The history of the company Marunaka
the founder
MARUNAKA TEKKOSHO INC. was founded by Nakataro Mochizuki. He was born in 1909 in Tochizawa (Japan) as the only son.
He had five elder sisters and one younger sister. His family was poor and sometimes he could get only one meal a day. Already at the age of 9, he was sent out to the landlord’s house as live-in babysitter. Then, in 1920, at the age of 12, he was sent to a small ironworks factory in Shizuoka city serving as an apprentice. The name of the factory was ‘Maruzen Iron Works’. He worked very hard and diligently, so he was commended by Shizuoka Chamber of Commerce for ‘excellent apprentice’ at the age of 20.
Nakataro Mochizuki (1930)
When he became 21 years old, he had to take the examination for conscription. As a result, he was exempted because he was too small to go to military service.
Nakataro Mochizuki (1930)
When he became 21 years old, he had to take the examination for conscription. As a result, he was exempted because he was too small to go to military service.
Marunaka was born
In 1932 he was married and the same year in November, Toshihei Mochizuki was born. The following year he went independent and established ‘MARUNAKA TEKKOSHO’ (1993, at the age of 24). His first invention was a machine that produced Japanese wooden shoes (GETA). The Japanese GETA were a popular product at that time. The name 'Marunaka' descends from the two names ‘MARU’ + ‘NAKA’. ‘MARU’ is named after ‘Maruzen Ironworks’, because he was indebted to his former employer.
Contemporary Japanese Geta
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sample
If you want to experience how super smooth surface feels yourself, please feel free to request a free sample. You will receive a brochure and an incredible piece of planed timber. Please fill out the form and we will send you the sample as soon as possible.
Do you have any questions or would you like to make an appointment to admire and experience the machine in reality? Please contact us.
Start of the super surfacer
In 1948, MARUNAKA TEKKOSHO INCORPORATED was established as a cooperative organization. He invented many machines and devices, among them the Super Surfacer. It’s the biggest best seller machine ever and it formed the base of Marunaka’s development.
The invention of the Super Surfacer machine comes from one particular product: Japanese green tea. Prefecture Shizuoka has been a major producer of green tea for a very long time. Even now it holds about 40% of all Japanese green tea production. So, there was a big demand for wooden tea boxes, but the surface of the box was finished all by hand at that time (hand planed). Nakataro saw many of such factories in 1950’s. Then he got the idea to build a machine for finishing the surface of the tea boxes by machine. This was the start of the invention of the super surface machine.
At an early stage the super surfacer machine was far from perfect. It took about 10 years until the machine was widely known as the ‘Super Surfacer’. It then began to sell well. It wasn’t until 1961 that he got the first patent as ‘automatic surface finishing machine’.
When the super surfacer became popular, it received a lot of claims from craftsmen who worked for the finishing of wooden tea boxes: ‘Don’t take our job away! Stop selling the machine!...’ At a later stage he used to say that ‘a lot of users and dealers came to my factory even from long distances bringing cash in their bags’.
More information and free
sample
If you want to experience how super smooth surface feels yourself, please feel free to request a free sample. You will receive a brochure and an incredible piece of planed timber. Please fill out the form and we will send you the sample as soon as possible.
Do you have any questions or would you like to make an appointment to admire and experience the machine in reality? Please contact us.
Achievements
He got more than 100 patents and utility model registrations on his own name, until he died in 1993 at the age of 84.
During his lifetime, he received a lot of certificates of commendation for his work and contribution to the woodworking industry. Among them was the ‘Medal of Yellow Ribbon’ in 1971 and ‘The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays’ in 1979. Both times he was received in audience by the Emperor at the Imperial Palace.
Achievements
He got more than 100 patents and utility model registrations on his own name, until he died in 1993 at the age of 84.
During his lifetime, he received a lot of certificates of commendation for his work and contribution to the woodworking industry. Among them was the ‘Medal of Yellow Ribbon’ in 1971 and ‘The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays’ in 1979. Both times he was received in audience by the Emperor at the Imperial Palace.
Contemporary Japanese Geta
Marunaka spreading around the world
Export of the Marunaka machinery started in June 1954. The very first b2b customer was a wooden sandals manufacturing plant from Malaysia and Burma. In 1955, Marunaka exhibited wooden sandals in Tokyo. There he made an export contract with a sales agent from the Philippines.The export business became very busy after patents of the Super Surfacer (1971) and the Lengthways Veneer Slicer (1972) were granted in the U.S.A. Now Marunaka has customers from more than 41 countries.
See the best selling model
The Marunaka Super Meca