＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
<Added June 19, 2020> The “Mask Bubble Burst”
Although there are concerns about a second wave, the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak is showing signs of “convergence” in Japan. As a result, masks, which were once unavailable, are now available on store shelves everywhere. Prices have fallen to one-tenth of their abnormally high levels, and some manufacturers are reportedly stockpiling as many as 5 million Chinese-made masks that do not meet quality standards. This is a complete “mask bubble burst,” which is natural, but also welcome.
At a March 12 press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga stated regarding the continued shortage of masks in Japan, “By strengthening our capabilities, including 24-hour production (by domestic manufacturers), we expect to be able to supply more than 100 million masks per week.”
Furthermore, at a press conference on March 27, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga commented on the shortage of masks due to the spread of the new coronavirus, saying, “We will be supplying more than 600 million masks per month in March. We expect to be able to add another 100 million in April.” He added, “It will take some time to resolve the shortage, but we will make every effort to increase supply.”
While lines of scalpers and other thieves have disappeared from drugstores before they open, there’s still no sign of masks or disinfectant on display.
The government ordinance banning the resale of masks at high prices was issued on March 15th, which seems to have curbed high-priced resales, but it’s unclear when they’ll reach the general public.
<Added April 23, 2020>
My thermometer is getting old and I felt like it wasn’t measuring my temperature accurately, so I went to the drugstore yesterday, only to find that it was out of stock. It seems that thermometers are being sold at high prices on online flea market apps and online shopping sites.
Since thermometers weren’t included in the government ordinance banning the resale of masks at high prices, are people buying up large quantities and reselling them in anticipation of shortages as more companies require employees to take their temperatures?
In order to eliminate unscrupulous individuals who seek to profit from people’s hardships and weaknesses, we urge the government to immediately add items related to COVID-19, such as thermometers and disinfectants, that are likely to be resold at high prices to the list of items prohibited from resale.
Why are masks, which are supposed to be produced and imported more frequently, still in short supply and difficult to purchase? Also, where is the inventory resulting from increased production and imports?
In this article, we will consider this issue.
1. Reasons for the Continuing Mask Shortage
(1) The Lack of Products from China, Japan’s Main Import Source of Masks
According to statistics from the Japan Sanitary Materials Industry Association, of the approximately 5.5 billion masks distributed in Japan for household, medical, and industrial use in fiscal 2018, approximately 4.4 billion were imported (mostly from China) and approximately 1.1 billion were produced domestically.
Due to import halts and delays from China, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the sudden increase in demand for masks due to the spread of COVID-19.
According to an industry insider, “Many of the masks imported from China were produced by Japanese manufacturers who decided on the specifications and ordered production from contract factories in China, which then imported the masks and sold them under their own brand. However, when the COVID-19 outbreak began in China, the Chinese government ordered factories to stop shipments to Japanese manufacturers, citing an ‘emergency’ as the reason. As a result, Chinese-made masks are now coming under the control of the Chinese government.”
According to the same source, “The Chinese government then began purchasing masks produced in China, starting with the highest quality ones. As Western countries, which began wearing masks, began demanding Chinese-made masks, the competition became even more intense, causing the price of nonwoven fabric to skyrocket and even mask strings to become scarce. There is speculation that the Chinese government will now take complete control over mask factories.”
After the number of infections in Europe rapidly increased, the Chinese government provided masks to European countries under the pretext of “aid,” but problems have also arisen.
According to the same industry source, “Many of the masks purchased and donated by the Chinese government were of poor quality. President Xi Jinping, whose reputation was damaged, is said to have been furious, and the government demanded stricter quality inspections from factories, resulting in even longer shipment times.”
(2) Even when domestic mask manufacturers specializing in masks increase production, they are unable to keep up.
Daio Paper, which produces and sells masks like the “Elleair Hyperblock Mask,” is reportedly working hard to ensure supply at full production capacity.
Unicharm, which sells the “Super Comfortable Mask,” also has a notice on its direct sales website stating, “Sales of masks and baby wipes are temporarily suspended.” Unicharm reportedly produces over 90% of its masks domestically.
Iris Ohyama previously produced all of its masks in factories in China and imported them, but it has acquired machinery for domestic production and plans to resume production in Japan by June.
As an amateur, I don’t know the details, but if domestic mask manufacturers are relying not only on domestic production but also on imports from China, isn’t it unlikely that we’ll see any further shipments of those imported masks anytime soon?
(3) The government is securing inventory for medical institutions, elderly care facilities, public transportation, etc.
The government is securing inventory by signing contracts with manufacturers to purchase a certain amount of masks on a priority basis for distribution to medical institutions, elderly care facilities, public transportation, etc. Of the 600 million masks produced in March, the government purchased 350 million and is distributing them primarily to medical institutions, elderly care facilities, and other organizations. Separately, manufacturers are also delivering directly to medical institutions and other organizations.
A Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare official stated, “Priority distribution to medical institutions, elderly care facilities, and other organizations will be necessary even after April. It is unclear when store shortages will be resolved.”
According to the Japan Sanitary Materials Industry Association, “Of the 600 million masks produced in March, 30% went to medical institutions, the remainder to nursing homes and the food industry, and finally to retailers. Manufacturers are receiving four to five times the usual number of orders, and it is unclear when pre-COVID-19 conditions will be restored. However, deliveries to retailers are increasing, and masks are more likely to be on store shelves. However, they are selling out within 30 minutes to an hour.”
(4) The sudden and limitless global increase in demand for masks
According to the Japan Mask Industry Association, the frequency of shipments to stores is also increasing. Even so, the sudden and limitless increase in demand has led to a situation where masks sell out instantly when they are put on the shelves.
Even if people already have a certain number of masks on hand, a “silent panic” seems to be spreading, with people rushing to stock up, thinking, “If they’re still available, I should stock up before they run out.”
Furthermore, the sudden increase in global demand for masks has led to a “global scramble for masks,” resulting in problems such as “rising prices” and “moves by the United States to restrict or ban exports to foreign countries.”
There are also concerns that the sudden increase in production will lead to “mass production,” resulting in “shoddy production,” leading to the distribution of inferior or defective masks.
(5) Are distributors and retailers buying up or hoarding masks in anticipation of price increases?
While we cannot be certain of this, if such behavior is occurring, prefectural governors should not hesitate to implement “demands for sale or expropriation measures” under Article 55 of the Special Measures Act.
The government should also conduct on-site inspections to check inventory and purchase prices, and crack down on businesses that make unfair profits through “high-priced sales.”
In addition, the “Act on Prevention of Hoarding and Withholding” (official name: Act on Emergency Measures Against Hoarding and Withholding of Daily Necessary Goods, etc.), which was enacted in 1973 in response to the “toilet paper shortage incident” caused by the “oil crisis,” should be invoked to crack down on masks, disinfectant, thermometers, toilet paper, and other items.
2. Where is the stock?
(1) There are many “in stock” advertisements on online shopping sites such as Amazon and Rakuten Market.
There are many “in stock” advertisements from companies that are not major specialized manufacturers, but rather small and medium-sized Japanese manufacturers or importers from China.
These products are probably more expensive than those sold at regular drugstores. While they may not be as expensive as the “resale” issues on Mercari and other sites have caused,…
(2) Stock News.com
Looking at the “Masks” section of the “Stock News.com” website, while it’s difficult to make a general comparison because there are nonwoven and other high-performance masks, disposable nonwoven masks range from 56 yen to 217 yen per mask, while washable masks range from 218 yen to over 1,000 yen per mask.
(3) Mask Stock Price Ranking
The “Mask Stock Price Ranking” website ranks affordable masks sold on Amazon and Rakuten, showing the price per mask, shipping time, and shop ratings.
3. Non-specialty manufacturers and raw material manufacturers are increasing mask production and sales.
(1) Honda
On April 14, Honda announced that it would begin production of medical face shields. Production will begin at its domestic facilities by the end of May, with the shields to be donated to hospitals and other facilities.
(2) Toray
On April 13, Toray announced that it would increase its supply of nonwoven fabric, the fiber sheet used to make disposable masks, to domestic manufacturers by 2.7 times from May onward. This will increase the supply from the current 30 million masks per month to a maximum of 80 million masks.
(3) LIXIL
On April 13, LIXIL announced that it would donate approximately 2,000 N95 high-performance medical masks, which it had stockpiled for disaster preparedness, to the government. The company decided to donate the masks due to the current mask shortage in medical settings.
(4) SoftBank Group
On April 12, SoftBank Group announced that it would begin selling 300 million masks per month, primarily to medical institutions, without marking up profits, starting in May to address the shortage. The company will purchase the masks from BYD, a Chinese battery and automobile manufacturer. BYD began producing masks about two months ago.
(5) Nisshinbo Holdings
On April 9, Nisshinbo Holdings announced that its textile subsidiary, Nisshinbo Textile, has begun producing gauze fabric for masks at its Indonesian factory. The company plans to produce 2 million masks and plans to respond to future demand.
(6) Toyota
On April 7, Toyota announced its intention to produce full-face medical face shields (protective masks) at its Teiho Plant (Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture), which manufactures machinery for automobile manufacturing, and provide them to medical institutions. The company also plans to consider whether group companies can also manufacture them.
(7) Transaction
On April 7, Transaction announced that it would sell 10 million masks to medical and nursing care providers to address the mask shortage. Orders will be accepted on the group company’s sales website, with deliveries scheduled to begin in May.
(8) MIKI HOUSE
Miki Shoko, the operator of the children’s clothing brand “MIKI HOUSE,” announced on April 3 that it would release children’s masks with antibacterial and antiviral treatments. The masks are said to be effective even after approximately 50 washes and are made from 100% cotton fabric that is gentle on the skin.
(9) SHARP
In response to a government request, Sharp began producing nonwoven masks in a clean room at its Mie factory, which also produces LCD displays, on March 24, and began shipping to the government on March 31. The company currently produces 150,000 masks per day, with plans to increase production to 500,000 in the future.
Chairman and President Tai Jeng-wu stated that production is already underway in Japan and the United States, and plans to begin production in Europe, India, and China in the near future.
4. Now is the time for manufacturing companies to “return factories to Japan”
This shows once again how dependent Japanese manufacturers have been on China. I have long believed that it is necessary to “return factories to Japan,” and I believe now is the perfect opportunity. Rather than shifting factories from China to other Southeast Asian countries, we should strongly promote a shift to Japan.
This does not only apply to manufacturing; I would like to see consideration given to “improving domestic self-sufficiency in agricultural products” and “reforming forestry” and “reviving Japan’s forestry industry,” such as by planting Japanese cedars in place of pollen-rich American cedars. Overreliance on “foreign workers” is also a problem.
Japanese people should not be held captive by foreigners, and foreign countries should not control Japan’s fate. Complete self-sufficiency may be impossible, but I believe that we should be able to provide essential supplies domestically.
<Added June 4, 2020> High-priced resale of disinfectant is rampant on internet sites
Due to a ban on resale and increased mask production and imports, demand for masks has fallen sharply, causing prices to plummet. While resellers who bought up masks are increasingly selling off their stock, disinfectant shortages remain. Even when they are available, they are being sold at extremely high prices.
At present, I believe this is the bigger problem. To quickly make the ban on resale of disinfectant (implemented May 26, 2020) effective, we need to ban its listing on online shopping sites. I also hope that unscrupulous individuals who engage in the heinous illegal practice of hoarding and withholding sales will be thoroughly prosecuted. Thermometers should also be subject to the same ban on resale as disinfectant, and regulated accordingly.
I hope the Japanese government will crack down on these unscrupulous individuals, with the goal of preventing them from making unfair profits.
I believe that the Act on Prevention of Hoarding and Withholding (official name: Act on Emergency Measures Against Hoarding and Withholding of Daily Necessary Goods, etc.), which was enacted in 1973 in response to the toilet paper shortage caused by the oil crisis, should be invoked to crack down on masks, disinfectants, thermometers, toilet paper, etc.