Now,
Toward the Next Century.
When ships set sail, you want them to reach the harbor safely. For us, it isn’t a want, but a need; a must.
When ships set sail, you want them to reach the harbor safely. For us, it isn’t a want, but a need; a must.
November 12, 1926-to avoid competing with those in the foundry industry that he had built relationships with, Zenichi Nakashima, the founder of Nakashima Propeller, decided to go into copper alloy casting.
The Nakashima Foundry was destroyed in the firebombing of Okayama during the Pacific War. It resumed operations as a smaller factory, and in 1947, it successfully produced a large propeller.
The propulsion of Nakashima Propeller cuts its way across the oceans of the globe, from the tranquil waters of the Seto Inland Sea known for the beauty of its many islands to the crowded waters of Tokyo Bay, and the perilous and accident-fraught South China Sea and Strait of Magellan.
At Nakashima Propeller, our technological and development capabilities never stop moving forward. Today, we look beyond propeller manufacturing to everything that ships need to keep going.
Takayoshi Nakashima, president of Nakashima Propeller, believes that this work must never exist for our happiness alone.
(5:11)
GO BEYOND NEXT 100
Since our founding in 1926,
Nakashima Propeller has never stopped moving forward.
Our journey has been full of one relentless challenge after another.
Join us in retracing our steps and see for yourself.
Zenichi Nakashima was born in a lonely village in Tottori Prefecture. Before he was old enough to remember, his family moved to reclaimed land in Kojima Bay in Okayama Prefecture. He would later work at Nishizaki Foundry in Uchisange, located in Okayama City. There, he learned the basics, and, under the tutelage of the foundry foreman, he became a highly skilled master metal caster.
In the midst of a recession caused by the Great Kantō Earthquake, Zenichi resolved to strike out on his own and founded Nakashima Foundry with his wife, Matsuko. In order to avoid competition with the foreman who shaped his career, Zenichi chose to go into the copper alloy casting industry instead of the cast iron industry that he knew so well.
Immediately after founding, Nakashima Propeller mainly manufactured bearing components such as oil engines and machine tools. One day, the owner of an oil engine shop recommended that Zenichi cast propellers for fishing boats. The development of the island nation of Japan was impossible without ships and propellers: it was this powerful notion that drove Zenichi to take on the challenge of propeller casting.
In the middle of the Pacific War, the Okayama City area was terribly damaged in an air raid and the Nakashima Foundry factory burned to the ground. Zenichi was at a great loss, but with encouragement from his wife, Matsuko, and the return of his son, Tamotsu, from military service, he began to move forward with rebuilding his company as a propeller manufacturer.
After returning from the war, Tamotsu assumed the role of senior managing director and visited the US for research once as a member of a Japanese business delegation and once by himself. Using these experiences, he expanded exports to locations such as Eastern Europe, India, and Singapore, turning his attention to the overseas market before anyone else in the industry.
As ship enlargement became a trend, the company made the choice to transition to a comprehensive propeller manufacturer that could provide all kinds of propellers large and small. The factory which would become the main force of manufacturing was built in Joto kitagata, located in Higashi Ward, Okayama City. One other force that drove Tamotsu, now the president of the company, was his frustration at other companies in the same industry that pegged Nakashima Propeller as a company that could only produce small propellers.
Led by technical director at the time Minoru Nakashima (current chairperson of Nakashima Holdings Co., Ltd. ), and with the cooperation of the Japan Ship Machinery Development Association, the company took on the task of domestically producing keyless propellers. These propellers underwent repeated testing in experimental and real-world capacities, and the technology born from these tests greatly lowered the risk of propeller shaft fractures, which largely contributed to improvements in ship operations.
Aiming for the company to make even more significant strides, Nakashima Propeller developed a new logo featuring the letter N for Nakashima in navy and red. The navy represents Mother Ocean, the starting point for the Nakashima Group, and advancement overseas. The red represents new advancements to land, as well as surging passion and vitality.
Utilizing design technologies and metalworking techniques cultivated by marine propeller manufacturing, Nakashima Propeller expanded to the medical device industry with artificial joints. It was in this year that the company obtained a manufacturing license for medical devices and supplied its first artificial joints to hospitals, marking the beginning of a brand-new business model.
To meet demands for ever-growing ship sizes, Nakashima Propeller set off to build a new factory on Tamashima Harbor Island, a manmade island in the Mizushima area of Kurashiki City, Okayama. Equipped with state-of-the-art, specialized equipment such as propeller blade surface processing machines and turnover devices, the factory endeavors to realize a safer and more efficient manufacturing process.
The company established its first overseas manufacturing base in Vietnam’s Haiphong City. At the time, our aim was to strengthen the production of small propellers for pleasure boats. However, with our foot in the door, the company went on to expand to the Philippines, Singapore, Shanghai, Europe, the US, and more, with plans to further market development.
The company underwent reorganization as the Nakashima Group, including Nakashima Medical, which began with the development of artificial joints, Systems Nakashima, which aims for business expansion in the field of information systems, and NUC, which designs office environments. “We Go Beyond” is designated as the brand slogan, expressing our desire as a group to do what no one else has done before in a way that only we can do.
The company developed a new management plan in anticipation of its 100th anniversary. Not content to merely design and manufacture propellers, we aim to provide a wide array of solutions throughout the lifecycle of ships from construction through to service in the water. Under our new vision, we, as a team, have worked to expand the contents of our product lineup and aftercare services, as well as collaborate with our business partners.
Our company began research and development on carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) propellers in 2007, and we received global acclaim when we installed the world’s first CFRP propeller on a commercial vessel. CFRP is well known for being lightweight and extremely strong. By using it in marine propellers, our company contributes to fuel reduction, as well as onboard vibration and noise reduction.
Ever since its founding, marine screw propeller design, manufacturing, and sales has remained the mainstay of Nakashima Propeller. But the company has also continued to challenge itself in other areas. Underlying this spirit is our commitment to safe sailing in every situation. As we look to tomorrow, we hope for the safety and happiness of everyone in the ship industry as we keep moving forward to the next century and beyond.
When ships set sail, you want them to reach the harbor safely. For us, it isn’t a want, but a need; a must. That’s because when the seas are rough and stormy, when strong tides shove back, when staring off at the unending horizon makes you lose heart, what matters most then is being able to navigate the waters safely. That’s why, ever since day one, we’ve prided ourselves with moving ships forward with precision, strength, and beauty. As we celebrate 100 years since our founding, Nakashima Propeller continues to find joy in safely propelling ships forward around the world to deliver not just goods, but the hopes and dreams of those on ships everywhere: precious cargo for precious people.
November 12, 1926-to avoid competing with those in the foundry industry that he had built relationships with, Zenichi Nakashima, the founder of Nakashima Propeller, decided to go into copper alloy casting. He believed that what this island nation needed to reach its true potential was shipbuilding and dedicated his life to manufacturing propellers. May 12, 1928-a small propeller perfect for a small fishing boat was completed, ushering in the birth of Nakashima Propeller. A century has passed since then, and we have continued to manufacture propellers instilled with spirit that honored harmony. Respecting people and technology, Nakashima Propeller was born to go beyond.
The Nakashima Foundry was destroyed in the firebombing of Okayama during the Pacific War. It resumed operations as a smaller factory, and in 1947, it successfully produced a large propeller. Our technology allowed us to create a major propulsion capable of sailing oceans around the world: no small feat for a company that was known for making small propellers. A global leader in propeller manufacturing, Nakashima Propeller will continue to create the propellers of the future so that, stronger and faster, the ships today will outpace the ships of tomorrow. Time to refining the technology that drives the future.
The propulsion of Nakashima Propeller cuts its way across the oceans of the globe, from the tranquil waters of the Seto Inland Sea known for the beauty of its many islands to the crowded waters of Tokyo Bay, and the perilous and accident-fraught South China Sea and Strait of Magellan. The world is full of different kinds of oceans, ships, and propellers. To operate at their very best, ships need the optimal propulsion best suited to the surrounding waters, and with our flexible developmental capabilities, there’s a Nakashima Propeller that fits your needs to ensure safe sailing. Anchors aweigh and go beyond any sea with propulsion you can count on.
At Nakashima Propeller, our technological and development capabilities never stop moving forward. Today, we look beyond propeller manufacturing to everything that ships need to keep going. It goes without saying that eco-friendly voyages are a priority, and by starting in the water to get a balanced view of ships, we seek to change ship functions and even their design to help reduce noise from the stern and ensure smooth docking for even the most massive ship. Our technology, born to create propellers, has the power to transform entire ships, and transcending our past will allow us to create new kinds of propulsion. Go beyond propellers with Nakashima Propeller.
Takayoshi Nakashima, president of Nakashima Propeller, believes that this work must never exist for our happiness alone. It’s about bringing joy to the shipping industry by creating the propulsive force of the future through competing and working together with every single person involved in shipbuilding. It’s about bringing joy to small fishing boats and pleasure boats, to ferries that serve local communities and massive cargo ships, to those who sail the seas and those that wait for them on distant shores. To create the future we seek, we have to keep moving forward: all of us, together. Now, Toward the Next Century.
