Insulator fragment that led to NGK’s founding

The generation of electricity began to gain momentum in Japan around the middle of the Meiji Period, at the end of the 19th Century, when it became possible to transmit high-voltage current from hydroelectric power plants. At that time, the only insulators with the capacity to withstand such high voltages were produced overseas, forcing Japan to rely on foreign imports. Using fragments from American-made insulators as a point of reference, Nippon Toki, the country’s first modern ceramics manufacturer, began researching and manufacturing high-voltage insulators in a drive to produce special highvoltage insulators in Japan. In 1919, expansion of Nippon Toki’s insulator business and vast improvements in quality culminated in the establishment of a new company, NGK INSULATORS LTD.

High Voltage Laboratory

As time progressed, electrical power emerged as an indispensable element for promoting both industrial development and improving the quality of everyday life. As demand for power rose dramatically, insulators had to achieve higher performance. To meet these new requirements in and outside Japan, NGK worked tirelessly to adopt advanced production equipment and bolster its research structure, developing a succession of ultra-high-voltage and ultra-highstrength insulators. In earning customers’ trust, NGK has evolved over the years into the world’s leading insulator manufacturer, supporting the electrical power supply networks that serve as critical social infrastructure.