Cosmetics & Toiletries & Household Products Marketing News in Japan articles from August 2003

Cosmetics & Toiletries & Household Products Marketing News in Japan archives from August 2003

Lion Boosts Profits 31.3% in FY2002.
August 25, 2003... Lion's earnings report for the fiscal year ended December 2002 shows consolidated sales flat at 309 billion yen, although once the figures are adjusted to reflect the company's price restructuring in the domestic market, sales effectively rose...

Kao Profits Benefit from Strong US, European Sales.
August 25, 2003... Kao has reported sales of 865 billion yen for FY2002 ended in March, a gain of 3.1% spurred largely by the European and US markets as well as a weak yen. The actual sales gain after factoring out the exchange rate was 1.9%. Operating profit for...

Shiseido Looks to Build on Record Sales, Profits.
August 25, 2003... Shiseido has posted record sales and profits for FY2002 with strong performance both at home and abroad. Of the consolidated sales total of 621 billion yen, the amount for Japan was 467 billion yen (75.2% of total), a gain of 2.1% that...

Kanebo Boosts Profits 19.7% in FY2002.
August 25, 2003... Kanebo's earnings report for the fiscal year ended March 2003 shows consolidated sales were 518 billion yen (down 2%), operating profit rose 24.3% to 29.6 billion yen, current profit rose 19.7% to 14.1 billion yen and net profit reached 518...

Luxury Products Boost Kose's Sales.
August 25, 2003... Kose has reached its record high in sales of 154 billion yen for FY2002, a gain of 5.1%, operating profit rose 21.6% to 15.3 billion yen, current profit rose 21.2% to 15.0 billion yen and net profit reached 6.91 billion yen (up 6.5%). The...

Mandom Achieves Record High Sales.
August 25, 2003... Mandom has achieved record high sales of 45.4 billion yen (up 8%) for FY2002. Operating profit rose 21.3% to 6.30 billion yen, current profit rose 31.8% to 5.98 billion yen and net profit rose 37.8% to 2.99 billion yen. ROE (return on equity)...

Fancl Reports Across the Board Sales, Profit Gains.
August 25, 2003... Fancl has reported a broad rising trend in sales and profits both in the parent company and as a group. Parent company sales lifted 6.7% to 70.7 billion yen with operating profit of 8.71 billion yen (up 3.0%), current profit of 9.52 billion yen...

Sunstar's Sales Decrease 3.6%.
August 25, 2003... Sunstar's sales fell 3.6% to 65.0 billion yen, operating profit fell 10.2% to 3.49 billion yen, current profit fell 42.5% to 1.78 billion yen and net profit fell 98.5% to four million yen in FY2002. Sales for Japan were 51.6 billion yen (down...

Unicharm Boosts Profit 35.2% in FY2002.
August 25, 2003... Unicharm's earnings report for FY2002 shows consolidated sales of 223 billion yen (up 8%) Operating profit rose 35.9% to 25.8 billion yen, current profit rose 35.2% to 259 billion yen, both marking record highs. Net profit was 12.9 billion yen...

Cosmetics and Daily Use Goods Market Trends by Shukan Shogyo.
August 25, 2003... Shukan Shogyo has compared and predicted trends in sales of cosmetics and daily use goods at time points ten years ago, the present and ten years in the future in nine major categories. Skincare products sales are 600 billion yen (1993), 660...

New Manufacturers, Ingredients Entering Cosmetics Market.
August 25, 2003... Makers of tofu and sake are among the new contenders in the natural cosmetics market. Tofu Moritaya, for example, offers a facial lotion (250ml, 3800 yen) and cream (50g, 4800 yen) made of tofu. Sake brewers Nihonsakari and Fukumitsuya Sake...

Anti-Ageing Cosmetics.
August 25, 2003... Sangaku has developed a substance for use in cosmetics formulated from over 10 different herbs traditionally used in Chinese remedies and vegetable extract anti-ageing agents. Kanagawa University has verified the substances high level of...

Hamano Package Bucket-Shaped Boxes Well Suited for Gift-Giving.
August 25, 2003... The new box from Hamano Package, under the brand name pleat cabce, is shaped like a bucket, making it easier to stack for storage than other round boxes. Its pleated lid gives a stylish look, and the product comes in bright colors. Held...

Tanakaya Manufacturing Cardboard Cold Pack in Partnership with San'ai Pack.
August 25, 2003... Kyoto-based Tanakaya is manufacturing the Horei Case ("cold-keeping case") in a partnership with package developer San'ai Pack of Hokkaido. The arrangement gets out to a larger market San'ai Pack's product for keeping fish cold during transit....

Chilling Materials from Ice Japan Retain Odor-Absorbing Qualities.
August 25, 2003... Ice Japan, a leading manufacturer of cold-keeping materials, has a new hit on its hands with 50g bags of chilling material treated with flavonoids that eliminate odors even after the material is no longer cold. That means the pouches can be...

Iwata Label Creates Products to Avoid Medical Errors.
August 25, 2003... Iwata Label featured its products for healthcare professionals at Interphex Japan 2003, an expo for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. The company's booth displayed Hanger Label IV, a label specifically for intravenous injection bags....

Fellowes Japan Shredder Adjusts to Fit Trash Receptacles.
August 25, 2003... The FS5 paper shredder from Fellowes Japan has an arm that extends up to eight cm to let it fit a large number of wastepaper receptacles. No special case is needed as a result. Selling for about 5000 yen, it is about 30% less expensive than...

Combination of Sheets from Toppan Printing Reveals Hidden Floating Messages.
August 25, 2003... Toppan Printing offers Awasu to Deru Neo, a paper that can contain hidden lettering and graphics that is only revealed when the paper is placed on top of a backing sheet. When it is, lettering and graphics appear to float above the surface of...

100% Biodegradable Diapers.
August 25, 2003... Unitika has developed a diaper product that breaks down completely into water and C02 shortly following disposal. The diaper uses a newly developed highly absorbent biodegradable resin called SAP, made almost entirely from a guar gum - a...

Household Deodorising Agent.
August 25, 2003... The construction company Okudakumi has developed an absorbent type household deodorising agent from Korean yellow clay capable of removing formaldehyde and other potentially health threatening agents that contribute to the ever increasing "Sick...

Foundation Powder.
August 25, 2003... Kose has released "Rutina Light On Pact" the first foundation product to feature a new oxidised titanium silicone. Developed in conjunction with Waseda University the ultra fine powder consisting of combined oxidised titanium silicone was...

Silk Based Cosmetics.
August 25, 2003... Kanebo has announced the development of a clump resistant silk powder for use in cosmetics. The silk is first dissolved and the fibroin proteins re-crystallised. This is then mixed with an organic solvent, dried and turned into a powder....

Damage Free Perm Solution.
August 25, 2003... Oka Corporation the salon hair care product manufacturer has announced the release of "Creative Magic" a range of 8 products including a perm solution that protects the hair from damage. The perm solution has a lower chemical content than...

Daikin Industry with Industry-First Adhesive Fluorine Resin.
August 25, 2003... Neofuron EFEP is a new adhesive resin from Daikin Industry. The resin has the functional advantages of ordinary fluorine resin but additionally adheres to materials like gold and engineering plastics. The manufacturer envisions numerous...

Idemitsu Petrochemical Halogen-Free Flame-Retardant Resin for Large Equipment.
August 25, 2003... Idemitsu Petrochemical has come up with a halogen-free compound resin that is both flame-retardant and easy to mold, qualities that make it well suited to large office machinery and easy to recycle. No dioxin-producing halogen is used....

Gunma University Teams Creates Biodegradable Plastic with Shape Memory.
August 25, 2003... A team of researchers at Gunma University has developed a biodegradable plastic with shape memory. The polylactic acid-based plastic is melted to its starch syrup state and enhanced with triallyl isocyanurate. The resin can then be molded into...

Sumitomo 3M Window Sign Film Lasts Longer.
August 25, 2003... Sumitomo has a new long-lasting film for placing advertising on glass windows. The new film covers the PET layer with a resin better suited to holding ink. Moreover, the film is specifically formulated to last longer than before as well. Ink...

Fujicopian Adhesive-Free Fixfilm Now in Printer-Ready Form.
August 25, 2003... Fixfilm-IJ is a printer-ready version of Fujicopian's Fixfilm product that seals without glue. The PET-based Fixfilm came out just last year and is characterized by being able to stick well to flat glass, metal or plastic surfaces without any...

Flexible Small Pack Hanger from Yamagata Gravure Fits Limited Retail Spaces.
August 25, 2003... The latest addition to the Cerise Pack line from Yamagata Gravure promises to help convenience stores and discount shops fill their limited space with products as neatly and efficiently as possible. A clear sheet is specially designed to hold...

Epson Service Adopts Starway's Case of 100% Post-Consumer Fiber.
August 25, 2003... Epson Service, the product service arm of Seiko Epson, is using boxes of 100% post-consumer paper and a special film to transport products like printers and scanners. The film of the so-called e-Star Pack, developed by Tokyo-based Starway,...

Oji Container Develops High-Luster Cardboard Case.
August 25, 2003... Oji Container has developed and is offering a highly colorful corrugated cardboard case with 70% gloss level. The unusually lustrous package has found use at affiliated company Nepia to carry units of 96 diapers in the Miffy Baby brand. Oji...

Economical Strapper from StraPack.
August 25, 2003... The new JK-5 economy automatic strapping machine from StraPack is a minimalist system that gets the job done for less than half the price of earlier systems. It will sell for an estimated 400,000 yen. Once the cardboard box is loaded onto the...

K.I. Meister Compact, All-in-One Filling System.
August 25, 2003... K.I. Meister has developed the K.I. 2005 system for filling small containers with liquids. Compact enough to sit on a tabletop, it corks or caps containers in addition to filling them and comes with an optional air-cleaning function. The...

Taiyo Seiki Expands Strapper Lineup.
August 25, 2003... Taiyo Seiki Corporation is offering new automatic strappers handling up to 21 units per minute and using either paper or film tape. The S-360 uses 30mm tape and the S-480 50mm tape. Both offer the same top speed. Users can adjust tension with a...

Highly Absorbent, Slim Line Paper Kitchen Towels.
August 25, 2003... Tokyo based Crecia has released "Scottie Scot Towel 65 Cut" double ply paper kitchen towels with improved absorbency and a space saving size reduction. The absorbency of the towels has been increased by 20% while independently developed...

Veranda & Porch Cleaning Sheet.
August 25, 2003... Daisan has released "Flooring Wiper Yoh Genkan Kirei Sheet" a cleansing sheet specifically designed for veranda and porch floor surfaces. Made from special artificial fibres, the thick type sheet contains a cleansing agent that removes...

Spill Preventing Smart Pot Lid.
August 25, 2003... Yokohama based Kumazaki Aim has released "Smart Cooking Cover" a pot lid made with shape memory alloy that prevents the content from boiling over. When steam begins to rise in the pot the shape memory alloy automatically reacts to open a...

Food Bags from Yashiro.
August 25, 2003... Iki-Iki Pack, from Yashiro, is a food bag that is made with starch of mugwort, corn and polyethylene. It can be used five times if washed. A plastic bag contains 10 bags. There are two S (300 yen) and M (400 yen) sizes.

Cap & Sunglasses Set.
August 25, 2003... Torei Eye Live has released "Cap Sunglasses" a cap featuring a pair of sports type sunglasses attached to the brim. Clips are provided on both sides of the cap into which the sunglasses fit. As the glasses are attached to the brim,...

Cushion Massager.
August 25, 2003... Matsushita Denko has released "Gyu Gyutto Cushion" a fold out cushion type remote control operated body massaging device featuring an internal air bag. When activated, the air bag expands pushing up "Shiatsu" nodules that press on the...

Anti Dust Mite Bedding for Babies.
August 25, 2003... Aprica Kasai has released "Dani Zelock" consisting of bedding for babies made with a tightly woven construction that stops the penetration of not only dust mites but also their eggs. The natural cotton filling of the bedding is contained in...

Emergency Light Sticks.
August 25, 2003... Nitoms has released "Hakko Light" a 16cm long chemical light stick capable of producing a bright light for up to 2 hours. The tube is simply bent to produce light equivalent to a candle for the first hour and light equivalent to that of a...

Negative Ion Fan.
August 25, 2003... Toshiba Home Techno has released "F-LD 60X" a standing fan featuring a negative ion emitting device. The ion emitting device produces negative ions said to promote relaxation and general good health and can be operated separate from the...

Antibacterial Wet Tissue.
August 25, 2003... Unicharm has released a new and improved version of its "Silcot" wet tissue range. "Silcot Wet Tissue" - The alcohol and fragrance free tissues are now packaged in a new and stylish one touch easy opening container (Ivory white) that...

100% Natural Cotton Puffs.
August 25, 2003... Unicharm has released "Silcot" puffs a range of 2 extra soft cotton puffs. "Silcot" - A puff consisting of a natural cotton absorbent centre covered in a "Silky veil" consisting of a silky smooth non-woven fabric that prevents cotton...

Adhesive Clips.
August 25, 2003... Nichiban has released "Nice Tack Setchaku Clip" a range of colourful small size clips for holding notes, cooking recipes, invoices, etc., featuring a strong adhesive tab enabling it to be attached to walls and other vertical flat surfaces. ...

Stylish Mobile Personal Alert.
August 25, 2003... Etowaru Kaito has released "Oshare Keitai Bohan Buzzer" a stylish personal alarm specifically designed for women featuring crystals displayed on a floral motif background. The small size device measuring 85mm x 48mm x 23mm emits a high...

The Best Cosmetic Brush Collection.
August 25, 2003... Kanebo has launched the 18 best cosmetic brush brands "Tesshu Collection" selected by Mr. Tesshu Takemori. He is the best known brush maker in Japan. He has been making the cosmetic brushes for about 50 years in Hiroshima. This time he...

"Leatherian Foot Care" Products for 5 Items.
August 25, 2003... Columbus, the shoe cream and shoe product maker, has released 5 items of foot care products. (1) "Ring Pad" for finger with corn, callosity and blister (5 pieces for 500 yen), (2) "Yawaragi (Soft) Pad" for bunions (6 pieces for 500 yen), (3)...

Aroma Therapy Spray.
August 25, 2003... Tokyo based Herbal Care has released "Flomaliese Aromatic Water" a range of 3 naturally scented herbal water sprays formulated to refresh both body and mind. The lavender, rose and sage scented water sprays are simply sprayed about the...

Fashion Sneaker Care Products.
August 25, 2003... Columbus, the shoe cream and shoe product maker, has launched fashion sneaker care products. (1) "Leather Sneaker Cleaner" (110ml for 1,000 yen), (2) "Sneaker Care: Shampoo" (150ml for 800 yen), (3) "Sneaker Care: Sneaker Spray Shampoo" (220ml...

White Shoe Care Products for Summer.
August 25, 2003... Columbus, the shoe cream and shoe product maker, has launched white shoe products. (1) "Knight Liquid (White)" (65cc for 800 yen), (2) "Leatherian Gold" (40g for 700 yen) and (3) "HG Knight Tube" (50g for 600 yen) are available.

Waterproof Protection Spray for Shoes.
August 25, 2003... Columbus, the shoe cream and shoe product maker, released waterproof protection spray (1) "Amedas" to protect leather shoes and (2) "Rain Save Spray" to protect leather and fabrics in rainy days. The agent contained in fluoride protects leather...

Scratch Covering Wax.
August 25, 2003... Soft 99 Corporation has released "New Kizu Kaisho Wax Ekitai" an abrasive free, highly water resistant and durable car polish and wax with an enhanced scratch covering function. The liquid type wax contains a "New Micro Polymer" that...

Dog Desserts.
August 25, 2003... Inaba Pet Food has added 4 new dessert products to its "Regalo" dog dessert product "Tonyu [soy milk] Ice" first released in July of last year. The reduced calorie, soya milk based desserts contain oligosaccharide to promote regular bowel...

Tartar Preventing Dog Food.
August 25, 2003... Tokyo based pet food manufacturer IAMS has released "IAMS" a crunchy pellet type nutritionally enhanced pet food for both cats and dogs formulated to help remove tartar. Clinical tests conducted by the company have shown that the...

Pet Bird Nutritional Supplement.
August 25, 2003... Atara has released "Stan Bird" a range of additive and colouring free nutritional supplements formulated specifically for pet birds. Available in 5 varieties: "Vitamin", "Egg Yolk Powder", "Calcium Powder", "Green Vegetable Powder" and "Milk...

Immune System Enhancing Dog Biscuits.
August 25, 2003... Osaka based pet food manufacturer Marukan has released "Friend Land Oyatsu No Mori Bonyu Milk Jelly" a nutritionally enhanced milk jelly snack for dogs containing the immune system enhancing protein lactoferrin. The nutritionally balanced...

Tissue Type Insect Repellent for Pets.
August 25, 2003... Earth Biochemical has released "Pet Yoh Saratekuto Tissue" a tissue type insect repellent for pets that protects the animal from mosquito, flea and mite attacks. The wet type tissue measuring 20cm x 18cm is simply wiped over the pets body....

New Disposal Sterilized Urine Wiper for Pet Care.
August 25, 2003... Unicharm has released a new disposal "Sterilized Urine Wiper Sheet" for pet care. It has a sterilizing agent to clean pet's tray and cage. It deodorizes pet's discharges by a natural catechin deodorant and leaves refreshing mint scent. Use it...

Improved Wet Tissue Wiper Container for Pet Care.
August 25, 2003... Unicharm has introduced an improved container "Wet Tissue Wiper for Pet Care". It is "One Touch Open and Lock". It easily opens and locks to prevent wet tissue wiper from drying out. Even you forget to close it, it closes and locks. One hand...

New Soft Tooth Brush for Kids.
August 25, 2003... Sunstar has developed a new soft tooth brush hair for kids "Miracle Soft Hair" for the use of previous tooth brushes "Do Kids Wood Pecker (150 yen each)" and "Puchi Travel Wood Pecker (430 yen each)". "Miracle Soft Hair" is made through...

Cooling Spray.
August 25, 2003... Hakugen has released "Doko Demo Ice Non Sherbert Spray" an instant cooling spray that is sprayed directly onto a handkerchief or towel and applied to the body. The product contains LP which when released produces a cold mist that instantly...

Honey Liquid Garters.
August 25, 2003... Tokyo based Hakugen has released "Kuma No Pooh San Sock Touch" a liquid containing honey applied directly to the legs that keeps socks at the desired height. The product produces a delicious honey aroma and washes completely off in water. The...

Cockroach Foam.
August 25, 2003... Chugai Seiyaku has released "Awa De Katameru Balsan" a foam spray that totally immobilises cockroaches enabling them to be scooped up and disposed of. The spray stops the insects' movement instantaneously and any residue from the spray...

Cockroach Web Spray.
August 25, 2003... Hakugen has released "Goki Pao" a cockroach spray that forms an immobilising web over the insect. The insecticide free and odourless fast acting foam like spray completely covers the insect in a web enabling it to be picked up with a...

Scented Mosquito Coils.
August 25, 2003... Hakugen has released "Aroma Senko" a range of 3 scented mosquito coils. Available in "Lavender", "Lemon Mint" and "Jasmine" aroma, the coils burn slowly emitting a delicate fragrance and a mild insecticide that both repels and kills...

Clear Double Sided Tape.
August 25, 2003... Nitoms has released "Hagaseru Ryomen Tape Tomei" a transparent, easy to remove double sided tape for interior use. The highly flexible tape features a viscous adhesive resin elastomer that is both strong yet can be easily removed when...

Refreshing Disposable Towels.
August 25, 2003... Sunstar has released "Sunstar Tonic Fresh Deo Towel" a thick (twice the thickness of conventional products) refreshing facial towel impregnated with natural menthol. Ideal for wiping away perspiration and city grime. (10 towels = 380 yen). ...

Skin Care Function Support Stockings.
August 25, 2003... Dr. Scholl has announced the release of "Leg Care System 753 Moisture Balance" support stockings containing a skin moisturising function. The stockings are designed to apply 3 differing pressures to the leg (ankle, calf and thigh) to...

Adhesive Insect and Rodent Traps.
August 25, 2003... Shimada Shoji has released "Shimada No Dato Series" a range of 4 adhesive type rodent and insect traps. "Dato Nezumi" - A rodent trap available in a "House" type construction to prevent children or pets from coming into contact with the...

Skin Care Perfume.
August 25, 2003... Tokyo based La Praire has released "Sea Energy Cellular Treatment Body Fragrance" a refreshing herbal based perfume formulated using aroma therapy principles. The product contains a careful blend of naturally aromatic thyme, bergamot and...

Hygienic Foot Care.
August 25, 2003... Rohto Pharmaceuticals has released "Mentholatum Foot Soap" a milky type liquid foot cleanser formulated to fight athletes foot. The rich lathering soap quickly removes excess skin oils, perspiration while the mentholatum and mint fragrance...

Ozone Foot Massager and Deodoriser.
August 25, 2003... Aruinko has announced the release of "Aruinko Foot Bub Deo" a foot massaging device featuring an ozone type deodorising function. The compact device measuring W: 36cm x L: 38cm x H: 18cm and made from durable polypropylene emits a strong...

Easy to Remove Key Fob.
August 25, 2003... Osaka based Daiichi Kogyo has released "Slide Markey Mini" a colour coded key fob that enables keys to be distinguished at a glance. The product consists of 3 different coloured plastic plates with a slide ring attachment. The hole of the...

High Temperature Dish Washer and Drier.
August 25, 2003... Toshiba has announced the release of "Kagayaki Shiage DWS-70EY" a hot water antibacterial table top dish washer and drier. The powerful washing function is capable of removing lipstick and burnt on stains while the final 3 minute rinse...

Silicone Facial Cleansing Brush.
August 25, 2003... Osaka based Lucky Corporation has released "Prere Oil Cleansing Pad" a face cleansing brush made of siliconeCleanser is first applied to the skin after which it is lightly massaged using the brush. The fine, soft bristles of the brush easily...

Ion Reaction Refrigerator Deodoriser.
August 25, 2003... Marna has released "Nioi Toru Zo" a refrigerator deodorising product that utilises an ionic reaction to neutralise odours. The fast acting, space saving sheet type product (10cm x 10cm) in the shape of an elephant creates an ionic reaction...

Triple Layer Deodorising Cushion Insole.
August 25, 2003... Tokyo based Columbus has released "Bama Deo Active" a triple layer deodorising shoe insole for men. The uppermost mesh layer has undergone antibacterial processing to help suppress bacterial growth while the middle layer consists of a...

Flying Insect Repellent.
August 25, 2003... Hakugen has released "Pakka" a carousel shaped flying insect repellent specifically designed for use on verandas and by doors, etc. to prevent insects from entering the house. The product opens and closes at the touch of a release button...

UV Reflective Powder.
August 25, 2003... Hakugen has released "STF UV Cut Body Powder" a UV reflective powder that protects the skin from sunburn. The highly reflective powder, containing a perspiration absorbent powder is simply spread over exposed parts of the body with a puff...

Natural Ingredient Dust Mite Spray.
August 25, 2003... Hakugen has released "Dani Herb" a natural ingredient dust mite repellent. Unlike conventional products that use chemical type active ingredients (Primarily pyrethroid) Dani Herb uses peppermint oil (1 menthol) as its main active...

100% Natural Fibre Body Towel.
August 25, 2003... Orimu has released "Tsuwamono" a coarse 100% natural hemp fibre body cloth. The thread has been specially woven to create horizontal ridges across the towel to enhance the massaging effect. Size: 107cm x 12cm. Price: 600 yen.

Vitamin Supplement for Women.
August 25, 2003... Osaka based Oppen Cosmetics has released "Super CX White" a powder type vitamin rich health and beauty nutritional supplement specifically formulated for women. 3 sachets of the supplement contain vitamin C (Equivalent to 50 lemons) in...