Unicharm operates in more than 80 countries but has struggled to catch on big in regions beyond Asia. © Getty Images

Unicharm takes on COVID-19 and rivals with 'made in Japan' masks

CEO wants to sell to Indonesia and Thailand to build on success with diapers

NANA SHIBATA and CK TAN, Nikkei staff writers

November 20, 2020 06:01 JST

TOKYO/SHANGHAI -- When the coronavirus pandemic hit Japan, the country's first line of defense depended on an unremarkable town best known for processing sardines.

Workers at Unicharm's factory in Kan-onji, on the country's picturesque Seto Inland Sea, knew business was about to get extremely busy as Japanese donned face masks as a barrier against COVID-19 transmission.