The NSSOL Systems Indonesia team just recently conducted a business trip to Yawata Steel Works in Kitakyushu, Japan, that lasted for around 3 days from 25 to 28 July 2024.

The main purpose of this trip was to familiarize the NSIDN employees with the knowledge of steelmaking processes, large-scale equipment utilization, and various other systems used in steel manufacturing. Additionally, this trip is intended to cultivate the sense of belonging and togetherness in Nippon Steel Group members worldwide and learning about the values that Nippon Steel embraces as a company through experiencing a mill of Nippon Steel that NSSOL itself originated in. As a part of knowledge enhancement and socialization effort, NSIDN arranged a trip to Yawata Steel Works, Japan’s first modern steel mill with a rich history dating back to the Meiji period.

Yawata Steel Works was established in 1901 as "Imperial Steel Works" in the former town of Yahata (now part of Kitakyushu) to meet the growing technological and industrial demands of the Meiji era. Chosen for its strategic port location and proximity to coal resources, Yawata produced 80-90% of Japan’s steel in the early 1900s, becoming the core of Japan’s heavy industry. Despite being targeted during World War II, it remained a key industrial hub through expansions and ownership changes. Today, it is owned by Nippon Steel Corporation and was recognized in 2015 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its role in Japan’s industrial revolution.

During the trip, NSIDN’s team was taken on a tour of the steelworks where the visitors must abide by the standard operating procedure to wear certain protective gears and uniform. The two main locations in the factory to visit were the blast furnace and hot strip mill areas, where the team was informed about the process and purpose of steelmaking, with steel pipes, rods, tubes, and the likes as the end products. After finishing the steelworks tour, the NSIDN team were brought to meet with the Yawata management team. Each side from NSIDN and Yawata shared their perspectives regarding quality management procedures, with NSIDN team being split into technical team’s side and steelmaking team’s side. Everyone was also given opportunities to share about their personal working experience and countermeasures that they perform whenever they encounter work-related issues. The visit for the day ended with a dinner attended by both NSIDN and Yawata in Hitotsubaki Restaurant.

As for the rest of the trip, the team visited various local tourist attractions, such as Kokura Castle, Yasaka Shrine, and the Hakata area, specifically the Kushida shrine and the canal city.

Kawano Takashi, part of NSIDN’s Japanese representatives from the steelmaking department, also opened to share about his thought s regarding the trip. He said, “Through these factory tours, we can observe the efficient production and transportation processes of high-quality steel and group’s systems support these processes. In the future, we hope to share the knowledge gained from this group with national staff in Indonesia to further improve our manufacturing practices. I appreciate everyone who has provided us with such opportunities.”

“The steelmaking process was quite complex, as it involved so many plants, work centers, machineries, tools, and materials to go through until we can see the result. From what I can see throughout the visit, I noticed that the people there are very disciplined and organized when working together in a team, but also know when to relax and enjoy the moment with their coworkers as well. As this was my first trip to Japan, I was pleasantly surprised at how neat and disciplined the country is. The way they successfully managed air pollution and vehicle traffic is something that we (Indonesia) can learn from,” said Pak Wije Sharma, NSIDN’s assistant manager and technical team member.

As we aim to deliver high-quality services to customers, it remains an important mission for us to keep learning and improving ourselves with brand new experiences and knowledge through this trip to Yawata. Stay tuned for more news and updates of our life on NSIDN!