Society Oji Papers to switch from baby to adult diapers

[thomas]

I saw this yesterday on NHK: What could be more symptomatic of Japan's demographic changes than Oji Papers' decision to switch production from baby napkins to adult diapers?

Oji Holdings, a specialist in paper products, said it would stop making children's nappies in September amid a sharp decline in demand. The firm's sales have dropped from about 700m in 2001 to 400m today. Sales of adult diapers have outpaced those of nappies in Japan for over a decade, and recent population statistics indicate that the trend will continue.

The number of births in Japan fell to an all-time low of 758,631 in 2023, compared with 1,590,503 deaths. Children under the age of 15 accounted for less than 12% percent of the country's population in 2022, the public broadcaster NHK said, while those aged 65 and over made up almost 30%. The population is expected to plummet from its current 125 million to an estimated 88 million in 2065 – a 30% decline in 45 years. The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has described the stubbornly low birthrate as an "existential crisis" and promised financial aid for families, easier childcare access and more parental leave. With few exceptions, however, national and local government campaigns to encourage people to have bigger families have had little impact.

A spokesperson for Oji Holdings said the firm would boost production of sanitary products for older people, adding that they expected them to be used in nursing homes and other public facilities. "Demand for baby diapers is decreasing due to several factors, including the falling birthrate," the spokesperson said. The firm will continue to sell nappies domestically until stocks run out and plans to expand production in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, where demand is expected to grow.

Sign of the times in Japan as nappy company switches production to adult nappies

Oji Holdings said it would stop making children’s nappies in September amid a sharp decline in demand. Japan has a rapidly ageing society

www.theguardian.com

Japan nappy maker shifts from babies to adults

Since 2011, sales of adult nappies have outpaced those for infants in Japan as its population ages.

www.bbc.com

Oji Holdings to exit baby diaper market in Japan, shift to adults | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Major Japanese paper maker Oji Holdings says it will exit the domestic baby diaper business due to fewer births and falling demand. It plans to focus instead on adult diapers.

www3.nhk.or.jp

 

[thomas]

A few days ago, CNN had a piece on how Japan's ageing society changes the consumer product market:

Demand for adult diapers in Japan has been rising, while the need for baby diapers has fallen. The global market value for adult diapers was pegged at $12.8 billion in 2023, according to market research provider Euromonitor International. It is expected to reach almost $15.5 billion by 2026. In Japan, the adult diaper market stood at $1.7 billion in 2023, and is expected to grow to $1.9 billion in 2026, accounting for more than 12% of the global total. One example of a company adjusting to this shift is Japanese manufacturer Oji Holdings, which announced in March it would stop producing baby diapers for the Japanese market later this year to focus on incontinence products for adults. The company will continue to run its overseas baby diaper business, it said. Their combined baby diaper sales in China, Indonesia and Malaysia have grown despite a slowdown in the domestic market, where the company sold 7.3% more diapers for adults than babies in 2023.

Lots of graphs and stats:

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/05/business/japan-aging-society-baby-care-nhk-dg/index.html

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Hoping the day never comes when I swap my underwear for diapers.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

I would appreciate it if he/she wears a diaper for a family living together obediently.
I refused that father wore a diaper and had a hard time.
日常生活動作（Activities of Daily Living）

介護される方の動作能力（ADL）を知ろう - ライフリー - ユニ・チャーム

できる限りトイレで排泄できるよう、そのギリギリのところまで、介護される方を見守ってあげる姿勢こそが排泄ケアにおいては大切です。そのためには、介護される方の動作能力（ADL）を正しく把握しておく必要があります。

jp.lifree.com

The diapers to wear depending on a daily living activity are different.