Cosmetics & Toiletries & Household Products Marketing News in Japan articles from April 2002

Cosmetics & Toiletries & Household Products Marketing News in Japan archives from April 2002

Cosmetics sales in 2001 by sales route.
April 25, 2002... Shukan Shogyo, a major Japanese cosmetics and toiletries journal publisher, has announced that the estimated cosmetics sales in 2001 totaled 3,268,410 million yen on a retail basis, up 0.1% over 2000. As for sales by routes, cosmetics...

Cosmetics shipment totals of 150 firms by distribution channel in 2001.
April 25, 2002... According to a survey conducted by Shukan Shogyo, total cosmetics shipments of 150 companies by distribution channel in 2001 reached 2,097,361 million yen, down 0.3% from 2000. When one company sells its cosmetic products through three...

Japanese Cosmetics Distribution Channels.
April 25, 2002... The distribution channel of cosmetics in Japan is summarized as follows: (1) Franchised System = Maker - Its own Sales Company - Contract Retail Store (Chain Store) - Consumer (2) Door-to-Door Sales = Maker - (Sales Company and Dealer) -...

Total number of new cosmetic products introduced in 2001.
April 25, 2002... Shukan Shogyo has announced the total number of new cosmetic products introduced in 2001. Compared to 2000, the total number rose 0.1% to 7566 and the average retail price increased 25.4% to 2988 yen. New products included new shades, new...

Japan's cosmetics sales in 2001.
April 25, 2002... The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has announced early figures for 2001 cosmetics shipments showing that total sales have fallen for a fourth straight year. The sales came to 1.42 trillion yen on a shipments basis, a dip of 0.3% from...

Sales of soap & detergents in 2001.
April 25, 2002... According to statistics compiled by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, total sales volume of soap and detergents in 2001 (January-December) rose 3.6% to 1,617,769 tons and total sales value fell 2% to 451,567 million yen. The...

Shu Uemura and L'Oreal to Increase Dept. Store Presence.
April 25, 2002... Shu Uemura Cosmetics has recently announced plans to strengthen its department store presence in co-operation with French based L'Oreal. The two companies are also to deepen their co-operation with regard to R&D. The first stage, involving...

Pola to Release Department Store Brand.
April 25, 2002... Cosmetic giant Pola Cosmetics has announced its intention to release a new cosmetics brand specially for department store retail. The new brand will be called "cofu" and will comprise a total of 236 items in 20 skin care and makeup categories....

Nation-Wide Internet Cosmetics Sales Network.
April 25, 2002... The internet service provider Eye Star has announced plans to support a nation-wide network of 4,000 privately owned cosmetics outlets. In addition to producing a home page profiling the individual outlets, Eye Star is planning to use mobile...

Kao to Increase Investment in US R&D.
April 25, 2002... Japanese cosmetic and toiletry giant Kao is to increase its investment in overseas research in order to expand its foreign operations. Kao now view the US / Europe personal care product market a prime target for future growth, however until now...

Pearl and Grape Seed Health Supplement.
April 25, 2002... Mikimoto Pharmaceuticals has released "Budoju" a tablet form health food supplement containing conchiolin - a protein extracted from pearls. Conchiolin has been shown to have significant anti-oxidising properties that in addition to...

Boots to Expand Clearasil Product Range.
April 25, 2002... UK based drug store giant Boots is planning to increase the profile of the acne medication "Clearasil". As part of this plan in September of this year Boots is planning to introduce another 4 items onto the Japanese from the extensive existing...

Glasses Superstore to Retail Own Cosmetic Brand.
April 25, 2002... "Megane Super" the eye glasses superstore has recently announced plans to market its own brand of basic cosmetic products under the brand name "Riny" from its 360 nation-wide chain stores. Products include "Riny 101 Enzyme Facial Wash" (80g...

Japanese Paper Hand Cream.
April 25, 2002... The Tokyo based carbon ceramic product retailer Tancela has recently released "Hand Smily" a liquid featuring Japanese paper as its main constituent that helps prevent rough and chapped skin. When applied to the hands, the Japanese paper...

Nippon Menard Announce Change to Fish Collagen.
April 25, 2002... The Japanese cosmetics giant Nippon Menard Cosmetic has announced its intention to switch from collagen made from cattle to that derived from fish sources. The change will encompass all of the company's product lines and seen as a response...

New Safer Desiccant.
April 25, 2002... Ohe Chemicals has developed a new desiccant using a safe organic absorption indicator instead of cobalt chloride. All its Silica Gel products have switched to using the new coloring. Performance is the same as with cobalt chloride and the...

Sale of Rice Husk Containers Has Started.
April 25, 2002... Soken sells imported containers made from rice husks. The company sold 35,000 of the containers made in China in their first three months on the market. The greatest advantage is that the rice husk box lunch containers, cups and party plates...

New Model Bag Sealer from Nichiban.
April 25, 2002... Nichiban has developed the BS-3000N, a new type of bag sealer using reopening paper tape. This new sealer is used to wrap tape around the necks of bags to seal them after wholesalers, packers and retailers pack the products. Retailers can...

All-Paper Sink Food-Waste Bags.
April 25, 2002... Kobax has released 100%-paper sink food waste bags in the Kami San Series. The merit of this product is that one can toss food waste in the bag and discard it as burnable garbage. The product is made of 30% recycled paper and 70% natural...

Tissue Moistened with Deep-Ocean Water.
April 25, 2002... Sansho Shigyo has released Kaiyo Shinsosui, a tissue moistened with mineral-rich water from the deep ocean. The package of this product uses aluminum vapor deposition film and has a design reminiscent of the ocean. Ocean water that cools...

Update of Eye Drop Product with New Container.
April 25, 2002... Rohto Pharmaceutical has updated its main eye drop product, Shin V Rohto. The design of the product now has its original polyhedron shape, but Rohto has switched manufacturing techniques from direct blow to injection blow, thereby cutting...

Excess Hair Growth Retardant.
April 25, 2002... Japanese Cosmetics giant Shiseido has announced the development of an extract from the plant Dokudami that effectively suppresses the growth of unwanted body hair. Clinical studies performed by the company found that the "Houttuynia"...

Day Long Sun Protection from Kanebo.
April 25, 2002... Kanebo has announced the development of a substance made from silicone resin and a fluorine based silicone oil that offers day long protection from the sun. The secret to the substance is the minute undulations formed on the surface of the...

Collagen Production from Pearl Oyster.
April 25, 2002... Mikimoto Pharmaceuticals has announced the production of cosmetics grade collagen from the flesh of pearl oysters. The reluctance of cosmetic manufacturers to use collagen derived from cattle since the outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan...

Aroma Weight Reduction.
April 25, 2002... A Shiseido research group has recently announced the results of clinical studies that show that the aromas of certain foods, including grapefruit and pepper, helps stimulate the burning of neutral body fat - the main cause of obesity. The...

Silk Screen Scratch Ink Comes up Clean.
April 25, 2002... Toyo Ink Mfg. offers TT164SS Gin ("silver") scratch ink for silk screen printing. Scratch ink is typically used on lottery tickets and is scratched away with a coin or other object. The company describes the new ink as the industry's first...

Toppan Ink Changes Color to Reveal Package Air Exposure.
April 25, 2002... Toppan Printing and Otsuka Pharmaceutical have created a technique to use carbon dioxide to show whether the contents of a package have been exposed to the air. Ink containing pH indicator is printed directly onto the packaging film. If the...

Rhinestone Finger Nail Art.
April 25, 2002... Tokyo based Nadja Perenne has released "PICKerr UPerr" an easy to use rhinestone fingernail decoration accessory set. The set consists of 60 brightly coloured and different shaped rhinestones, adhesive, and a special positioning stick with...

King Chemicals Releases New Insecticide Products.
April 25, 2002... King Chemicals has released two new insecticide products, Okugaiyo Gaichu Kujo Aerosol (45ml, 980 yen) and Nagashidaiyo Mushi Nigeru (500 yen). Okugaiyo Gaichu Kujo Aerosol (insecticide aerosol for outdoor use) kills pests that people do not...

Scratch Covering Car Wax.
April 25, 2002... Ishihara Yakuhin has released "Kizu Keshi Ekitai Wax" a liquid car wax product that produces a smooth glossy surface covering scratches. The wax contains powder particles able to change size according to the extent of the scratch, enabling...

Air Deodorising Device.
April 25, 2002... Yamada Denki Kogyo has released "Clean Chan" a tabletop size deodorising and air purifying device. The small size device (Measuring Length: 22cm, Width: 18cm, Height 19cm) quietly and efficiently filters air through a charged filter...

Room Deodorising Wall Hanging.
April 25, 2002... San Family has released "Shoshu Meiga [Deodorising Famous Picture] Tapistry Gogh to Himawari" a polyester non-woven material featuring a print of the famous "Sunflower" masterpiece impregnated with deodorising agents. As the entire 60cm x...

Professional Protective Masks.
April 25, 2002... Tokyo based Tokuyama Home Products has released 2 types of its protective masks for general retail. 1) "Dust Protector White" - A disposable mask typically used in the dental profession capable of filtering out 99.9% of pollen, 99.0%...

Household Repair Kit.
April 25, 2002... Columbus has released "My Home Kyukyu [First Aid] Box" a maintenance box for wallpaper, floors and furniture. The set consists of a floor wax, floor cleanser, furniture polish, wall paper cleaner and a wood coloured filler designed to...

House Plant Insecticide.
April 25, 2002... Takada Engei has released "Garden Doctor Benika X Series" an antibacterial insecticide that not only kills aphids and other insects but also common forms of harmful plant bacteria. The product contains the fast acting insecticide agent...

S.T. Chemical Tripet Compact Keeps Spaces Dry.
April 25, 2002... Tripet Compact from S.T. Chemical is a pouch that absorbs humidity and lets water collect inside. With a capacity of 350ml but a size of just 235mm x 57mm x 60mm, it fits easily into limited spaces such as drawers and closets. When the pouch...

Knee Supporter.
April 25, 2002... Dr. Scholl has released "Hiza Senyo Supporter" a range of elastic support products specifically designed for the knees. The product range consists of 4 types: a full woven sleeve designed to warm the knee area preventing pain due to...

Adjustable Steam Cleaner.
April 25, 2002... Yokohama based Kumazaki Aim has released "Jokigen SC 100" a steam cleaner for home use. Water is first added to the tank and the switch activated. Within seconds an adjustable flow of hot steam is produced that cleanses floors without...

Two Week Contact Lenses.
April 25, 2002... Chiba Vision has released "Fresh Look Colour" a set of coloured soft type contact lenses that require changing every 2 weeks. The lenses allow a high volume of oxygen to permeate to the eye reducing discomfort and are available in hazel,...

Fragrant Mobile Phone Straps.
April 25, 2002... Will Kikaku has released "Aroma Strap" aromatic mobile phone straps with an attached vial of essential plant oils. The product consists of a strap with a hardened heart shaped glass vial containing the essential oil. The lid can be opened...

Hand Antibacterial Cleanser.
April 25, 2002... Tokyo based Yamagishi Shoji has released "Arum" a long lasting, jelly type antibacterial hand wash product containing alcohol. The product is gentle on the skin and does not leave a sticky sensation following rinsing. Price: 400ml pump...

Charcoal Clothing Cover.
April 25, 2002... Aichi prefecture based Taiheishiki has released "Charcoal Cover" a clothing storage cover made of a non-woven material containing charcoal. One side of the cover consists of transparent plastic allowing the content to be seen at a glance...

Leather Car Seat Cover.
April 25, 2002... Soft 99 Corporation has released "Hongawa Fuku Dake Sheet" a non-woven sheet product made of micro-fine fibres designed specifically for cleaning leather car seats. In addition to the fine fibres, the sheet contains minute wrinkles on its...

Home-Use Muse Wet Cloth from Procter & Gamble.
April 25, 2002... Procter & Gamble has released a sheet-type antibacterial product Muse Dokodemo Wet Cloth for home use (40 sheets). Muse is a medical bar soap brand for the home. There is already an easy-carry Muse wet cloth product with just 10 sheets on the...

Protective Glass Film.
April 25, 2002... Derukatech has released "Super Police SAE 300" a transparent film attached to the inside of window glass that wards off intruders by preventing the glass from shattering. The multi-layered film comprising 40 layers is capable of...

New Anschone Hair Remover Products from Imyu.
April 25, 2002... Anschone has been a popular hair remover brand since 1986. The brand's new items are a waxing liquid (60g, 1200 yen) and sheets (7 sets, 14 sheets, 780 yen), a hair remover tape roll (3m x 9cm, 800 yen) and razor for eyebrows (set of three,...

Sunstar's Improved Dry-Up Brings Professional Dry-Cleaning Performance Home.
April 25, 2002... Sunstar has launched an improved version of Dry-Up laundry soap, giving it better antibacterial and odor-eliminating functions. The soap is used with laundry machines offering so-called "dry-mark" cycles to clean clothing intended to be...

Television & Monitor Cleaning Stuffed Toy.
April 25, 2002... Sanwa Supply has released "Moppets" a television and monitor duster in the form of a stuffed toy. Made from an extremely fine cloth, the stuffed toy is simply wiped over the screen in the same way as a cloth. The product, however, only...

Sunstar ViViV Quick Deo Mist Refreshes the Feet, Eliminates Odors.
April 25, 2002... Sunstar offers ViViV Quick Deo Mist, a spray for eliminating food odors and helping the feet to feel refreshed. It contains safe, antibacterial natural iodine and mint. The product appeals to young women and girls, many of whom are wearing...

Rice Freezing Container.
April 25, 2002... Kato Sangyo has released "Gohanyo Shinku Hozonko" a polypropylene airtight container designed specifically for freezing boiled rice without loss of the "just boiled" flavour. The container comes complete with a hand operated air extraction...

Heel Softener.
April 25, 2002... Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals has released "Nameraka Kakato Stick" a stick type moisturising cream specifically designed for the heel. The product consists entirely of oil and is most effective when rubbed onto the heel following a bath...

S.T. Chemical Offers Filter for Keeping Pollen, Dust out of Rooms.
April 25, 2002... The Air Clean Oheya no Tsukiko Filter fits into room air vents that bring in outside air. The filter keeps dust, pollen and other irritants out of the room with a mesh so fine it cannot be seen by the naked eye. The round filters come in...

Eucalyptus Pet Mat.
April 25, 2002... Arata has released "Eucaly Bed" a pet mat product made from eucalyptus wood chips. Unlike pine or cypress, the eucalyptus chips do not contribute to skin or pulmonary based allergies. The wood also acts as a heat insulator, deodoriser and...

Natural Biodegrading Portable Toilet.
April 25, 2002... Trust Shokai has released "Supportlet" a portable toilet that uses natural parasites to breakdown waste. The product utilises wood chips containing a special parasite able to break down human waste and toilet paper rapidly and with little...

Nikken Kamisori Releases New Disposable Razor Products for Men and Women.
April 25, 2002... Nikken Kamisori, a manufacturer of disposable razors, has released Splash, a three-blade razor with a cap that swings open (for male users, 150 yen each, or package of three for 400 yen). The cap is easy to open and close with one hand, while...

S.T. Chemical Expands Odor-Eliminating Series with Spray Type for Bathrooms.
April 25, 2002... S.T. Chemical has newly launched Toile no Shoshuriki Spray in unscented, lavender and apple mint varieties (each 330ml, 420 yen). The product is the third in the popular Shoshuriki series, which also includes a non-spray air perfume for the...

S.T. Chemical Shaldan Crystal Air Freshens Air with Gel.
April 25, 2002... S.T. Chemical carries Shaldan Crystal Air, a gel-based air perfume originating in Europe. The gel emits aroma effectively even over large rooms for one to two months with so-called Hyper Scent Gel technology. Moreover, it comes in a...

S.T. Chemical Expands, Re-Packages Several Lines.
April 25, 2002... Several of S.T. Chemical's air freshener and other products have gotten new looks or varieties this spring, starting with the Air Shaldan odor-eliminating spray (180ml, 440 yen). The newly designed can uses softly flowing lines to break the...

S.T. Chemical Updates Design of Insect-Repelling Covers for Clothing.
April 25, 2002... The package design for Mushuda Bochu Cover, a series of insect-repelling covers for clothing, now features a two-tone scheme. The covers for suits and jackets come in a box that is orange and blue, while the version for coats and dresses have...

S.T. Chemical's Liquid Mushuda Natureleaf Repels Insects, Leaves No Odors.
April 25, 2002... Mushuda Natureleaf from S.T. Chemical is the first liquid-type insect repellent that leaves clothing with no odor. The product uses phenoxyethanol, a natural pest repellent found in tea leaves. The product sells for 420 yen or in refill form...

Sunstar Launches Dr. Health Toothbrush Series.
April 25, 2002... The Dr. Health toothbrush from Sunstar is designed to let the consumer exchange brush heads for reaching different parts of the teeth. Three different heads can be used. For general brushing there is a compact head brush, which has a ridged...

Sunstar Re-Designs Do Clear Toothbrush with More Tip Bristles.
April 25, 2002... The New Do Clear toothbrush from Sunstar has twice as many bristles at the tip to remove more tartar from the far reaches of the mouth. The bristles implanted in the leading four holes of the brush head therefore provide more cleaning force....

New Gum Coating Product from Hanix.
April 25, 2002... Hanix has released a unique gum-coating product, Hanic Gum Coat (10g, 1800 yen). Intended to make the gums look more appealing, the product is a follow-up on the tooth-coating product Hanic Denti Cure from last year. The two are in the...

Procter & Gamble Updates Sanitary Napkin Products.
April 25, 2002... Procter & Gamble has updated part of the sanitary napkin line Whisper Neo Yoruyo as Whisper Neo Chojikan Suwaru Toki Guard (guard for long sitting hours). Among the working women in their twenties and thirties who are the target for Whisper...

Procter & Gamble Releases New Baby Wipe Product.
April 25, 2002... Procter & Gamble has released baby wipe product Pampers Fuwafuwa Sheet. Users are looking for a wipe that can take soiling away with only a single soft sheet. The product is a thick and large sheet with a cottony feel and mild lotion that...

Daio Paper Updates Disposable Diaper Brand for Babies.
April 25, 2002... Daio Paper has updated its disposable baby diaper brand Friend, renaming it Goo.N. Whereas the manufacturer aimed the Friend brand at economy buyers but with slightly higher prices, the new brand Goo.N offers better function, quality and...

"Hipster" Style Sanitary Panties.
April 25, 2002... CMI Japan has released "Charm Ruby" a range of fashionable hipster style sanitary panties. The product was released in response to the popularity of "Hipster" style jeans that finish at the hips. The low-cut of the panties means that they...

Mikimoto Pharmaceutical Releases Dietary Supplement with Plant Sterol.
April 25, 2002... Mikimoto Pharmaceutical has released Kenko Manzoku Shikubutsu Sterol, a dietary supplement that improves urination and lowers blood cholesterol. Older men are prone to problems such as urination difficulty, high cholesterol and...

Tibetan Tochukaso (Cordyceps Fungus) Nutritional Supplement from Noevir.
April 25, 2002... Noevir has been looking for health food materials in nature and found tochukaso (Cordyceps fungus) in Tibet. The product is Noevir Seizo Tochukaso/Tibet-4500m. Tochukaso has a long history of use dating back at least as far as the first...

Pola Releases Processed Reishi Mushroom Food Product Bioratio Neo.
April 25, 2002... Pola has developed a reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) food product known as Bioratio Neo based on the theory of ki (life energy), ketsu (blood) and sui (water/body liquid). The theory states that health depends on a balance of these three...

New Bath Additive from KHP.
April 25, 2002... Kanebo Home Products has released a medicated bath additive "Naive Yakuyo Nyuyokuzai Sappari Sokaiyoku ." The product contains icy-cool menthol, natural minerals which improve blood circulation, two kinds of moisturizers (rosemary and...

Organic Tea leaf Bath Additive.
April 25, 2002... Tokyo based Medico Systems has released "Yokuyo Hadacha" a bath additive containing only organically grown green tea leaves. To avoid contamination or deterioration during the drying stage, the leaves have been particularised to a uniform...

Fruit Fragrance Soap.
April 25, 2002... Oppen Cosmetics has released "Puchi Fruits Soap Set" a set of 6 x 40g cakes of soaps with a variety of fragrances including peach, orange, kiwifruit, etc., in addition to 2 x 300ml orange and lemon scented liquid body soaps. Price: 3,500 yen.

Green Tea and Herd Bath Additive.
April 25, 2002... Hogoen has released "Rokucha Buro Chanoyu" a range of green tea and herbal bath additives containing different combinations of herbs for each of the seasons. "Spring" contains the sweet floral fragrance of lavender. "Summer" includes...

New Sun Proguard Series from KHP.
April 25, 2002... The Sun Proguard series from Kanebo Home Products is a line of sunscreen products. Products in the range include: 1) (A) Cool UV Spray (40g/800 yen) - An easy-to-apply spray type product for the entire body which protects the skin...

Two New Sunscreen Products from KHP.
April 25, 2002... Kanebo Home Products has introduced two anti-sunburn products. "Naive Hinyari UV Aqua Gel " (90ml/900 yen) is a non-sticky sunscreen product with SPF17 that blocks out ultraviolet light in daily life. It contains vegetable collagen (carrot...

New Sunscreen Series from KHP.
April 25, 2002... The Hadabisei UV Care Sunscreen series from Kanebo Home Products is a line of anti-sunburn products for women in their 20s-40s that features a formulation based on skincare principles. The series contains the "Uruoi Biyoeki" (Moisturizing...

Colour Changing Nail Varnish.
April 25, 2002... Tokyo based Day Up has released "Shear Effect Top Coat" a nail coating applied on top of conventional nail varnish that changes colour according to the angle of incoming light. Available in 3 colours, pink, gold and blue, the topcoat also...

Fiber "Wig" for Eyelashes from Imyu.
April 25, 2002... Imyu has released Fiber Wig, which it describes as not mascara but rather a fiber eyelash wig. The product makes eyelashes long with a film coating liquid and does not become messy. The product coats the eyelashes and fiber by making a film...

Imyu Releases Liquid Tape Product for Giving Fold to Eyelid.
April 25, 2002... Imyu has released Opera Eye Putti Liquidtape, a product to give folds to the eyelids by applying a liquid that becomes like a tape. The Opera Eye Putti Series has sold since 1970. The new item in the lineup gives a natural-looking fold to...

Noevir Releases Lip Gloss (Aqua) Limited Product.
April 25, 2002... Noevir has released a palette-type lip gloss product with four colors as a limited product. The lip gloss gives moist shine to the lips. It can be worn by itself or applied over a favorite lipstick or with lip liner to create various...

Noevir Product a Combination of Powder and Pencil Type Eyebrow.
April 25, 2002... Noevir has released the Brow & Liner Compact, a product that consists of Powder Eyebrow (two colors of powder from the Support Make series), Slim Eyebrow (an eyebrow pencil) and Cream Eyeliner (a cream eyeliner with adjustable thickness). With...

Nippon Menard Releases Palette-Type Makeup Product.
April 25, 2002... Nippon Menard Cosmetic has released Jupier Palette de Paris, a palette-type makeup product that has a light, young and shiny spring feel and follows the spring and summer trend of Paris. It contains two items, Petit Saison and Petit Maison....

Nail Polish Set.
April 25, 2002... Mie Prefecture based Mikimoto Cosmetics has released "Mikimoto Cosmetics Nail Collection" consisting of 3 coloured nail polishes and 1 bottle of ridge filler. The smooth flowing nail polishes contain the moisturising agent pearl conchiolin...