January
San-es Shokai founded by Tadao Yoshida in Higashi Nihonbashi, Tokyo; Click here to view a pictorial history of YKK (Japanese only).

February
San-es Shokai renamed Yoshida Kogyosho

February
Yoshida Kogyosho reorganized as a limited company.

May
Komatsugawa Plant burned down in the Great Tokyo Air Raids; Yoshida Kogyosho temporarily

January
YKK® registered as a trademark of Yoshida Kogyo K.K.

March
Headquarters relocated to Nihonbashi Bakurocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

May
Kurobe Plant commences operations in Kurobe City, Toyama Prefecture.

July
Yoshida Trading Co. (current YKK AP Inc.) established.

August

Yoshida Kogyo K.K. headquarters relocated to Asakusa Kaminarimon, Taito-ku, Tokyo.

April
YKK Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. established as the first overseas affiliate of YKK’s architectural products business..

August
Yoshida Kogyo K.K. renamed YKK Corporation.

July
YKK Newmax Co., Ltd. (YKK Snap Fasteners Japan Co., Ltd.) established as the main company of YKK’s snaps and buttons business.

December
First machinery and engineering business company (Suzhou YKK Machinery & Die Works Co., Ltd.) established in Suzhou, China.

February
YKK Fastening Products Sales Inc. established as a sales company for YKK’s fastening business.

July
YKK Tours launched by the YKK Group as an industrial tourism plant tour.

September
YKK Center Park, a facility that is open to the general public, opened.

July
The YKK80 Building completed in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, as the new headquarters of YKK Corporation and YKK AP Inc.

August

YKK UK celebrates its 50^th Anniversary

April

Mr Toru Yamamoto, YKK Europe Managing Director

New Zipper and YKK UK merge

July

YKK Corporation and YKK Fastening Products Sales Inc. merged.

YKK Ethiopia established