 years will be key to building a more resilient future.

14/04/2026

The recent earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş once again highlighted the limitations of conventional reinforced concrete buildings under extreme seismic events, reinforcing the need to move beyond "collapse prevention" toward true damage control and resilience.

In this context, Buckling-Restrained Braces (BRBs) and other energy dissipation systems are becoming key solutions for improving seismic performance in both new buildings and retrofit applications. By providing stable hysteretic behavior and reliable energy absorption, BRBs significantly reduce structural demand and enhance overall resilience in high-risk zones.

This video features Professor Oguz C. Celik from Istanbul Technical University, a leading expert in seismic energy dissipation systems, particularly BRBs, and the structural retrofit of buildings and bridges. With over 200 publications and a position on the editorial board of the Journal of Steel Structures (Springer), he brings extensive international expertise to the discussion.

Watch the video to learn how these technologies are shaping the future of seismic design.

https://buff.ly/GWiz535

This video explores lessons learned from the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes and discusseshow modern seismic damping technologies—especially Buckling-Restrained Bra...

08/04/2026

Toki Ogawa, an athlete and employee at Kawakin, recently won the U23 All-Japan Wrestling Championships. We are thrilled by this remarkable achievement.

With this victory, he has secured a place in the World Championships, to be held in the United States this October. We look forward to seeing his fast-paced and skillful performance in the world’s oldest martial art.

06/04/2026

Kawakin[JG1.1][DY1.2] Core-Tech’s Sapporo Plant plays a key role in manufacturing bridge expansion joints and applying Al-Mg Plasma Arc Thermal Spraying to protect steel components used in bridge bearings and expansion joints. The plant is equipped to handle large-scale structures and provides an integrated process covering blast cleaning, thermal spraying, and pore sealing.
Al-Mg Plasma Arc Thermal Spraying is a corrosion protection method that forms a protective metal coating on steel surfaces, helping to extend their service life. Below is a brief overview of the process:

1.Blast Processing
At Sapporo Plant, large-scale blast equipment is used to prepare steel surfaces.
This process removes rust and contaminants while creating an appropriate roughness to ensure strong adhesion of the coating.
It is a crucial step that directly impacts the quality and durability of the result.

2.Thermal Spraying
Following surface preparation, aluminum-magnesium alloy thermal spraying is applied.
Using plasma arc spraying with a 95% aluminum and 5% magnesium wire, a highly corrosion-resistant coating is formed on the steel surface.
This coating provides long-term protection against harsh environmental conditions.

3.Pore Sealing
As a final step, pore sealing is performed.
This process fills microscopic pores in the coating, preventing moisture and corrosive agents from penetrating.
It further enhances durability and maximizes the protective performance of the thermal spray system.
We hope this overview provides a clearer understanding of our technologies and processes for corrosion protection.[JG2.1][DY2.2][JG2.3][DY2.4]
By integrating these three stages, we provide a comprehensive solution to combat corrosion, significantly reducing maintenance needs and ensuring the long-term structural integrity of critical bridge infrastructure.

24/03/2026

Kawakin is pleased to welcome wheelchair rugby player Hitoshi Ogawa as an athlete employee.

While competing in a motocross race during high school, Hitoshi suffered a fall that resulted in a spinal cord injury. This accident left him unable to move freely below the neck, beginning his life using a wheelchair. Later, as part of his rehabilitation, he discovered wheelchair rugby. He now plays for a team and represents Japan on the national stage.

Hitoshi and the Japan’s wheelchair rugby team have achieved remarkable success, winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympics and a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics. Beyond these accomplishments, the intensity of their play, their tactics, and the unique personalities of the players continue to inspire and captivate many people.

Furthermore, he actively promotes mutual understanding between people with and without disabilities by speaking about himself at lectures.

Kawakin is proud to support him in his athletic career and his efforts to build a more inclusive society. Welcome to the team, Hitoshi!

24/03/2026

🌙 Eid Mubarak
May this Eid bring happiness, peace, and prosperity to you and your loved ones.

04/03/2026

In 2025, we had the opportunity to participate in the 19th World Conference on Seismic Isolation (WCSI), held in Berkeley, USA, a key international forum for seismic isolation and damping technologies.

Together with our group company, DIS Inc. (USA), we exhibited at the conference and had the opportunity to engage in active exchanges with many professionals in the seismic isolation industry.

Our team, shared insights, learned from the fascinating presentations on international case studies, and discussed innovative approaches in seismic isolation and damping technologies.

We also delivered a technical presentation, highlighting case studies of seismic isolation technologies used in bridges in Japan, demonstrating our solutions as innovative options in the field.

We sincerely thank ASSISi and the organizers for their excellent efforts in bringing together the global seismic isolation community. We look forward to continued collaboration with ASSISi and to meeting the community again at future events in 2026.

20/02/2026

Since its founding, the Kawakin Group has grown together with the local community. In recent years, we have further strengthened this connection by actively supporting regional sports and cultural activities. Today, we would like to introduce one such group: the Kawakin Ensemble Liberté Wind Orchestra, an amateur wind ensemble based in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture.

With high-level performance skills and a long history of competition awards, the ensemble is also deeply committed to music education, providing instruction to children and students in the local community. In recognition of these activities, the Kawakin Group began supporting the ensemble through a naming rights agreement in 2024.

We hope that together with them, we can contribute to making life brighter for the local community.

■ Profile
The Kawakin Ensemble Liberté Wind Orchestra was originally founded in 1980 as the Kawaguchi Ensemble Liberté Wind Orchestra.
In 2024, following a naming rights agreement with Kawakin Holdings Co., Ltd., the ensemble adopted its current name and now performs with approximately 75 members.

■ Activities
In addition to holding two regular concerts annually and participating in wind ensemble competitions, the ensemble provides music instruction to elementary and junior high school students in Kawaguchi City.

■ Music Education Support in Kawaguchi City
As the ensemble borrows practice space at a Kawaguchi City junior high school, they began offering instruction to students attending that school. In June 2025, they launched the Kawakin Liberté Junior Wind Ensemble to provide further support.

■ Competition Awards
At the All-Japan Band Competition, Japan’s premier annual band competition, the ensemble has received the Gold Prize for 9 consecutive competitions, achieving a total of 24 Gold Prizes to date.

■ Message
The Kawakin Ensemble Liberté Wind Orchestra strives to move audiences through high-level performance skills while also dedicating greater efforts to promoting wind music among children and students in Kawaguchi City.

11/02/2026

Kawakin Vietnam office and factory will be closed from February 14 to 23 in observance of Tet (Lunar New Year). We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.

22/01/2026

Kawakin held the first day back ceremony on January 5th after the winter break. Many employees gathered at the Kawakin Metal Industries factory, where the event began with a speech by President Shinkichi Suzuki. Acknowledging the challenging global and domestic environment, he spoke about the direction the company should take moving forward. He then presented awards to employees marking 15 and 25 years of service, recognizing their long-standing contributions. With the new year upon us, we have renewed our determination to move forward together.

20/01/2026

Let us introduce Mr. Toki Ogawa, the first athlete employee to join the Kawakin Group.
During his student years, he achieved top-level results in wrestling, including national championship titles. After graduating from university, he sought further personal and professional growth and joined Kawakin Business Management. While working as a Human Resources specialist, he dedicates his evenings to rigorous training.
In addition, after beginning his career as a working professional, he also started coaching younger wrestlers. This experience gave him a new perspective on competition and deepened his understanding of wrestling beyond his own performance. His ability to pursue multiple challenges simultaneously makes him a truly inspiring presence within our company. His strong commitment to achieving his goals also makes him a role model for many.
Let’s continue to support and follow his future progress.

Toki Ogawa
Date of Birth: March 22, 2003
Event / Weight Class: Freestyle 74 / 79 kg
Specialized Techniques / Style: Strong defense, using his long reach to control distance
Future Goals as an Athlete: To become the number one in Japan and deliver excitement to everyone who supports me.
Latest Competition Results
Emperor’s Cup All-Japan Wrestling Championships
Date: December 2025
Class: 74 kg
Result: 3rd Place!