The Japanese cement industry commenced the actual production of cement in 1875. The decades since have witnessed the relented pursuit of technological development, economic growth as a construction basic materials industry and other steady expansion and progress. Today, the sector ranks as a world leader in terms of production, quality, energy-saving technology, labor productivity, industrial waste and byproduct technological initiatives and on other fronts.
As of July 2025, the industry’s production scale spanned 26 plants owned by 15 companies, supporting clinker production capacity of 47 million tons.
Cement plants are located around Japan. There are particular high concentrations, however, in the Kyushu region (5 plants) and Yamaguchi Prefecture (3 plants), both areas known for their rich limestone resources, and the Kanto district - the nation’s largest cement consumption market (6 plants).
Around clinker production capacity per plant stands at approximately 1.8 million tons.