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Local community enjoys unity and fun time at BASF’s 41st Summer Festival in Totsuka, Japan
- 1500 people relish a free day out full of activities and performances at BASF Japan’s Totsuka Site
- 130 elementary school children from neighboring area experience the fun of creating chemistry
Tokyo, Japan – August 1, 2016 – BASF’s annual Summer Festival has returned with an aim to promote mutual understanding and communications with the neighborhood community at its Totsuka site in Yokohama, Japan, where BASF produces and develops automotive coatings. The 41st Summer Festival held on July 29, 2016 attracted over 1500 local residents to take part in various live entertainments and activities.
The festival this year featured a number of stalls with different summer activities and performances, which were planned and managed by BASF employees. Some of the activity highlights include watermelon splitting game, the Japanese Bon Festival dance by local residents, and baton twirling performance organized by local children. This year, BASF Kids’ Lab, as one of the company’s signature events being held around the world, also landed in the Summer Festival to show children the fun side of chemistry. 130 elementary school children joined the “Color Butterfly!” experiment, where they created and colored the paper-butterfly with various materials at a different pH level.
“We have been organizing the Summer Festival for over 40 years. Through this festival, we are able to better engage and communicate with our site neighbors,” said Takeo Kuwahara, Site Manager of the Totsuka site, BASF Japan Ltd. “We are also delighted and encouraged to see so many local residents taking their time and joining us this year as usual. The event would not have been as successful without the support from them and from our employees, who paid extra efforts in organizing the many interactive programs. The festival filled with these fun-filled programs helps unify the local community and BASF.”
In addition to the annual Summer Festival, the Totsuka site hosts other activities, which are deeply rooted in the local community. For example, the site opens its ground to local youth baseball teams. Besides, as a part of the occupational safety activities, the Site Emergency Response Team regularly holds fire drills with the co-operation of the local authorities. For over 20 years, the site has recorded zero lost time injury. Through these activities, the Totsuka site will continue to contribute to local communities as an integral part of the society.
BASF’s Totsuka Site
The Totsuka Site belongs to Coatings division of BASF Japan Ltd. Founded in 1964, the Site celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014. The Site contains all the major functions of Coatings division, including Research & Development, Production, Technical Departments, and Account Teams. Currently, the Site produces automotive OEM coatings, automotive components coatings, motorcycle coatings, coil coatings. The Coatings division also owns the Nippa Refinish Competence Center in Yokohama, focusing on automotive refinish coatings.
About BASF Japan
BASF started doing business in Japan in 1888. Activities cover four business segments including chemicals, performance products, functional materials & solutions and agricultural solutions. The main production sites are in Chigasaki (admixtures for concrete, construction materials), Kitatone (personal care ingredients), Totsuka (coatings), and Yokkaichi (thermoplastic polyurethanes and polymer dispersions). Admixture plants for the Construction Chemicals division are also located nationwide. BASF maintains a strong research and development presence in Japan including the BASF Asia Composite Center, established in the Yokohama Innovation Center (engineering plastics), and the Research and Development Laboratory and Application Technology Center for Battery Materials in Amagasaki. As of the end of 2015, BASF employed 1,209 employees in Japan, and achieved sales of about €1.5 billion to customers in Japan. For further information please visit: www.basf.com/jp.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 112,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of more than €70 billion in 2015. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information at www.basf.com.
