Since its founding in 1930, Iwatani Corporation has achieved consistent growth as a comprehensive energy service provider that supports a range of industry segments and offers a broad array of life services. The essential guidepost for our management has been the philosophy of “Those needed by society can prosper.” This concept was first articulated by Naoji Iwatani, the founder of the Company, and is now widely incorporated in thinking on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Since our very earliest days, we have maintained a spirit of inquiry and challenge based on the understanding that our purpose lies in fulfilling the mission and roles that society expects of us.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), our mainstay business, has brought remarkable change to the lifestyles of the Japanese people since we first started to sell it in 1953 as a household fuel. Today, we serve 3.1 million LPG consumer households nationwide. In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, LPG is attracting renewed interest as a disaster-resistant, decentralized energy source. Moreover, we create and accumulate proprietary technology and know-how in broad swathes of the LPG and industrial gas segments under the concept of “Gas & Energy,” contributing to the development of society in a wide range of areas that include electronics, machinery, industrial materials, and bio-industry. Mindful of our heavy responsibility in securing lifelines for people and industry, we will continue to focus on strengthening and expanding our supply network so that customers across the country can use LPG and industrial gases with assurance.

Iwatani also operates a number of businesses that help protect the global environment and achieve a low-carbon society under the slogan of “Creation of a more comfortable space on the earth is what Iwatani wishes and strives for.” These businesses include cogeneration, gas heat pumps (GHP), liquefied natural gas (LNG), and solar power generation. Among our initiatives, we place special emphasis on hydrogen. As the world faces the reality and urgency of global warming and the depletion of energy resources, hydrogen is expected to lead the next generation as the ultimate clean energy source. Society looks set to evolve from a dependence on fossil fuels into a low-carbon society with minimum CO2 emissions. Ultimately, hydrogen will be at the center of energy sources.

Recognizing this trend, Iwatani initiated operations at Japan’s first commercial liquefied hydrogen plant in 1978. Since the plant commenced operations, we have sought as Japan’s leading supplier of hydrogen energy to advance research and development for the practical application of fuel cells that use reformulated LPG, make the infrastructure of our manufacturing bases for liquefied hydrogen and other products more efficient, and conduct empirical tests for pure hydrogen-type fuel cells in collaboration with central and local governments.

With an eye on the forthcoming age of mass production, mass transportation, and mass consumption of hydrogen, we are determined to contribute to the creation of a hydrogen society, as an energy service provider that offers a safe, inexpensive, and stable supply of hydrogen, tailored to the place and type of use.

As globalization advances, borderless business and advanced information technologies are expected to change the environment surrounding enterprises. Iwatani will redouble its efforts to fulfill its corporate social responsibility, through means such as strict and comprehensive internal control and compliance, in addition to achieving business growth. Through these initiatives, we aspire to play an even more important role in society.

Chairman and CEO

President