1945-1962 Entering a New Era

World War II ended in August 1945. Although most of central Tokyo had become scorched earth, the Company's Ichigaya factory fortunately remained undamaged.
People had a craving for things to read that resulted in a postwar boom in the publishing industry. Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) was inundated with orders and increased production capacity at the Ichigaya plant in order to meet demand.
At the same time, the labor movement intensified its activities in the printing industry. The situation became so serious that the Company's management was destabilized. The Company decided to respond by promoting labor-management cooperation and by moving boldly into fields other than book and magazine printing, such as paper containers, film packaging, decorative materials and business forms.
The latter half of the 1950s saw a boom in the launching of new weekly magazines, beginning with "Shukan Shincho." Previously, weekly magazines had been issued only by newspaper companies, which had the capacity to move around and gather information, but once DNP began to increase its production capacity to meet the needs of publishing companies, they also gained the ability to issue weekly magazines.

  • New Bank of Japan 10-yen note
  • Checking print quality on paper cartons
  • Inaugural issue of Shukan Shincho, the first magazine published by a publisher
  • Successful production of prototype shadowmasks for color televisions
1945May 27
Having come through the war undamaged, DNP’s Ichigaya Plant was placed under the control of the army, navy and finance ministry
1946March 8
The Ichigaya, Shibata, and Akita Plants were placed under the control of the finance ministry and began printing paper money ("A" 10-yen certificates)
October 5
Opened Kyoto Plant in Kyoto’s Ukyo Ward
1949May
Listed shares on Tokyo Stock Exchange
September
Began printing stock certificates at Enokicho Plant
1950November 10
NHK (Japanese national broadcasting company) began experimental television broadcasts
November
Established paper container plant within Kyoto factory; entered the paper containers business
1951June 16
Announced five-year reconstruction plan aimed at expanding fields of business
July
Began specialized printing on vinyl, cellophane, cloth and other materials
August
Received orders for printing decorative paper with patterns; entered decorative materials field
November
Osaki Plant reopened as a dedicated paper containers production facility
1952July
Received orders for production of cigarette box packaging
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Succeeded at producing endless plates for multicolor gravure printing; began printing decorative melamine plate
1953September 26
Acquired New Tokyo Securities Printing Co., Ltd. and dedicated its facilities (predecessor of our Oji Plant) to specialized printing
November
Japan's first supermarket, Kinokuniya, opened in Aoyama, Tokyo
1954December
Began printing of film packaging at Osaki Plant
1955January 18
Orie Kitajima became president
October 23
Began printing of business forms at Enokicho Plant
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Printed "Kojien" dictionary (Iwanami Shoten, Publishers, May 1955) using our own Shueitai font
1956February
Printed the inaugural edition of “Shukan Shincho,” the first weekly magazine issued by a publishing company in Japan
September 1
Opened Osaka plant. Acquired Nihon Seihan Co., Ltd.
1957August 10
Opened the Oji Plant, which specialized in film packaging
1958August
Printed Chicken Ramen bags for Nisshin Foods
October
Became first in Japan to succeed in producing prototypes of shadowmasks used in color televisions
1959February
Toshiba Corp. unveiled the first made-in-Japan color TV, with sales to the public beginning in July 1960
March 17
First editions of manga magazines aimed at young people: "Shonen Magazine" published by Kodansha and "Shonen Sunday" by Shogakukan Inc. DNP won both printing contracts
November 21
Began mass production of shadowmasks
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Succeeded in producing prototypes of photomasks (original plates for making semiconductor circuits)
1960July 30
Opened plant in Saitama Prefecture, specializing in electronics devices
September 30
NHK and four other broadcasters began color television broadcasts
1961April 24
Established Kyushu Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
August 10
Established Dai Nippon Polymer Co., Ltd.
(currently DNP Technopack Co., Ltd.) and began blow-molding of bottles
August 21
Established Central Research Institute
September 1
Acquired Kita Nihon Printing and Paper Co., Ltd. and renamed it Hokkaido Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
December
Succeeded in printing in color directly onto copper plate for the first time in Japan
1962July 20
Established Metalprint Co., Ltd. (currently DNP Ellio Co., Ltd.) as a joint venture between DNP and Fuji Iron & Steel (currently Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp.)
September
Began producing paper cups