English translation of an article originally published in Japanese on June 25, 2025. Read the Japanese original (Japanese). Event dates and availability refer to the original article. Images may contain Japanese text.
On June 25, 2025, the International Diaper Forum 2025 was held at the Festival Station inside the Kansai World Fair venue in Osaka.
This forum brought together experts from Japan and abroad who are active in the fields of diapers, continence, recycling, and accessibility. Discussions were held around three themes: “The Current Status of Diapers,” “Diapers, Recycling, and Sustainability,” and “Diapers and Accessibility,” to explore the social issues surrounding diapers and future possibilities.
Speakers in the ‘Current Status of Diapers’ session were Yukihiro Nakano, executive director of the Japan Hygiene Products Industry Association; Kaoru Nishimura, honorary chair of the Japan Continence Association; and Kei Hirabayashi, representative director of the Japan Welfare Medical Fashion Association.
In the ‘Diaper Recycling and Sustainability’ session, Seiko Noda, a member of Japan’s House of Representatives, chaired presentations by Chika Abe of the Deasy Executive Committee, Shintaro Murai of the Ministry of the Environment, Kazuyuki Oshita, associate professor at Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Engineering, and students from Tsuruoka National College of Technology. Each described work from their own perspective.
In the ‘Diapers and Accessibility’ session, Atsushi Kato of the Japan Toilet Research Institute chaired presentations by Tetsuo Yasuoka of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Jack Sim, founder and director of the World Toilet Organization.
Furthermore, we invited Ms. Jenny Miller, Chief Executive of PAMIS, and Ms. Fiona Souter, Director of Inclusive Communities, from Scotland. It was a precious opportunity to hear directly from you about practical case studies from abroad, such as Changing Places Toilets.
The forum became a place for international exchange, considering diapers not only as products but also from environmental, welfare, healthcare, accessibility and sustainability perspectives.
This forum was hosted by the Japan Welfare Medical Fashion Association and was supported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Ukrainian Embassy, the Swedish Embassy, and many other academic societies, professional organizations, and welfare-related groups.
Hiroshi Yagi served as an assistant director of the Japan Welfare Medical Fashion Association, the organizing organization, and was involved in the planning and operations of the International Diaper Forum 2025. He connected experts and related organizations from around the world and created opportunities to think about social issues through diapers.
[International Diaper Forum 2025 Official Site]https://jwmf.jp/idf2025/
