Toyobo’s predecessor, Osaka Boseki, was established in 1882 as Japan’s first private spinning company, driven by founder Eiichi Shibusawa’s aspiration to build a spinning business that did not depend on government protection. Having shifted its focus to films and functional polymers, industrial materials, and healthcare (collectively, the “specialty businesses”), the company now plans to achieve earnings growth by investing in high-efficiency and high-growth areas, expanding sales overseas, and developing new products and businesses.