Foundation Outline
Name
KAKEN TEST CENTER General Incorporated Foundation (abbreviation: KAKEN)
President
Mr. Takashi Manabe
Establishment
December 15, 1948
Capital
1 Billion (JPY)
Offices
Head Office

4-11-5, Nihonbashi Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023, Japan

Domestic

TOKYO LABORATORIES (Kawaguchi Lab./ Chemical Analysis Lab./ Biological Test Lab./ Horidome Branch Lab./ Harajuku Branch Lab./ Meguro Branch Lab./ Global Communication Development )

TOKAI LABORATORIES (Lab./ Nagoya Info Center)

OSAKA LABORATORIES (Sales Promotion Division/ Honmachi Info Center Branch/ Kyoto Branch Lab./ Environmental Analysis Branch Lab.)

HOKURIKU LABORATORY (Fukui city)

SEIBU LABORATORY (Fukuyama city)

Overseas Branch & Group companies

KAKEN HONG KONG

SHANGHAI KAKON INSPECTION & TESTING SERVICES Co., Ltd.

SHANGHAI KAKON NANTONG BRANCH

KAKEN QINGDAO LABORATORY

KAKEN DALIAN LABORATORY

KAKEN NINGBO LABORATORY

KAKEN WUXI LABORATORY

PT. KAKEN INDONESIA

KAKEN VIETNAM ONE MEMBER COMPANY LIMITED

Affiliated Institutes

KOTITI Testing & Research Institute (KOREA/ BANGLADESH)
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services(VIETNAM / THAILAND/ TAIWAN)

Modern Testing Services (Global) Ltd (INDIA)

Number of Staff

abt. 900

Services

Testing & certification of supplies to government and municipal offices, public-service corporations.

Testing & certification of supplies to department stores, large volume chain stores, and mail-order companies.

Testing & certification for general commercial transactions.

Testing & certification of automobile’s and aircraft’s interiors, geotextiles, and other industrial materials.

Testing & certification of natural leathers, synthetic leathers, and apparel accessories.

Performance analytical testing of finishing agents and detergents, etc.

Testing & certification based on in-house or overseas standards, etc., specified by clients.

Testing & certification of the performance of new products, or newly developed products.

Testing/inspection/certification based on export or import contractual terms & conditions.

Other general tests on requests.

Government Agencies, using KAKEN as their designated testing body

Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Finance Japan

Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare

Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport and Tourism

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Ministry of Defense

National Police Agency

Prefectural Police Headquarters

Fire and Disaster Management Agency

Japan Coast Guard

Forestry Agency

Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Kanagawa Prefectural Office

Yokohama City and other local communities

Japan Tobacco Company

All Electric Power Companies

Japan Agricultural Cooperation and more.

Organizations, either accrediting or designating KAKEN

Japan Textile Evaluation Technology Council (SEK Mark, etc.)

Consumer Product Safety Association (SG Mark Inspection for Camping Tents)

Society of Industrial technology for Antimicrobial Articles (SIAA Mark)

Nippon Interior Association

Japan Chemical Fiber Association (Inspection body entrusted with Causes Analysis for Product Defects)

Japan Environment Association, Eco-mark Secretariat

International Down & Fiber Bureau

Japan Fire Retardant Association

Cashmere & Camel Manufacturers Institute

Japan Hockey Association

Japan Football Association

Interior Fabric Performance Evaluation Council

Japan Far Infrared Rays Association

Membrane Structures Association of Japan

Japan Down Products Cooperative Association

GINETEX:GROUPEMENT INTERNATIONAL D’ETIQUEAGE POUR L’ENTRETIEN DES TEXTILES and more.

History

A consistent improvement as a third-party testing organization representing Japan.

KAKEN TEST CENTER General Incorporated Foundation (abbreviated “KAKEN”), Japan Synthetic Textile Inspection Institute Foundation as its predecessor, Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 1948 (at present, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) has been established with the authorization.

By the subsequent public interest corporation reformation, it shifted to “General Incorporated Foundation” from “Foundation” and also changed the name into “KAKEN TEST CENTER” from “Japan Synthetic Textile Inspection Institution” on April 1, 2011.

More than 20 years from its establishment, while mainly engaged in the export inspection of a chemical fiber and a synthetic fiber, and a domestic demand inspection, it strove for introduction of overseas examination and test technology, and has contributed to development of the textile industry of our country, such activities as drawing up and updating of fiber relation JIS standards.

From the around 1970, started to apparel textile related examination business in earnest, and subsequent early in the 1980s, tackled each inspection / inspection business as imported clothing, is expanded steadily. The status is gradually established also about the overseas operations which made a foray from the mid-1980s.

Now, focusing on examination business, such as domestic distribution or an import, it is continuing the steady pace aiming at the third-party testing body of an international level and more global.

1940
Dec. 1948
Established and authorized by Ministry of Commerce and Industry (currently Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry hereinafter referred to as METI).
Name: Japan Synthetic Textile Inspection Institute Foundation
1950
Mar. 1951
Established Osaka Central Inspection Center (currently Osaka Laboratories)
Jun. 1953
Became a “registered inspection agency" of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (currently METI) based on the Export Goods Control Law
Feb. 1958
Became a “designated inspection agency" of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (currently METI) based on the Export Inspection Law
1970
Jan. 1971
Start of pre-delivery testing for clothing for large-scale mass retailers
1980
Aug. 1988
Business alliance with Korea Textile Technology Promotion Center (currently KOTITI TESTING & RESEARCH INSTITUTE)
Nov. 1988
Established Hong Kong TOSCANA CO., LTD. (Currently Kaken Hong Kong)
Mar. 1989
Became a “certified testing agency" of the International Down and Feather Bureau
May 1989
Became a “certified inspection agency" of the SEK mark of the Textile Products Sanitary Processing Council
1990
Oct. 1992
Began full-scale quality inspection of shoes, bags and other miscellaneous goods
Jun. 1994
Business alligance with Shanghai Kakon Apparel Test & Mending Co., Ltd. (currently Shanghai Kakon Inspection & Testing Services Co., Ltd.)
Business alliance with MTL (Merchandise Testing Laboratories) (currently BVCPS HK)
Sep. 1996
Business alliance with MTL (TAIWAN) (currently BVCPS (H.K.) Taiwan Branch)
Mar. 1998
Tokyo laboratory and Osaka laboratory received ISO 9002 (currently ISO 9001) certification
Business alliance with MTL(INDONESIA) (currently BVCPS INDONESIA)
Dec. 1998
Tokyo laboratory becomes certified by the Minister of International Trade and Industry (currently METI) as a testing business operator based on the Industrial Standardization Law (currently Industrial Standardization Act) upon inspection by JNLA. Since then, all offices and laboratories have been accredited as testing business operators.
2000
Oct. 2001
Established Qingdao Laboratory, China
Nov. 2002
Established Dalian Laboratory, China
Aug. 2003
Established Ningbo Laboratory, China
Aug. 2004
Established Wuxi Laboratory, China
Nov. 2004
Business alliance with OMIC COPIT (currently BVCPS (Thailand) Limited) in Thailand
Aug. 2005
Business alliance with KOTITI VIETNAM LTD. (currently BVCPS VIETNAM) in Vietnam
May 2007
Shanghai Kakon Apparel Test & Mending Co., Ltd. (currently Shanghai Kakon Inspection & Testing Services Co., Ltd.) is accredited by CNAS (certified as a laboratory based on ISO / IEC 17025).
2010
Apr. 2011
Japan Synthetic Textile Inspection Insitute Foundation transferred to Kaken Test Center in accordance with the three laws related to reformation of the public interest corporation system.
Apr. 2012
Established PT. Kaken Indonesia in Jakarta
Oct. 2014
Business alliance with KOTITI Bangladesh Ltd.
Dec. 2014
"Quick-drying test" devised by Kaken becomes registered as an international standard (ISO 17617).
Sep. 2015
"Hygroscopic heat generation test" devised by Kaken becomes registered as an international standard (ISO 18782).
Mar. 2016
Concluded an intellectual property license agreement with GINETEX (a development and dissemination organization for textile product handling symbols) and became the only organization in Japan that has the authority to authorize the use of textile product handling symbols.
Nov. 2016
Established Shanghai Kakon Nantong branch laboratory in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China
Apr. 2017
Shanghai Kakon Inspection & Testing Services Co., Ltd. became a designated testing agency of the Textile Evaluation Technology Council for antibacterial testing.
Aug. 2018
Became an accredited testing agency of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) (Currently World Athletics) for running track paving materials
Oct. 2018
Became an inspection agency designated by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) for "throwable artificial turf" at athletics stadiums
Jan. 2019
Established Bangalore Office in India (currently Modern Testing Services (India) Private Ltd)
Oct. 2019
Became a member of ‘Textile Exchange' as part of our commitment to the SDGs
Nov. 2019
Became a member of ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) aiming for zero hazardous substances
2020
July 2021
Environmental Chemistry Analysis laboratory in Osaka Laboratories registered as a test operator based on JIS Q 17025 (ISO / IEC 17025)
Aug. 2021
Business alliance with Modern Testing Services (India) Private Ltd
Nov. 2021
Became a member of Japan Sustainable Fashion Alliance (JSFA) aiming for "zero fashion loss (appropriate quantity production, recycling, etc.)" and "carbon neutral".
Jun. 2022
Established Qingdao Shinan district Office, China
Nov. 2022
Certified as a ZDHC Verified InCheck verifier for the first time in Japan to provide a verification service for ZDHC chemical inventory tables
Jan. 2023
Started antiviral testing (JIS L 1922 applied, ISO 21702 applied) against the novelcoronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
Jun. 2023
Signed The Microfibre 2030 Commitment, established to reduce the environmental impact of microfibers
Oct. 2024
Established MTV KAKEN VIETNAM in VIETMAM(KAKEN VIETNAM ONE MEMBER COMPANY LIMITED)
CSR

Basic Concept of CSR

Our business activities are supported by stakeholders such as customers, business partners, local communities, staff, and many others of society. The trust we receive from all of you is the foundation for fulfilling our mission and achieving sustainable growth.
We as Kaken Test Center aim to fulfill our responsibilities as a member of society such as enforcing compliance and risk management. In addition, we aim to contribute to the sound development of livelihood related industries, to improvement of consumption and to sustainable development of society by sincerely responding to the expectations of the community against our business activities. Based on this recognition, we have set the following five themes as priority areas of promoting CSR.

1. Creating a sustainable management base

As a testing and inspection organization that puts fairness and neutrality first, we will establish the basis of an organization in which all staff can take normative actions.

2. Providing fair testing and inspection

We always work in good faith for all tests and inspections, and provide fair, impartial and reliable service.

3. Contribution to society

We will utilize the knowledge and technology cultivated through our business in activities that contribute to society at large.

4. Consideration for the environment

We will participate in efforts to protect the global environment and strive to reduce the environmental impacts of our business activities.

5. Respect for staff

We will create a safe and comfortable working environment in which each staff respects each other's human rights.