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

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.