• Saito Dyeworks is established in the Wakamiya-cho district of Honjo Ward, Tokyo.
• Yuzen dyer Jinshiro Saito strikes out on his own as a producer of dyed articles for public display such as shop curtains, the Japanese flag, and championship flags.

• Relocates to Tateishi in what is now Katsushika City, Tokyo, after the factory burns down in the 1923 Kanto earthquake.
• The golden age of movie theater banners in Japan.

• Kanto earthquake

• During the war, makes flags and armbands for the National Defense Women’s Association, and flags for sending off soldiers to the front.

Photo taken during the chaotic war years. The Burmese flag in the background was made to order by the firm.

• The company’s first job after the end of the war is making armbands for the National Safety Forces (predecessor of the Self Defense Forces).

• End of World War II

• Jinshiro Saito Jr. becomes the second president.
• Saito Dyeworks Co., Ltd. is established with ¥1,000,000 in capital.
• Invents a machine for dyeing the Japanese flag.

• Outbreak of the Korean War

• Begins operating a plant for hand printing using the honzome technique, alongside its existing chusen dyeing plant.

• Produces the oilcloth used by the future Empress Michiko at her wedding to the future Emperor (the current Emperor Emeritus). Is widely covered in the media.

• The Imperial Wedding

• Inundated with orders for Japanese flags to commemorate the Imperial Wedding.

Producing the Japanese flag

• A technological advance makes it possible to dye synthetic fabrics on both sides.
• Saito Dyeworks dyes over 90 percent of the flags used at the Tokyo Olympics.
• Corporate advertising spreads rapidly as the Japanese economy grows. Advertising on textile media, including curtains and banners in stores and restaurants, also takes off.

• Commences full-scale pigment printing (a first in Japan).
• The 2nd floor of the plant is partially destroyed by fire and rebuilt to accommodate machinery.

Mr. Endo (center), the developer of pigment printing

• There were no aluminum frames in those days; they were all of wood. The wooden frames were washed in the morning, and when work resumed in the afternoon, it often happened that the pattern did not match.

• Makes some 50 percent of the international flags displayed at the Osaka World Expo.

• The Japan World Exposition in Osaka

• Installs the industry’s first fully automated textile printing machine.
• Installs the world’s first fully automated textile printing machine equipped with steps, which enables multicolored printing.
• Meanwhile boosts quality by strengthening its inspection arm.

The company’s first fully automated textile printing machine

• Renamed Saito Dyeing Co., Ltd.

• Takamasa Saito becomes the third president.

• Installs its third fully automated textile printing machine, which dramatically boosts production volumes.

• Becomes first in the industry to succeed in photoprinting on cloth (using color separation). Its work now decks the streets.
• Spins off its hand dyeing arm to form Saito FP Co., Ltd.
• Establishes Saito SG Co., Ltd. to handle sewing in house, creating an integrated production system embracing every step from dyeing through final stitching.

Manual and mechanized operations were performed separately (Saito FP)

• Recognized as an outstanding company by the Tokyo government and awarded the Governor of Tokyo Award.

• The integrated line for pigment printing is perfected.

• Wins the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency Director-General’s Award.

• Renamed SAPTI Inc.
• Tsukuba Factory comes online.

• One of Japan’s largest fully automated textile printing machines is installed at Tsukuba Factory.

One of Japan’s largest fully automated textile printing machines

• Becomes the first Japanese industry player to expand abroad, establishing Shanghai SAPTI Printing Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, China.

• Juichiro Saito becomes the fourth president.
• Contributes to the success of the Nagano Olympics.

• With the completion of the new wing at Tsukuba Factory, closes the Tokyo plant and centralizes operations.
• Subsidiary Saito FP Co., Ltd. is certified as an outstanding product manufacturing plant by Katsushika City, Tokyo.

• Tsukuba Factory is certified for ISO 14001 (environmental management systems).

• Installs a direct-to-plate inkjet platemaker.
• Installs a CST digital platemaker.

• Installs digital printing equipment.
• Debuts at the Sign & Display Show and begins selling US-made ink in earnest.

• Celebrates its 100th anniversary.
• Compiles a commemorative history of its century in business.

• Shanghai SAPTI Printing Co., Ltd. closes.

• Absorbs Saito FP Co., Ltd. and resumes operations at Tsukuba Factory.

• Relocates headquarters to Nihonbashi in Chuo-ku, Tokyo.

• Relaunches the operations of what had been Saito FP under a new department, Dyed Goods Division.

• The Support Wrestler Saori Yoshida Project（>Details）

• SC Karuizawa Club men’s curling team qualifies for the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics!（>Details）

• Online shopping site "National flag shop" opened
  https://www.flag.shop/

• Anti-virus measures IELU, Kinoshield start（>Details）

• Contribute to TOKYO 2020
• Interview posted in "50 long-lived companies in Tokyo" published by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
  
  Reprinted from "50 longevity companies in Tokyo" (published by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun)（>PDF）

• Hiroki Saito becomes the fifth president.