1963-1978 Rapid Progress in Response to Dramatic Economic Changes

In the 1960s the Japanese economy achieved dramatic growth. Consumer goods such as color televisions and automobiles came within reach of the average household.
DNP promoted a diversified management strategy that we later began calling, "expansion printing." By developing products that make use of printing technologies in a wide variety of fields, including fabrics, packaging materials, decorative materials and precision electronic parts, we steadily expanded profits.
DNP handled the design and production of numerous pavilions at the "Expo '70" world fair held in Osaka in 1970. The experience gained there served as a springboard for broadening the arena in which the Company's planning department was active. It was also during this period that the Company established sales offices abroad, in Hong Kong, the United States, Europe and elsewhere.
In addition, this era saw the introduction of computerized typesetting systems, which completely changed the processes involved in typesetting. Amid rapidly advancing innovations in printing technologies, offset printing replaced letterpress printing as the mainstream technology.
After going through two oil crises, the Japanese economy shifted to a period of low growth. DNP worked hard to strengthen its corporate constitution by focusing on the three core areas of sales, technology and planning.

  • Paper cup production line
  • Sales department building
  • Editing equipment in the early days of computerized typesetting
  • Marblle pattern printed by using Curlfit technology
1963January 24
Established Hokkaido Beverages Co., Ltd. (renamed Hokkaido Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Ltd. in September 1963)
November 1
Introduced business unit system
1964April 30
Established Dai Nippon Printing (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd.
August 20
Acquired Nagoya-based Koeki Printing Co., Ltd.
October 1
Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train) line opened between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka
October 10
Olympic Games held in Tokyo
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Began printing "Weekly Toyo Keizai" using fully automated monotype typesetting with copy (including Japanese kanji characters) transmitted by means of teletype
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Began producing lead frames
1966July
Completed Central Research Institute building in Ichigaya
1967July 1
Established team to plan participation in upcoming World Expo
September 10
Opened Yokohama Plant, specializing in paper containers
1968August 1
Established Creative Design Center, specializing in planning and production
December 15
Completed construction of sales department building
December 21
Established New York representative office
1969March 21
Established representative offices in Sydney and Frankfurt
July 10
Established Shikoku Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. now called DNP Shikoku Co., Ltd.
December
Began producing laminated tubes
1970March 14
Expo '70 (Osaka) held
March 20
Established Dai Nippon Printing (Europa) GmbH, now called DNP Europa GmbH in Dűsseldorf
1971July 20
U.S.-based fast food chain McDonald's opened first outlet in Japan, in Tokyo's Ginza district
1972February 9
Established Dai Nippon Gitakarya Printing Co., Ltd. in Indonesia (currently PT DNP Indonesia)
June 1
Acquired Futaba Printing Co., Ltd. and began operating it as DNP's Akabane Plant
October 4
Established CTS Dai Nippon Co., Ltd. Commercialized computerized typesetting system (CTS) in Japan
December
Opened Warabi Plant in Saitama Pref., specializing in business forms
1973February 21
Opened Sayama Plant in Saitama Pref.
May
Opened Tsuruse Plant, specializing in printing of decorative materials in Saitama Pref.
October
Opened Nara Plant, specializing in business forms in Nara Pref.
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Established framework for mass production of magnetic-stripe plastic cards
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First "oil shock" sparks wild price surges
1974May 15
The 7-Eleven chain opened its first convenience store in Tokyo
July 12
Established DNP America Inc. (Open in a new window)
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Began full-scale production of magnetic-stripe bank passbooks
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Introduced “Curlfit” technology for printing on curved surfaces
1975July 7
Established Manufacturing Technology Laboratory (now called “Manufacturing Technology Integration Laboratory”)
July 19
"Expo '75" International Ocean Exposition held in Okinawa
1976May 24
Established Dai Nippon Printing (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
September
Developed paper beverage containers
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Developed aseptic filling system for single-portion packages of Snow Brand Milk Products Co. Ltd.’s coffee whitener
1978January
Developed large, three-dimensional holograms that served as prototypes for Lippmann holograms