Achi news desk-
As a result of Japan’s rapidly aging society, Oji Holdings has announced that it is ceasing the production of baby diapers in the country, redirecting its attention to the adult market, BBC reported.
This changing strategy is also in line with the national trend seen among Japanese companies following the very low birth rates in Japan.
For more than a decade, sales of adult diapers have been higher than for babies, showing the changing Japanese aging model. Fewer births, according to the reduction of 5.1% in 2023 from 758,631 to the lowest level since the 19th century, which is very different from the two million births that took place in the 1970s.
Oji Holdings subsidiary Oji Nepia now produces 400 million baby diapers each year, however, this number is down from its peak of 700 million in 2001n. The growth of the adult diaper market even outstrips the baby diaper market in 2011 by Unicharm. Unique market patterns are emerging.
The country of Japan, with 30% of them aged 65 and over, and over 10% of them aged 80 and over, shows a situation that only indicates that consumer needs are changing.
In addition, the company plans to continue manufacturing baby diapers in Malaysia and Indonesia to meet the anticipated demand in these areas.
From an economics perspective, Japan not only has demographic challenges but also Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recognizes the social implications of the crisis.
The convergence of fertility between Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, as well as China’s population decline for the second consecutive year, point to demographic change and the complexity of solving them.
