Local community enjoys summer festival at BASF’s Totsuka site in Yokohama, Japan
- More than 1,700 people celebrate summer with activities and live performances at BASF production site
- About 140 children from neighboring area experience the joy of creating chemistry through Kids’ Lab
Tokyo, Japan – July 31, 2017 – BASF’s annual summer festival once again brought joy to the neighborhood community at its Totsuka site in Yokohama, Japan, where BASF produces and develops automotive coatings. This year, the 42nd Summer Festival attracted more than 1,700 local residents, who took part in various activities and live performances.
“It is a pleasure to welcome our neighbors at our site and get a chance to interact with them. Through this annual event, we hope to enhance communications and promote mutual understanding with the community in which we operate,” said Takeo Kuwahara, BASF’s site manager in Totsuka, Yokohama, Japan. Performances of local children and residents are also part of the program.
BASF Kids’ Lab, as one of the company’s signature events, was held in the Summer Festival to promote the joy of research and scientific discovery to children. About 140 children took part in the “Colorful Butterfly” experiment, where they learned about different pH levels by coloring a paper butterfly with materials they can find in their daily lives, such as soap and lemon juice.
The Totsuka site is operated by the 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 BASF’s Coatings division, including product development, production, technical departments, and account teams. Currently, the site produces automotive OEM coatings, automotive components coatings and motorcycle coatings. BASF’s Coatings division also operates the Nippa Refinish Competence Center in Yokohama, focusing on automotive refinish coatings.
About BASF in Japan
BASF has been a committed partner to Japan since 1888. Activities cover four business segments including chemicals, performance products, functional materials & solutions and agricultural solutions. The main production sites are in Totsuka (coatings), Chigasaki (admixtures for concrete, construction materials), Kitatone (personal care ingredients), 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 well as Chigasaki Technical Development Center in Kanagawa. As of the end of 2016, BASF employed 1,167 employees in Japan, and achieved sales of about €1.6 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 114,000 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 about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.
