What Nakai Industry Group does

Nakai Industrial Group is a Japan-based specialty thin-film coating manufacturer with over 100 years of operating history (founded 1916), organized into two entities: Nakai Industrial Co., Ltd. (technical development, sales, and administration, headquartered in Kyoto) and Shimane Nakai Industrial Co., Ltd. (manufacturing, with three plants in Shimane Prefecture and the Nakai-Techno Plant in Shiga Prefecture housing the Technology Development Center opened in October 2021). The company's core capability is its proprietary composite technology, which combines vacuum metallizing and resin coating on base films (e.g., PET) at nano-level thickness control, complemented by lamination, transfer, and film-forming technologies. Its six product categories span reflecting/shielding materials for optical equipment, automotive interior/exterior parts (front grills, instrument panels, displays), enclosure and surface protection films (up to 9H pencil hardness), industrial materials, architectural decorative films, and paper/package decorative films including bio-based and microwave-transparent options. Nakai is 97% owned by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation since May 2021, with PT. MC PET Film Indonesia holding the remaining 3%.

The company operates a B2B direct sales model through its Business Development Department, with no intermediaries or third-party distributors. Pricing is quotation-based and not publicly disclosed, reflecting the custom nature of products that are tailored to each customer's specification. Customer engagement flows through website inquiry forms and direct telephone contact, followed by quotation, specification discussion, and collaborative development — often leveraging on-site demonstration facilities at the Technology Development Center. The company maintains multilingual website content (Japanese, English, Chinese) and downloadable product catalogs. ISO 9001 certifications (2005 for the manufacturing entity, 2011 for Nakai-Techno) and an upcoming governance transition announced for February 2, 2026 (parent company change and Representative Director change) shape the current operating context. End markets include optical equipment manufacturers, automotive parts makers, electronics enclosure producers, construction materials suppliers, and packaging manufacturers, with a particular emphasis on Japanese customers and limited direct geographic expansion beyond Japan.

Name

Nakai Industry Group

Legal name

Nakai Industrial Co., Ltd. (中井工業株式会社)

Website

https://nakai-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nakai Industrial Group is a Japan-based specialty thin-film coating manufacturer with 100+ years of history, combining vacuum metallizing and resin coating into proprietary composite films for automotive, optical, electronics, packaging, and construction applications. It is a 97%-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Thin-Film Coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive & Transportation Coatings (IMAEAGAC), Automotive Surface Materials & Coatings for Interiors/Exteriors Manufacturing (Upholstery Materials/Decor Films/Paints for Trim) (IMACAKAL), Industrial Protective Coatings (IMAEAHAB)

Keywords

• Thin-film coatings
• Vacuum metallizing films
• Surface protection films
• Automotive decorative films
• Metallized transfer foils

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Thin-film Coating Product Sales: Manufacture and sale of vacuum metallizing and coating products including reflecting/shielding films, automotive parts films, enclosure and surface protection films, industrial films, architectural decorative films, and paper/package decorative films. Products are customized to customer specifications.
2. Custom Engineering and Development Services: Collaborative product development with customers, including technology demonstrations and co-development at the Technology Development Center to design and specify customized coating solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nakai Industry Group manufactures and sells thin-film coating products produced through proprietary composite technology that combines vacuum metallizing and resin coating on PET base films. Its product portfolio spans reflecting/shielding materials for optical equipment, automotive interior and exterior parts, enclosure/surface protection films, industrial films, architectural decorative films, and paper/package decorative films, all customizable to specific customer specifications and delivered through a quotation-based ordering process.

Product overview

Nakai Industry Group is a comprehensive thin-film coating manufacturer specializing in vacuum metallizing and resin coating composite technologies. The product portfolio consists of six main product categories: Reflecting/Shielding Materials for optical equipment, Automotive Parts for in-vehicle applications, Enclosure/Surface Protection Materials, Industrial Materials, Architectural Decorative Materials, and Paper/Package Decorative Materials. These products leverage the company's core composite technology combining vacuum metallizing, coating, lamination, transfer, and film-forming capabilities. The company also produces legacy products including MAMILON metallic yarn, BONMETAL, SHINE FOIL, METALITE, MAMICOOL, Soft Shine, ITO Film, Hard Coat Film, KIRARA FLEX, NAFTAP SD, Endure Film, and HARDFLEX.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MAMILON: Gold and silver metallic yarn product introduced in 1952
• BONMETAL
• KOYO HAKU / EIKO HAKU
• SHINE FOIL
• METALITE
• MAMICOOL
• Soft Shine
• KIRARA FLEX
• NAFTAP SD
• Endure Film
• HARDFLEX

Products and services

• Reflecting/Shielding Materials Optical equipment thin-film materials providing simultaneous reflectivity, shielding, and durability for light and radio wave applications. Designed for optical equipment manufacturers requiring reflecting and shielding films.
• Automotive Parts In-vehicle thin-film components providing extensibility, durability, metallic designability, and functionality including light transparency and radio wave transparency. Used for front grills, side-view mirrors, door trims, instrument panels, switch panels, displays, and center consoles.
• Enclosure/Surface Protection Materials Surface protection films providing high hardness (up to 9H pencil hardness per JIS standards) and flexibility with metallic texture, weight savings, durability, and light transparency. Used for electronic device enclosures and surface protection.
• Industrial Materials Industrial thin films providing metallic decoration and functionality with releasability for eco-friendly, energy-saving applications and processing/release paper. Used for industrial manufacturing and processing applications.
• Architectural Decorative Materials Construction thin films providing durability including extensibility, scratch resistance, and light resistance with matte finish appearance. Delivered as transfer paper and laminated paper for architectural and interior finishing surfaces.
• Paper/Package Decorative Materials Paper and packaging thin films providing light shielding, moisture-proofing, environmental response (plastic waste reduction), metallic designability, and microwave transparency, with bio-based material options. Used for transfer papers, stamping foils, and laminated papers in packaging.

Quantifiable outcome

• Simultaneous provision of reflectivity, shielding, and durability in single thin-film products
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture (益田市)minorOthers · 10 October 2024Shimane Nakai Industrial Co., Ltd. entered into a disaster preparedness agreement with Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture. The company will provide vacuum-deposited film products to evacuation centers for body temperature maintenance and privacy protection during disasters, supporting local community safety.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toppan Printing: Toppan operates a significant functional films and packaging deco business including transparent barrier films, metallized films and transfer foils. It directly overlaps with Nakai's paper/package decoration, surface protection and vacuum metallizing capabilities, serving similar converting and packaging customers.
• Dai Nippon Printing (DNP): DNP manufactures decorative films, metallized films, transfer foils and packaging materials through its Information Communication and Lifestyle Materials segments. It competes directly with Nakai in paper/package decoration, architectural decorative films and specialty surface protection applications.
• Lintec Corporation: Lintec produces adhesive films, specialty coatings, window films and surface protection materials with a focus on functional films for automotive, electronics and architecture. It is a direct competitor to Nakai in surface protection, automotive interior films and architectural decorative films.

Broad incumbents

• Avery Dennison: Avery Dennison produces pressure-sensitive labels, specialty tapes and functional films for automotive, packaging and industrial applications. It overlaps with Nakai's METALITE-era PET label films and surface protection films, though with a much broader product portfolio.
• Sumitomo Chemical: Sumitomo Chemical manufactures functional films, display materials, automotive components and specialty coatings through its IT-related Materials and Advanced Polymers segments. It competes with Nakai in functional coatings and specialty films as part of a much broader chemicals portfolio.
• 3M: 3M's Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics segments include surface protection films, decorative films, EMI shielding films and reflective films. It serves overlapping automotive, electronics enclosure and architectural decorative applications as part of a global, broad-line industrial portfolio.
• Toray Industries: Toray is a major Japanese diversified materials manufacturer producing films, coatings, resins and composites for automotive, electronics and packaging. Its functional film portfolio overlaps with Nakai's surface protection, automotive and packaging films as part of a much broader product range.
• Mitsubishi Chemical Group: Parent company since May 2021, Mitsubishi Chemical produces polyester films, coatings, resins and performance polymers that overlap with Nakai's PET-based thin-film coatings. As the acquirer and 97% owner, it is both customer and strategic peer with broader portfolio reach.

Emerging players

• Dunmore Aerospace: Dunmore manufactures coated, laminated and metallized films for aerospace, industrial and packaging customers. It directly competes with Nakai in vacuum metallized films and specialty coated film substrates, though with a more limited geographic footprint and focus on aerospace/industrial.

Regional players

• Cosmo Films: Cosmo Films is an Indian manufacturer of BOPET, BOPP and specialty coated/metallized films for packaging, labels and industrial applications. It is comparable to Nakai in vacuum metallizing and coated film technology but primarily serves South Asian and global packaging markets rather than Japanese industrial customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nakai Industry Group