Because otherwise, I'd have been tempted to buy the imported Huggies at the landmark ex-pat grocery store, National Azabu*. They're 3,987 yen. [$37].
We actually brought a brick of US Pampers with us, about 20 days worth, and filled in with Japanese Pampers. They're extremely soft, gotta give them credit, and we haven't had the leaking problems we had with the 5-mo ones last year. [They also have pull-on pants-style diapers in size 3/M, for changing standing up. It wasn't clear from the packaging that they're for toilet training (i.e., even less absorbent), so we didn't take the chance.] But they don't seem to have the absorption or wicking capacity of the American ones; they get damp on the kid-facing surface pretty quickly.
I've been working on it, but no one seems to know why. My theories:
- Japanese burn almost all their trash (after separating it obsessively), and the gels and plastic-based liners don't burn as well, so they're out.
- Actually, that's as far as I've gotten. Anyone know what's up with Japanese diapers?
* Owned by the Tohokushinsha Film Studio? Who knew?
I can't answer the burning question about Japanese diapers but I work for a large (ocean going) shipping compamy and Kimberly-Clark (maker of all things Huggies) is one of our bigger customers. We actually ship Huggies to the four corners of the globe from places like Sulpher-Springs, TX and Madison, WI. Japan and Austrailia are where most end up. Scrap paper, scrap plastic, diapers and Bud, that's about it for the top export commodites to Asia, oh, and empty containers.
I was once stranded in Tokyo during a horrendous typhoon with my 20mo. old & wife. We had 2 pampers left so I trudged through the torrential downpour to the nearest 7/11(which puts the US 7/11 to shame btw) to buy some diapers. All they had were the skinny trainers (Japanese brand) that pull up and peel off. You know what, they rocked! So easy to put on (no fasteners, you just pull em up and then they peel/tear right off) and they held at least 1.5 good pees. I was sold. If given half the chance, I would have kept my daughter in these until her potty training. Perhaps the crappy Pampers/Huggies you bought were imports. Methinks that maybe there may be some sort of weird tariff on the desicant gel used in the diaper so that only the less absorbant diapers are allowed. It's a theory anyway.
Do Japanese use "infant potty training" or "elimination training" and so don't really use diapers much perhaps?
My dog had an accident 3 years ago & is now paralayzed in her hind legs. She wears a diaper with a V cut out for her tail. I made a harness for her and then made a strap w/a garter strap on it to strap onto the back of the diaper to keep it on her. I also made straps to strap on to the harmess w/swim trunks to keep the the little absorbent pods in the trunks that leak out from the tail area. I am e-mailing you to suggest that maybe you could make a special diaper for animals with the tail area cut out so that the absorbant pods won't leak out. They really make a mess. I am sure there are more handicap pets out here because I see them on TV and there are carts made for them. My dog does not like the cart very much and she can't go outside, so we put a diaper on her. She stays in the house all the time unless we take her outside & stay with her in the yard. She can get up on her legs for only a short period of time, about 3-4 minutes. She can't control when she needs to go outside so that is why we decided to put her in the diaper. We looked at the pet store for diapers, but only found a thin thing for when they were in heat. Obviously, that would not work for urine or bowl movements. That is when I decided to try a baby diaper. She scooted out of it real easy and then, I made a harness for her. Trial and error, but we finally came up with a solution. If your are interested in what we came up with. Please contact me. Like I said, I am sure there are more pets that could use your product. By the way, we are using the Newborn size. My pet (her name is Ginger, after Ginger Rogers) is a tiny minature Dashound (spelling)(weiner dog) about 7-8 lbs - I have 2 actually (the other is Scarlet after Scarlet O'Hara), but she has been like this for about 3 years now. The vet said she is in no pain and and she is aging faster now but is doing fine. Then we have a 3rd one that is a regular miniture named Maggie. The other two girls are just fine. They all still play but not like they used too. I would like for your company to make an adjustment to your diaper for pets also for our special needs loved ones. Please think of them also. Hey, I've been buying diapers for 3years now, please do it for me. I know I am only one, but I know there are more. PLEASE!!!!! It would be so much nicer not having to clean the messy absorbant pods (whatever they are called) when I change her from the tail area, and she likes her tail out of the diaper. Please contact me.
My dog had an accident 3 years ago & is now paralayzed in her hind legs. She wears a diaper with a V cut out for her tail. I made a harness for her and then made a strap w/a garter strap on it to strap onto the back of the diaper to keep it on her. I also made straps to strap on to the harmess w/swim trunks to keep the the little absorbent pods in the trunks that leak out from the tail area. I am e-mailing you to suggest that maybe you could make a special diaper for animals with the tail area cut out so that the absorbant pods won't leak out. They really make a mess. I am sure there are more handicap pets out here because I see them on TV and there are carts made for them. My dog does not like the cart very much and she can't go outside, so we put a diaper on her. She stays in the house all the time unless we take her outside & stay with her in the yard. She can get up on her legs for only a short period of time, about 3-4 minutes. She can't control when she needs to go outside so that is why we decided to put her in the diaper. We looked at the pet store for diapers, but only found a thin thing for when they were in heat. Obviously, that would not work for urine or bowl movements. That is when I decided to try a baby diaper. She scooted out of it real easy and then, I made a harness for her. Trial and error, but we finally came up with a solution. If your are interested in what we came up with. Please contact me. Like I said, I am sure there are more pets that could use your product. By the way, we are using the Newborn size. My pet (her name is Ginger, after Ginger Rogers) is a tiny minature Dashound (spelling)(weiner dog) about 7-8 lbs - I have 2 actually (the other is Scarlet after Scarlet O'Hara), but she has been like this for about 3 years now. The vet said she is in no pain and and she is aging faster now but is doing fine. Then we have a 3rd one that is a regular miniture named Maggie. The other two girls are just fine. They all still play but not like they used too. I would like for your company to make an adjustment to your diaper for pets also for our special needs loved ones. Please think of them also. Hey, I've been buying diapers for 3years now, please do it for me. I know I am only one, but I know there are more. PLEASE!!!!! It would be so much nicer not having to clean the messy absorbant pods (whatever they are called) when I change her from the tail area, and she likes her tail out of the diaper. Please contact me.