World Toilet Organization founder Jack Sim becomes an O-MU-TSU WORLD EXPO ambassador

English translation of an article originally published in Japanese on September 12, 2024. Read the Japanese original (Japanese). Event dates and availability refer to the original article. Images may contain Japanese text.

On September 11, 2024, I visited Kao Corporation along with Jack Sim, who was appointed as the International Ambassador of O-MU-TSU WORLD EXPO.

Mr. Jack Sim is the founder of the World Toilet Organization, which is based in Singapore and works to improve toilets and sanitation worldwide. He has promoted the movement to designate November 19 as the “World Toilet Day” as an international day of the United Nations, and has been spreading awareness of issues related to toilets and sanitation around the world.

During this visit to Japan, Jack Sim met Kei Hirabayashi, representative director of the Japan Welfare Medical Fashion Association. He then visited Kao Corporation with Hirabayashi and Hiroshi Yagi, the association’s deputy representative director, to exchange information about Japanese adult diapers.

At the discussion, Mr. Jack Sim presented various ideas from an international perspective on diapers. Particularly, he mentioned that the Japanese hospitality and the “Kaizen” philosophy will be important points in considering the future of diapers.

The perspective of Jack Sim, who has continued activities related to toilets and hygiene around the world, was very interesting, containing ideas that were unfamiliar to us.

While receiving advice from Mr. Jack Sim, we are proceeding with preparations for the O-MU-TSU WORLD EXPO to be held at Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 on June 24, 2025.