What Nichiban does

Nichiban Co., Ltd. (TYO:4218) is a Japanese adhesive technology company founded in 1918 and headquartered in Tokyo, operating two integrated business segments: a Medical Business and a Tape Business. The Medical Business produces surgical tapes, wound care dressings, hemostatic bandages, post-operative care products, cornea protection products, pharmaceuticals, and over-the-counter consumer healthcare items including the CARELEAVES™ bandage line, ROIHI-TSUBOKO™ analgesic patches, and battlewin™ sports taping products. The Tape Business produces cellulose tapes (CELLOTAPE™), double-sided tapes (NICETACK™), industrial packaging tapes, agricultural binding systems (Tabanera™), book-binding systems (Selbind™), and specialty masking tapes for vehicles, construction, and electronics. The company's underlying technology platform centers on over 100 years of proprietary adhesive chemistry expertise, including acrylic adhesive synthesis, rubber adhesive compounding, release agent synthesis, and an industry-first urethane gel adhesive technology (CATHAREEPLUS™).

Nichiban operates a sales-led go-to-market model spanning direct specialist sales teams visiting medical institutions, customer consultation rooms, retail pharmacy and drugstore distribution for consumer healthcare and stationery, e-commerce channels, industrial distributors, and sports association partnerships. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of physical adhesive products across diversified customer segments: hospital/medical institution sales, OTC consumer healthcare, industrial tape customers, stationery/office channels, and e-commerce. FY2026 (ended March 2026) consolidated revenue was ¥50,470 million (approximately $320M USD), with operating income of ¥2,270 million and net income of ¥1,652 million. The company sells in approximately 50 countries through a combination of wholly-owned subsidiaries in Thailand, Germany, and a Shanghai representative office (opened July 2024), plus a Thai joint venture (Union Thai-Nichiban) for export manufacturing under the Panfix™ brand.

The business model is anchored by long-tenured brand equity (CELLOTAPE registered in Japan since 1947, NICETACK since 1966, ROIHI-TSUBOKO since 1989, CARELEAVES since 1997) and certified manufacturing quality (ISO 9001 since 2001/2005, ISO 14001 since 2007, JIS Z 1522 for cellulose tape, FSC certification, biomass mark certification). TAIHO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is the largest shareholder at 33.49%, providing capital stability since its 1976 investment. Nichiban operates three ISO-certified factories in Japan (Saitama, Anjo, Osaka) plus the Thailand joint venture, producing over 10,000 distinct product items across its portfolio.

Name

Nichiban

Legal name

Nichiban Co., Ltd.

Website

https://nichiban.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Nichiban is a Japanese adhesive technology company (founded 1918, TYO:4218) that manufactures medical products and adhesive tapes through two segments: Medical Business (surgical tapes, wound care, OTC healthcare) and Tape Business (cellulose tape, industrial and stationery tapes), serving hospitals, industrial customers, and consumers in ~50 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adhesive Tapes and Medical Products

NAICS

Adhesive Manufacturing (32552), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255)

SIC

Adhesives & Sealants (2891), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Adhesives (Structural & Assembly) (IMAEAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adhesives & Sealants Chemicals (IMAEABAA), Medical & Hygiene Disposables (Underpads, Disposable Washcloths, Bed Bath Products) (CRADALAK), OTC Pain Relief & Fever (Analgesics, Anti-inflammatory, Topical Pain Relief) (CRADAMAC), Flexibles for Hygiene & Medical (Sterile Barrier, Wound Care, Diaper Backsheets) (IMALABAK)

Keywords

• Adhesive tapes
• Medical dressings
• Industrial packaging tapes
• Consumer stationery
• Healthcare plasters

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Business: Manufacturing and selling medical products including surgical tapes, wound care dressings, hemostatic bandages, post-operative care products, cornea protection products, and pharmaceuticals. Revenue divided between hospital sales (¥5,675 million), OTC healthcare products for general consumers (¥15,308 million), and e-commerce channels.
2. Tape Business: Manufacturing and selling adhesive tapes for industrial, office/home, and consumer use. Includes packaging tapes, cellulose tapes, double-sided tapes, book-binding products, and stationery. Revenue from industrial customers (¥13,864 million), stationery (¥4,842 million), and e-commerce (¥4,203 million).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nichiban manufactures and sells adhesive products across three segments: Medical Business (surgical tapes, wound care dressings, hemostatic bandages, post-operative care products, and pharmaceuticals for hospitals and clinics), Healthcare Consumer Products (OTC adhesive plasters, analgesic patches, and sports taping), and Tape Business (industrial packaging tapes, cellulose tapes, double-sided tapes, book-binding products, stationery, and vegetable binding systems for industrial, office, and consumer use).

Product overview

Nichiban is an adhesive technology company organized around two core business segments: Medical Business and Tape Business. The Medical Business encompasses healthcare products for consumers (CARELEAVES™ first-aid bandages, ROIHI-TSUBOKO™ analgesic patches, battlewin™ sports tapes) and medical products for hospitals (Surgical Tapes, Wound Care Dressings, Hemostatic Bandages, CATHEREEPLUS™ film dressings, Atofine™ scar care tapes). The Tape Business includes stationery products for consumers (CELLOTAPE self-adhesive cellulose tape, NICETACK™ double-sided tapes, tenori™ tape glue, Selbind™ book-binding systems, Packaging Tapes) and industrial products (Panfix™ tapes, Tabanera™ vegetable binding systems, masking tapes for construction/vehicles). The company also produces niche products including Dear Kitchen™ kitchen tapes and Petit joie™ stationery. Founded in 1918, Nichiban has over 100 years of experience developing adhesive technologies with more than 10,000 product items across healthcare, stationery, and industrial applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CARELEAVES: Emergency adhesive plaster series launched in 1997, pursuing comfort and quality for first-aid bandages.
• ROIHI-TSUBOKO
• battlewin
• NICETACK
• tenori
• Panfix
• CATHEREEPLUS
• Selbind
• Tabanera
• Atofine

Products and services

• CARELEAVES First-aid adhesive bandage brand launched in 1997, featuring various series and sizes for wound care, known for comfort and skin-friendly properties. Targeted at general consumers for everyday wound care needs.
• ROIHI-TSUBOKO Analgesic anti-inflammatory patch for stiff shoulders and lower back pain, including cooling variant (ROIHI-TSUBOKO COOL) and cream variant (ROIHI Cream Felbi). Targeted at general consumers.
• battlewin Sports taping and medical information brand providing athletic tape products and taping know-how for injury prevention and high performance support in various sports. Serves both professional athletes and general consumers.
• CATHEREEPLUS Film dressing material using the industry's first urethane gel adhesive. Features unprecedented breathability while being gentle on skin and difficult to peel off. Designed for elderly and infant patients with sensitive skin. Includes I.V. SLIT variant for dialysis applications. For healthcare professionals and medical institutions.
• Atofine Scar care tape for post-operative use that prevents postoperative scarring and keloids. Features low irritation, long-term application comfort, and breathable extensibility control with UV cut properties. For medical institutions and post-operative patients.
• Surgical Tapes

Quantifiable outcome

• 50.4 billion yen annual sales (fiscal year ended March 2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Japan Blind Football AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2018Supply Service Partner since April 2018. Supports blind soccer activities through provision of tape products used in tournament venue operations.
• Organization for Disability Independence Promotion (Paralym Art)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2018Silver Partner since April 2018. Supports Paralym Art activities promoting social participation and economic independence of people with disabilities through art created by people with disabilities.
• Japan Sports AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2017Official Partner since April 2017. Supports athletic training specialized courses in the Sports Instructor Partner Program. Supports the 'Energize Japan with Fair Play' campaign.
• Daito Chemical Co., Ltd.minorOthers · 1 November 2016Subsidiary/acquisition integrated into Nichiban Group in November 2016. Involved in chemical manufacturing related to adhesive products.
• Japan Football Association (JFA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Official Partner since January 2016 for the JFA Youth & Development Programme (JYD). Supports spread of soccer and development of players. SOCCER MEDICAL CAMP training program developed to convey knowledge of athletic trainers required in soccer fields.
• Japan Basketball AssociationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2013Official Partner since May 2013. Supports athletes' competitiveness through supply of battlewin™ products, sports medical products, and taping know-how. Supports development of basketball in Japan.
• Tokushima VortiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial supplier of battlewin™ products to Tokushima Vortis professional soccer team. Battlewin Match Day events provide direct communication with people who enjoy sports.
• Urawa Red DiamondscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial supplier of battlewin™ products to Urawa Red Diamonds professional soccer team. Direct communication with fans through events and taping seminars.
• Jeff United Ichihara / ChibaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial supplier of battlewin™ products. Supports team through product provision and taping know-how.
• Union Thai Nichiban Co., Ltd.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerThai joint venture manufacturing export products centered on the Panfix™ brand. Produces cellulose tape and other products for international markets.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lintec Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of adhesive tapes, labels, and specialty papers. Closely comparable to Nichiban's Tape Business — including packaging tapes, stationery tapes, and industrial bonding applications — with overlapping customer bases in Japan and Southeast Asia.
• Nitto Denko: Major Japanese manufacturer of industrial adhesive tapes, electronic materials, and medical products. Comparable to Nichiban across both industrial tape and medical adhesive categories, though at substantially larger scale and with deeper exposure to electronics and automotive end-markets.
• Kobayashi Pharmaceutical: Japanese consumer healthcare and household products company with OTC pharmaceutical and personal care brands. Comparable to Nichiban's Healthcare Consumer Products segment (OTC analgesic patches, first-aid plasters) in Japanese pharmacy and drug-store channels, addressing similar end-consumer pain-relief and self-care needs.
• Intertape Polymer Group: North American manufacturer of industrial tapes, packaging tapes, and protective films for industrial and consumer use. Comparable to Nichiban's industrial packaging and masking tape portfolio, competing for similar manufacturing and logistics customers globally.
• Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical: Japanese pharmaceutical company best known for Salonpas analgesic patches and other OTC topical pain-relief products. Directly competes with Nichiban's ROIHI-TSUBOKO™ analgesic patch line in Japan and across Asia, targeting the same shoulder and lower-back pain consumer need with similar transdermal drug delivery technology.
• Sekisui Chemical: Japanese diversified chemicals company with significant adhesive tape and tape-related products through its High Performance Plastics Company. Comparable industrial tapes, construction adhesives, and bonding materials overlap with Nichiban's industrial and construction tape segments.
• tesa SE (Beiersdorf): German manufacturer of self-adhesive tapes and adhesive solutions for industrial and consumer markets. Comparable to Nichiban's industrial Tape Business across packaging, masking, and specialty bonding applications, with stronger European distribution presence.

Broad incumbents

• Smith & Nephew: Global medical devices company with strong wound-care, advanced wound management, and sports medicine franchises. Directly comparable to Nichiban's medical business in wound dressings, surgical tapes, and post-operative care products, though at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Mölnlycke Health Care: Swedish medical solutions company specializing in wound care, surgical, and pressure ulcer prevention products (Mepilex, Mepitel, Avance). Comparable to Nichiban's wound dressings, surgical tapes, and post-operative care business in the medical channel, with stronger international hospital sales coverage.
• 3M Company: Global diversified conglomerate with extensive adhesive tape (Scotch, T Command) and medical/surgical products (3M Health Care) divisions. While Nichiban operates at a fraction of 3M's scale, it competes head-to-head in many of the same industrial tape and wound-care categories globally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Nichiban