History

  1. Home
  2. About us
  3. History

Activities Spanning Three Centuries

Nippon Express Company, Ltd., was established in 1937 in line with the Nippon Tsu-un Kaisha Law as a semi-government transportation enterprise. The Company was created by pooling the assets of Kokusai Tsu-un KK (International Express Co., Ltd.), which consolidated many of the nation’s small-scale rail transport companies, and six other competitors, with additional funding from the Japanese government.

As World War II progressed, the need for a centralized approach to transport deepened throughout Japan, and the government combined the transportation companies operating in all of the nation’s major cities into what would later become Nippon Express. In 1950, under the Express Business Act and the Commercial Law Act, the company was relaunched as a private concern. Since that time, Nippon Express has expanded and developed its business in tandem with the Japanese economy as a whole.

Nippon Express History

1872 Riku-un Moto Kaisha is founded
1875 Company name changes to Naikoku Tsu-un Kabushiki Kaisha (Domestic Express Co., Ltd.)
1928 Begins operations under the name of Kokusai Tsu-un Kabushiki Kaisha (International Express Co., Ltd.)
1937 Nippon Express Company, Ltd., is established
1941-45 Nippon Express consolidates Japan’s transportation companies, and begins its modern-day operations
1950 Nippon Express goes public and is reestablished as a private company
1951 Begins experimental operation of Nittsu-style container transport
Transports antiques for Ancient Art of Japan Exhibition for the first time, begins art transport operation
1955 Begins travel services and domestic air-freight forwarding
1958 Representative office opens in New York Establishes Transport History Archives
(currently Museum of Logistics)
1959 Begins transport by 300-ton trailer
1961 Establishes Nippon Express Scholorship Society
1962 Nippon Express USA, Inc., is established
1963 Introduces a system to encourage employees to suggest ideas (Teian Seido)
Issues $15 million worth of dollar-denominated convertible bonds in the United States Representative office opens in Seoul
1964 Freighter Dai-ichi Ten-nichi Maru connecting Tokyo and Muroran starts operation
Begins marine transport operations using three-ton containers
Performs services for the Olympic Games in Tokyo
Transports the Venus de Milo
1965 Establishes Security Transport Business Division
Nittsu Gakuen and the University of Transportation Economics open
1966 Issues Japan E first convertible bonds worth¥10 billion
Representative offices open in Dusseldorf, Amsterdam and Rome
1967 Representative offices open in Taipei and Sydney
1968 Representative offices open in Paris and Bangkok
1969 All offices are connected by computer
1970 Performs services for the International Exposition in Osaka
Representative offices open in Singapore, Honolulu and London
1971 Marine transport route connecting Tokyo and Tomakomai, Hokkaido, is opened
Begins operation using 10-foot, five-ton containers
1972 Performs services for the Winter Olympics in Sapporo
1973 Central Information System Center opens within the head offices
Nippon Express (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., is established
1974 Transports the Mona Lisa
1976 Performs services for the Marine Exposition in Okinawa
1977 Simple Pelican Box service is launched (name changed in 1981 to Pelican)
1978 Performs services for transferring New Tokyo International Airport to Narita
Nippon Express Hawaii, Inc., is established
1979 Nippon Express (H.K.) Co., Ltd. and Nippon Express do Brasil Ltda., are established
1980 Regular marine transport route connecting Osaka and Tomakomai is in operation
Transports statue of Ganjin to China
1981 NSG activities begin
Nippon Express (U.K.) Ltd., and Nippon Express (Deutschland) GmbH are established
1982 Pelican service extended to overseas destinations
Transports Moai statues from Easter Island
1983 Nippon Express (Belgium) N.V./S.A. and Nippon Express Canada Ltd. are established
1984 VAN system begins operation
Construction completed for Tokyo Central Terminal for small parcels
Nippon Express Tours (Europe) Ltd. and Nippon Express (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. are established
1985 Performs services for International Exposition in Tsukuba
Nippon Express (Australia) Pty., Ltd., Nippon Express France, S.A., and Nippon Express Travel U.S.A., Inc. are established
1986 Nippon Express (Italia) S.R.L. is established
1987 Develops a quality control campaign
Introduces methanol-powered vehicles
Nippon Express (Schweiz) AG is established
1988 Nippon Express de Espana, S.A. is established
1989 Nippon Express’ own two-ton rail container and Singles Pack, a small-volume moving service, are launched
Nippon Express (Thailand) Co., Ltd., is established
1990 Renews system to encourage employees to suggest ideas (Shin Teian Seido)
Performs services for Flower and Greenery Exposition
Nippon Express (New Zealand) Ltd., is established
1991 Super Pelican service is launched
Corporate committee is established to address environmental issues
Creates an educational video for fifth graders
1992 Introduces electric vehicles
Participates in UNICEF foreign coins donation project
Global network expands to more than 200 operational bases
Worldwide communications network begins operation
1993 Recyclable moving/packing materials are developed
Nippon Express USA establishes the Nippon Express Foundation
Participates in “Ai no Pochette” charity drive to send packages to needy children around the world
1994 Shared use of trunk roads by truck transport companies begins
Shanghai Express International Co., Ltd. and Nippon Express (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., are established
1995 Nippon Express Philippines Corporation is established
1996 Full operation of integrated clerical work processing system begins
Representative offices open in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.
The office in Johannesburg reopens.
1997 Global distribution information system “N-SHATLE” is developed
Pro Compo service is launched
Established Eco-Business Division
Transports the Buddhist statue kudara kannon to France Nippon Express (Zhuhai) Co., Ltd., Nippon Express
Chile S.A., and P.T. Nittsu Lemo Indonesia Logistik are established
1998 Transports the Statue of Liberty scale model from Paris.
Produces a pamphlet on distribution for elementary school students
Museum of Logistics opens Representative office opens in Budapest
Major organizational restructuring is practiced
1999 Transports the Liberty Guiding the People
Tokyo Food Terminal is completed
Full-scale operation of internet mail order delivery bigins
Toll-Free Number for Parcel Collection Service begins
Number of overseas employees exceeds 8,000
2000 Izu Study & Training Center is opened
Environmental report is issued
Carries out moving work in accordance with the reorganization of government ministries and agencies
2002 Carried out transportation work related to the hosting of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament
Number of low-pollution vehicles introduced exceeded 1,000
2003 “Ecology Konpo” home removal product launched Inaugural Nittsu Group Nationwide Contest for Drivers and Forklift Operators Compliance Department established
2004 New corpolate slogan,”With Your Life”, announced
New IT system commenced operation
Digital tachoglaph installed in sales vehicles throughout the Group
2005 Performed services for”Expo2005 Aichi,Japan”
New Pelican”Delivery Time Frame Specification”service began 20th anniversary of the Nittsu Family Concert
2006 Nippon Express(St.Petersburg) LLC established.
Transported the giant mural “the Myth of tomorrow”,painted by Taro Okamoto.
“Eco-Recycle Express”and “Eco-Recycle Box” sale launched.
Ecology Konpo service recieves “Eco Products Award” the Minister’s Award from the Ministry of Land,Infrastracture and Transport.
Top of page