Iris Ohyama to Start Medical Mask Production in Japan

November 20, 2020

Tokyo- Iris Ohyama Inc. has said it will start making N95 high-performance medical masks in Japan in autumn 2021 to prepare for a prolonged fight against the new coronavirus.

The Japanese household goods supplier will invest some one billion yen in its plant in Kakuda in Miyagi prefecture, northeastern Japan, to produce 10,000 N95 masks per month, the company said Thursday.

Japanese medical institutions have been facing difficulty in securing sufficient numbers of N95 masks, which have been in short supply globally amid the pandemic.

Since June, Iris Ohyama has been producing nonwoven face masks for use by general consumers at the Kakuda plant. The company hopes to support medical workers in the country by also launching the domestic production of N95 masks.

In addition, Iris Ohyama will produce one million packs of sanitizing wipes per month at the Kakuda plant and will invest around 2.5 billion yen in its Tsukuba plant in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, to build an additional storehouse for masks and other daily necessities. Jiji Press