History
The origin of Blanc Bijou
Hideyuki Kasuga, president and CEO of NiKKi Fron, established BLANC BIJOU in Paris in 2009. NiKKi Fron itself began in 1896 as Kasuga Shoten, a wholesaler of hemp. Hideyuki is the fourth-generation descendant of the founder of NiKKi Fron, Eitaro Kasuga Sr.
Since its foundation NiKKi Fron has moved nimbly with the times, and today handles a wide range of materials at the forefront of the chemicals market. Among this panoply of materials, by the beauty of fluoropolymers particularly captivated Hideyuki Kasuga. Fluoropolymers are fashioned from fluorite, known in postwar Japan as “the white jewel.” While these remarkable materials were in widespread circulation as industrial materials, the spotlight had not yet turned on their irresistible aesthetic qualities.
Paris is a city renowned for the excellence of its academic institutions and an international center of the fine arts. Hideyuki Kasuga spent several years there conducting research in the field of materials. Hideyuki’s circle of friends living in Paris includes many artists, architects and members of distinguished families who have handled genuine materials of the finest quality for generations, and the NiKKi Fron president eagerly sought out the opinions of these experts on this curious, pure-white substance. Many of these accomplished individuals gasped or cried out in astonishment.
In January 2012, BLANC BIJOU will be exhibited for the first time at Maison et Objet 2012 (Paris). The material has even been selected to feature in “Highlight Materials,” a showcase of new materials attracting the keenest interest worldwide. On that day the aesthetic fascination of this revolutionary material will be revealed for all the world to marvel.
History of NiKKi Fron and BLANC BIJOU
1896 Eitaro Kasuga establishes Kasuga Shoten, a hemp wholesaler, in the city of Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
1944 Eitaro Kasuga Jr., second-generation president and CEO, invents and patents a packing material made of silk and hemp, and establishes a new
company, Nihonkizai Co., Ltd.
1963 The Company switches its packing materials from natural materials to fluoropolymers.
1985 The Company switches from natural fibers to glass fibers, establishing a factory for high-performance composites consisting of fibers and polymers. 1987 The Company begins assembly of special-polymer molding machinery.
2000 A factory is established in Shiga Prefecture, near Japan’s traditional center of culture, Kyoto.
2009 Hideyuki Kasuga is appointed president and CEO of the Company. In Paris, he establishes the BLANC BIJOU luxury-material brand as a privately held
corporation to showcase its aesthetic qualities globally.
2010 Nihonkizai establishes a subsidiary in the Kingdom of Thailand. Hideyuki Kasuga is appointed to general authority over all Company affiliates in Japan
and worldwide.
2011 The Company’s name is changed to Nikki Fron. To commemorate the Company’s 115th anniversary and to cultivate its unique enterprise culture,
NiKKi Fron begins work on a new head factory in Nagano.
NiKKi Fron celebrated the 115th anniversary of its inception. The name “NiKKi” is an abbreviation of the Company’s former name, Nihonkizai, and symbolizes its progression from its origins as a hemp wholesaler. “Fron” conveys the Company’s frontier spirit. The new corporate name treasures the transitions the Company has effected along the way while embracing the fresh challenges that lie ahead.
Hideyuki Kasuga, president and CEO of NiKKi Fron, established BLANC BIJOU in Paris in 2009. NiKKi Fron itself began in 1896 as Kasuga Shoten, a wholesaler of hemp. Hideyuki is the fourth-generation descendant of the founder of NiKKi Fron, Eitaro Kasuga Sr.
Since its foundation NiKKi Fron has moved nimbly with the times, and today handles a wide range of materials at the forefront of the chemicals market. Among this panoply of materials, by the beauty of fluoropolymers particularly captivated Hideyuki Kasuga. Fluoropolymers are fashioned from fluorite, known in postwar Japan as “the white jewel.” While these remarkable materials were in widespread circulation as industrial materials, the spotlight had not yet turned on their irresistible aesthetic qualities.
Paris is a city renowned for the excellence of its academic institutions and an international center of the fine arts. Hideyuki Kasuga spent several years there conducting research in the field of materials. Hideyuki’s circle of friends living in Paris includes many artists, architects and members of distinguished families who have handled genuine materials of the finest quality for generations, and the NiKKi Fron president eagerly sought out the opinions of these experts on this curious, pure-white substance. Many of these accomplished individuals gasped or cried out in astonishment.
In January 2012, BLANC BIJOU will be exhibited for the first time at Maison et Objet 2012 (Paris). The material has even been selected to feature in “Highlight Materials,” a showcase of new materials attracting the keenest interest worldwide. On that day the aesthetic fascination of this revolutionary material will be revealed for all the world to marvel.
History of NiKKi Fron and BLANC BIJOU
1896 Eitaro Kasuga establishes Kasuga Shoten, a hemp wholesaler, in the city of Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
1944 Eitaro Kasuga Jr., second-generation president and CEO, invents and patents a packing material made of silk and hemp, and establishes a new
company, Nihonkizai Co., Ltd.
1963 The Company switches its packing materials from natural materials to fluoropolymers.
1985 The Company switches from natural fibers to glass fibers, establishing a factory for high-performance composites consisting of fibers and polymers. 1987 The Company begins assembly of special-polymer molding machinery.
2000 A factory is established in Shiga Prefecture, near Japan’s traditional center of culture, Kyoto.
2009 Hideyuki Kasuga is appointed president and CEO of the Company. In Paris, he establishes the BLANC BIJOU luxury-material brand as a privately held
corporation to showcase its aesthetic qualities globally.
2010 Nihonkizai establishes a subsidiary in the Kingdom of Thailand. Hideyuki Kasuga is appointed to general authority over all Company affiliates in Japan
and worldwide.
2011 The Company’s name is changed to Nikki Fron. To commemorate the Company’s 115th anniversary and to cultivate its unique enterprise culture,
NiKKi Fron begins work on a new head factory in Nagano.
NiKKi Fron celebrated the 115th anniversary of its inception. The name “NiKKi” is an abbreviation of the Company’s former name, Nihonkizai, and symbolizes its progression from its origins as a hemp wholesaler. “Fron” conveys the Company’s frontier spirit. The new corporate name treasures the transitions the Company has effected along the way while embracing the fresh challenges that lie ahead.
Next page: The factory
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NiKKi Fron
French-Japanese reception
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Video : Presentation of BLANC BIJOU
