NSK Toyama Co., Ltd., a Group company of NSK Ltd., received the 2020 Excellence Award from the “Toyama Class A River System Water Pollution Countermeasures Coordination Committee” for its remarkable track record of river cleanup and protection activities.

The CEO of NSK Toyama, Kazumasa Yamamoto (pictured left), received the award on June 22 from the head of Takaoka City's Environmental Policy Office, Akihiro Sakai, endorsed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The Toyama Class A River System Water Pollution Countermeasures Coordination Committee was established in 1987 with the aim of facilitating communication between the organizations involved in preventing the pollution of class A river systems in Toyama Prefecture (Kurobe River, Joganji River, Jinzu River, Sho River, and Oyabe River). The committee is comprised of members from national government organizations (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), Toyama Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, and nine cities, three towns, and one village located in the river basins. The committee is actively engaged in measures against water pollution that include river cleanup and protection activities and environmental awareness initiatives, and recognizes other model individuals and organizations for their efforts.

Rich in nature and surrounded by the ocean and mountain ranges on all sides, Toyama Prefecture has had four of its bodies of water selected by the Ministry of the Environment for its list of Japan's 100 Remarkable Waters, the most selected from any one prefecture in the country. This is one of the reasons that the prefecture has earned the nickname, “Kingdom of Water”.

After NSK Toyama was established in the area in 1966, it has made contributions to a variety of industry advancements through its production of bearings and parts for over 50 years. Additionally, NSK Toyama has made environmental protection one of its priority objectives in order to preserve Toyama prefecture's elegant natural beauty for generations to come. NSK Toyama's Takaoka Plant sits adjacent to the clear waters of the famed Sho River, and the plant makes every effort to reduce its environmental impact by reducing water usage and strictly controlling drainage. The plant is also engaged in riverside cleanups and other activities that contribute to the local community.