Production Trends for Diapers and Nonwoven Fabrics in Japan

Diapers are the largest application for nonwoven fabrics in Japan. They account for approximately one-third of the total demand for nonwoven fabrics. For this reason, trends in diaper production have a significant impact on nonwoven fabric production. Table 1 shows the production volumes of baby diapers and adult diapers in Japan.

Japanese diaper production peaked at 905,223 tons in 2017 but has been on a steady decline ever since. In 2025, production volume was 682,002 tons, a decrease of 2.2%. However, baby care items are declining, while adult items are steadily increasing. The market for baby diapers has shrunk from 525,800 tons in 2017 to 231,947 tons in 2025, falling to less than half its previous size. However, the production volume of adult diapers has increased from 379,423 tons in 2017 to 450,055 tons in 2025. In 2020, production for adults exceeded that for babies for the first time. 

While the declining birthrate in Japan is often cited as the main factor behind the drop in baby product production, the decline in exports has had an even greater impact. Although Japan used to export large quantities of baby diapers, exports began to decline in 2018 and are now less than one-third of their peak level. Although production for adult diapers is increasing, it is not enough to offset the decline in production of baby diapers.

Demand for nonwoven fabrics is also declining in line with the drop in diaper production. In 2017, demand for nonwoven fabrics totaled 197,200 tons, comprising 114,300 tons for baby diapers and 82,900 tons for adult diapers. In 2025, production totaled 150,600 tons, comprising 51,000 tons of baby products and 99,600 tons of adult products. While demand for thermal bonded nonwovens has declined only slightly, demand for spunbonded nonwovens and SMS/SMMS has fallen sharply. 

Total domestic demand for nonwoven fabrics in Japan has declined from 528,541 tons in 2017 to 446,107 tons in 2025. More than 50% of this decline is attributable to shrinking demand for diapers, which have a significant impact on domestic demand for nonwoven fabrics.

Troubles in the diaper market have led to challenges in the Japanese nonwovens industry. In November, Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials said it would restructure its nonwovens business in response to shrinking demand for diapers in Japan. The company, which was formed in 2023 through a combination of Mitsui Chemicals and Asahi Kasei, is one of Japan’s largest nonwovens producers.

The restructuring effort includes the closure of two production lines in Japan. Following these closures, the company will import materials for the domestic market from its two subsidiaries in Thailand, where it makes a reported 77,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens per year. The company’s Japanese operations made 55,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens per year as well as PET and nylon spunbond nonwovens; it is unclear how much of this capacity will be impacted by the line closures.

Other Japanese companies that have ceased production or reduced capacity include Unitika, which exited the textiles business after efforts to relocate much of its production to southeast Asia, where it established an operation in Thailand in 2014, had not proven effective.  Another Japanese producer, JNC Fibers, which is specialized in thermal bonded nonwovens for baby diaper applications, ceased production at its Japanese facility and sold one of its two Chinese sites to a local company, reducing its nonwovens output in Asia in two separate actions. The company attributed weakening demand within the baby diaper market to both decisions. JNC, which has been active in the Asian nonwovens industry since 1995, will continue to produce thermal bonded materials at its remaining Chinese site as well as in Rayong, Thailand.