What Marusan Sangyo does

Marusan Sangyo (丸三産業株式会社 / MARUSAN INDUSTRY CO., LTD.) is a Japanese cotton processing and nonwoven fabric manufacturer founded in 1948 and headquartered in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture. The company specializes in the production of bleached cotton, cotton-based nonwoven fabrics across spunlace, needle-punch, thermal bond, and embossed forming methods, and a range of downstream converting products including cosmetic pads, medical absorbent cotton, sterilized cotton, alcohol swabs, tea bags, and oil-absorbent materials (Oil Hunter). Marusan Sangyo holds an estimated 90%+ share of the domestic Japanese market for bleached cotton, reflecting decades of accumulated capability in this category.

The company's technology platform centers on its proprietary "Miracle Cotton" spunlace process, which produces 100% cotton nonwoven fabric without chemical binders and is supported by patent protection. Operations are vertically integrated across cotton sourcing, bleaching, nonwoven forming, converting, and OEM assembly, conducted across five manufacturing bases in Ehime and Kochi Prefectures. The company maintains medical device manufacturing licenses alongside industry certifications including ISO 14001 (achieved 2017), OEKO-TEX, and GOTS, which collectively govern access to cosmetics, medical, and food-contact applications. Group-wide employment is approximately 700.

Marusan Sangyo sells into three principal end-segments: cosmetics (pads, wipes), medical and hygiene (absorbent cotton, sterilized products, alcohol preparation), and industrial/food (tea bags, oil absorbents, OEM assembly). Its commercial model combines OEM supply to brand owners with branded product sales, including its Miracle Cotton franchise. Exports are concentrated in Asia (China, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia) with additional shipments to the United States and Israel, and the company participates in the INDEX26 nonwoven industry trade show as part of international channel development. Marusan Sangyo is privately held with no public listing and has historically grown through plant acquisition (notably the 2018 Renesas Semiconductor Kochi Factory acquisition) and incremental line investment rather than acquisitive M&A.

Name

Marusan Sangyo

Legal name

丸三産業株式会社 (MARUSAN INDUSTRY CO., LTD.)

Website

https://marusan-sangyo.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Marusan Sangyo (丸三産業株式会社) is a Japanese bleached cotton and cotton nonwoven fabric manufacturer founded in 1948, supplying cosmetics, medical, and industrial end-markets and holding over 90% domestic Japanese share of bleached cotton.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonwoven Fabric and Cotton Manufacturing

NAICS

Textile Mills (313), Textile Product Mills (314)

SIC

Textile Mill Products (2200), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Hygiene Paper Raw Materials & Components (Pulp, SAP, Nonwovens, Elastics, Adhesives, Fragrances) (IMAMAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cotton & Personal Care Paper (Cotton Balls/Swabs, Paper Cotton Products) (CRADALAI)

Keywords

• Cotton nonwoven fabric
• Bleached cotton manufacturing
• Medical cotton supplies
• Cosmetic cotton products
• OEM cotton manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Toshima

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cotton product manufacturing and sales: Manufacturing and distribution of cotton hygiene materials and products including bleached cotton, nonwoven fabrics, cosmetic pads, medical absorbent cotton, sterilized cotton, tea bags, oil absorbents, and gauze. Revenue is generated through direct sales to corporate clients (OEM) and consumer sales through the group's Cotton Labo Co., Ltd.
2. OEM manufacturing services: Custom manufacturing services for corporate clients based on their product specifications. The company handles material procurement, manufacturing equipment preparation, quality control, production, inspection, and delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Marusan Sangyo manufactures bleached cotton, cotton nonwoven fabrics (spunlace, embossed, thermal bond, needle punch), and processed cotton products including cosmetic pads, medical absorbent cotton, sterilized cotton, medical gauze, alcohol swabs, tea bags, and oil absorbents. The company operates a vertically integrated production system from raw cotton import to finished products, supplying over 90% of Japan's bleached cotton for daily and medical use, and serves clients through OEM custom manufacturing and direct material sales.

Product overview

Marusan Sangyo is a comprehensive cotton manufacturing company offering an integrated production system from raw material import to finished products. The core product portfolio consists of Miracle Cotton® (100% cotton spunlace non-woven fabric) and bleached cotton (holding over 90% of Japan's domestic market share), which serve as foundational materials. Nonwoven fabric offerings include cotton spunlace, embossed, and needle-punched varieties, alongside functional powder sheet fabrics. Processed products span cosmetic pads, sterilized and medical absorbent cotton, tea bags, medical gauze, alcohol swabs, and the Oil Hunter® oil-absorbent product line. The company operates across cosmetics, medical/healthcare, and industrial segments, with an integrated business model encompassing material procurement, manufacturing, and distribution, supported by OEM services for custom product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Miracle Cotton (ミラクルコットン): 100% cotton nonwoven fabric developed by Marusan Industry using water jet technology. A gauze-like material made by entangling fibers without binders, known for being soft on skin and an excellent soil remover.
• The Oil Hunter (オイルハンター)
• Sanicot (サニコット)

Products and services

• Miracle Cotton 100% cotton spunlace nonwoven fabric developed as Japan's first absorbent cotton-based nonwoven material. Made using water jet technology to entangle fibers without binders, offering softness, excellent water absorption, and skin gentleness. Used as a foundational material for cosmetic pads, medical supplies, and hygiene products.
• Bleached Cotton Raw cotton processed through scouring, degreasing, and bleaching. Holds over 90% of Japan's domestic market share for daily-use and medical cotton products. Supplied to cosmetics manufacturers, medical product makers, and food/beverage companies.
• Cotton Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric
• Cotton Embossed Nonwoven Fabric 100% cotton nonwoven fabric made by embossing absorbent cotton sheets with heated rollers, creating patterns for compactness and improved water absorption. Manufactured under a patented process.
• Functional Powder Sheet Fabric Multi-layered non-woven sheets with medicinal powder inserted between layers, up to 5 layers total (3 nonwoven layers and 2 powder layers). Used in functional applications.
• Medical Absorbent Cotton Medical-grade absorbent cotton classified as a general medical device (Class I). Used for absorbing body fluids and coating skin with liquid medication. Supplied to hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and medical product distributors.
• Tea Bags Heat-sealed tea bags made from thermal bonded fabric. Certified by Japan Food Research Laboratories (JFRL), available for various tea types including barley tea and soup stock. Supplied to food and beverage companies.
• Oil Absorbent Cotton Eco-friendly oil-absorbent material using unbleached natural cotton, certified with Eco-Mark Type I environmental label. Floats on water while absorbing oil. Used for industrial oil spill response.
• Sliver Cotton Cotton separated into parallel strands and interlocked into rope-like forms. Used for cotton swabs, cotton balls, and yarn for filtration materials. Production line started full-scale operations in February 2016.
• Alcohol Swabs (Sanicot) Medical absorbent cotton pre-saturated with alcohol (chlorhexidine gluconate, ethanol, or isopropanol). Available in box type and individually wrapped pouch type. Classified as quasi-drug or drug. The Sanicot brand includes variants N Sanicot MEI2, N Sanicot Dxα, and N Sanicot EQ.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of Japan's daily-use and medical cotton products are manufactured using Marusan's bleached cotton
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Multiple subsidiaries (Daisan, MCT Saijo, UMCT, Eco Products, Orion Yakuhin, Ehime Wax Industry)coreOthers · 1 February 2025In February 2025, Marusan conducted an absorption-type merger absorbing Daisan Co., Ltd., MCT Saijo Co., Ltd., UMCT Co., Ltd., Eco Products Co., Ltd., Orion Yakuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd., and Ehime Wax Industry Co., Ltd. These were all previously subsidiaries.
• Hakugen Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2011Cotton Labo Co., Ltd. was established under a joint investment with Hakugen Co., Ltd. in November 2011. All shares were acquired by Marusan in August 2014, making it a 100%-owned subsidiary. Cotton Labo manages retail sales of consumer products.
• Unitika Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2011Established UMCT Co., Ltd. as a joint venture with Unitika Ltd. in April 2011. The joint venture focuses on nonwoven fabric manufacturing and operations.
• Daisan Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2010Basic agreement for business partnership signed in November 2010. All shares of Daisan Co., Ltd. were subsequently acquired in June 2014, making it a 100%-owned subsidiary. Merged into Marusan in February 2025.
• Shiseido Co., Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 1985Myu Products Co., Ltd. was established within the Ozu Plant site as a joint investment with Shiseido Co., Ltd. in September 1985 to manufacture sanitary napkins. The joint venture was later dissolved through business merger.
• U.S. Cotton Trust ProtocolminorOthersMarusan is a member of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a nationwide improvement program in the U.S. seeking sustainable cotton production. Marusan supports business plans aligned with the protocol.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Unitika Ltd. Japanese textile and materials manufacturer and Marusan's JV partner in UMCT Co., Ltd. for nonwoven fabric manufacturing. Operates overlapping spunlace and nonwoven product lines serving hygiene and industrial end markets in Japan and globally.
• Toyobo Co., Ltd. Major Japanese textile and nonwoven fabric producer with spunbond/meltblown/spunlace capabilities serving medical, hygiene, and industrial segments. Directly comparable in nonwoven manufacturing scale and end-market exposure to Marusan.
• Uni-Charm Corporation: Japan-based global leader in personal hygiene and cotton-based consumer products. Overlaps with Marusan's downstream customer base in cosmetic cotton, baby wipes, and medical absorbent cotton, and uses similar nonwoven substrates in its products.
• Oji Holdings Corporation: Japanese paper and hygiene materials producer that converts pulp-based and nonwoven materials into consumer hygiene and personal-care products. Comparable vertically integrated model in Japan serving overlapping hygiene/medical customers.
• Freudenberg Group: Global German-based nonwovens manufacturer (Freudenberg Performance Materials) producing spunlace, needle-punch, and other nonwoven technologies for hygiene, medical, and industrial applications. Direct global competitor to Marusan in nonwoven substrates.
• Ahlstrom: Finnish specialty nonwovens and materials manufacturer serving medical, filtration, and hygiene markets. Direct global peer in specialty nonwovens manufacturing with comparable B2B model and regulatory-grade product portfolio.
• Berry Global Group: Global manufacturer of nonwoven fabrics and hygiene materials serving medical, hygiene, and personal-care customers. Direct global peer in spunlace and other nonwovens for skin-contact and medical applications, and a relevant comparable on scale.
• Hakugen Co., Ltd. Former JV partner of Marusan in Cotton Labo Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer and marketer of consumer cotton products including towel, cosmetic, and hygiene items. Direct regional peer with overlapping product portfolio and customer base in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• Asahi Kasei Corporation: Large Japanese diversified materials manufacturer with a significant nonwovens and specialty textile business (Bemliese, Eltas). A broader portfolio player but directly comparable on nonwoven fabric manufacturing capabilities.
• Kao Corporation: Major Japanese personal-care and consumer-products company whose cosmetic cotton (Senshukan) and wet-wipe products use similar absorbent cotton and nonwoven inputs. Comparable end-market and customer base, though operating as a brand rather than materials supplier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance15 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marusan Sangyo