Stability, longevity and long-termism are key attributes of many Japanese companies, particularly family-run businesses. Japan has clearly mastered the art of business longevity. The island nation has more than 33,000 companies with over 100 years of history, accounting for over 40% of the global total. Akihiro Taniguchi, president of the 102-year-old wire manufacturer Taiyo Cabletec, takes pride not only in Japan’s reputation for enduring enterprises, but also in the distinct entrepreneurial spirit of the Kansai region. “In Osaka, we have a relatively ‘free’ culture that follows its own independent rules. Also, there are generally more businesses that are owned and run by families in the Kansai region, compared to Kanto,” he said.
The company was founded in the early 1900s as Taniguchi Densen Works, when Taniguchi’s great-grandfather recognized a growing demand for electric wire production, crucial to Japan’s rapid industrialization at the time. Looking back, Taniguchi said, “There were many visionaries at that time who sought to meet this demand, including the Furukawa and Tsuda families, as well as of course, our great-grandfather.” Since those early days, Taiyo has gone on to become Japan’s premier manufacturer of high-performance cables for varying use cases. And while today’s cables must be thinner, stronger and more durable, Taniguchi emphasizes that some fundamentals remain unchanged. “We are still reliant on craftsmanship in the industry. Although robotics and factory automation help somewhat, we are still a human-centric field. Particularly when it comes to quality control and small-lot production, we need the skills of craftsmen who understand the capabilities of each machine,” he said.
One of the company’s key focus points is the robotics sector, a field in which Japan excels, exporting over 160,000 industrial robots annually. Taiyo’s patented robot cables are made using a special copper-forming process that produces strands as thin as 0.05 mm in diameter, finer than a human hair. This, Taniguchi believes, is essential as robots increasingly need to make complex, repetitive movements. “We need to work toward thinner cables that can be used in lightweight products. Durability is a key concern in the industry, ensuring that cables do not break from bending or twisting,” he said. In recent years, Taiyo Cabletec has expanded its global footprint, connecting its Osaka headquarters with facilities in China and Thailand. With ambitious goals for the future, Taniguchi is focused on attracting top talent by offering competitive wages and improved working conditions. When entering new markets, he emphasizes the importance of building long-term, trust-based partnerships. “In Southeast Asia, we plan to expand our facilities further, working from our current production base in Thailand. Of course, this cannot be done by only us; we need strong relationships with local partners in each market,” he said.
Despite a wealth of change and new opportunities on the horizon, Taniguchi remains grounded in the legacy built over the past 100 years. “There is always a push to preserve heritage in the long run,” he said, reflecting on the nature of a family-run business. “Similar to the confectionery makers and craft workshops of Kyoto, we are committed to keeping tradition alive over the generations.”
