Moisture, odor, and stickiness. Desiccant products quietly eliminate such “small discomforts” in everyday life.
In Shiga Prefecture, there is Yamajin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a long-established manufacturer that has discovered infinite possibilities in its small existence and has been manufacturing it for over 70 years. Until now, the company has mainly focused on businesses, but it is now expanding its field of endeavor to include people’s daily lives and sports scenes.
Yamajin Pharmaceutical has developed products born from the voices of people around the country, such as the drying agent for shoes “Karatto Hero”, into products that resonate across the country, and is evolving into new manufacturing that involves local communities and teams. Why did a long-established store choose to change now? We asked Yasuko Sekiya, President and Representative Director (hereinafter referred to as Sekiya) about the background and thoughts behind this.
“Change in a defensive industry” A long-established manufacturer takes on the challenge of creating customer-oriented products
–Yamajin Pharmaceutical originally focused on business transactions (BtoB), but recently they have been focusing on creating products that are accessible to the general public (B2C).
Sekiya)Companies that handle desiccants and silica gel, including Yamajin Pharmaceutical, all have a history of 60 to 70 years. There are almost no new entrants to this industry, and all companies are familiar with each other, so the industry as a whole tends to be managed conservatively.I thought, “I want to do something more interesting” and “I want to bring about change in this industry.”
The transformation to BtoC was also influenced by the fact that when I was a student, I worked part-time in the customer service industry, such as at a coffee shop or gas station, where I was able to receive direct feedback from customers. Even after joining Yamajin Pharmaceutical,Isn’t it possible to create products that are tailored to customers’ problems by giving form to things that everyone is having trouble with or things that they wish they had? That’s what I was thinking.
ーーOne of the things that led to the birth of our first BtoC product, “Catamaran,” a drying agent specifically designed for seasonings.
Sekiya)This product was developed based on the tablet-shaped silica gel desiccant “Dry Yarn Tablet” that we independently manufacture. When I was in the kitchen myself, I had the problem that my seasonings had hardened and I couldn’t use them all the way through. When I joined Yamajin Pharmaceutical about 15 years ago, I tried using Dry Yarn Tablets in seasoning bottles at home, and was able to use them up to the end without them clumping up due to moisture.
I thought, “I’m sure there are people other than me who are in trouble or want this!” and decided to commercialize it as “Catamaran.”
–When you actually sold the seasoning desiccant “Katamaraan”, what was the reaction from people around you?
Sekiya)The response from customers was very positive, but since this was our first attempt at developing a product for B2C, it took some time to gain internal understanding. However, as a result of repeated trial and error using social media and crowdfunding with the staff in charge, the number of people who have become fans of the product is slowly increasing, both inside and outside the company.
Shoe desiccant “Karatto Hero” becomes a hit product thanks to staff feedback
–Recently, you have developed a product called “Karatto Hero”, a drying agent for shoes.
Sekiya)The seasoning desiccant “Katamaraan” was born out of my own concerns, but the shoe desiccant “Karatto Hero” is a commercialization based on customer feedback brought back to us by our staff. A staff member who went to a gym for bouldering, which is his hobby, was approached by the gym owner.The development was inspired by the feedback that we received, “I wanted a long, thin desiccant that would fit well with bouldering shoes.”
There are many types of desiccants for shoes in the world, and to be honest, I thought this was an area where there would be a lot of competition. However, we were able to hear from customers that they were actually worried that “Bouldering shoes have narrower toes than existing shoes, and there is no desiccant for shoes that can fit all the way to the toes.” Our staff also suggested, “Maybe we should try making these?” and so we started development.
–So there was a story behind the development of Karatto Hero. I heard that when the product was actually sold, there was a great response.
Sekiya)Through crowdfunding, more than 1,400 people purchased the product, far exceeding our goal, and the sales amounted to approximately 7 million yen, which was more than we expected. This may have been due to the fact that the sale occurred during the pre-summer rainy season, when it was a bit hot and humid.
As it became a hot topic, the number of companies that became interested in it increased, and we exhibited it at various events and exhibitions. Karatto Hero is now available at retail stores nationwide.
–The idea for the product based on staff feedback has grown into a popular product that is being sold nationwide.
Sekiya)We receive comments from customers who have purchased our product, saying, “I’ve never had a product like this before.”
Originally, shoe stores and 100 yen shops had desiccant bags, but most of the handles on traditional shoe desiccant bags were either black or white and didn’t stand out.I think the fact that the pink and blue colors of Karatto Hero have caught everyone’s attention and created a buzz, with people saying, “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” is an interesting feature that can only be found in BtoC.
“Co-creation” with Shiga Lakes, a community and company connected by sports
–Even in the sports field, I feel that new products are being created based on familiar issues.
Under such circumstances, he was appointed as a bronze partner of the B League team Shiga Lakes from 2025. Please tell me the story behind that.
Sekiya)Since I learned that desiccant materials are also useful in the field of sports, I wanted to contribute to sports in Shiga Prefecture as well.At that time, I decided to partner with Shiga Lakes and support them as Yamajin Pharmaceutical.The fact that my son plays basketball and understands the circumstances of the game and the problems faced by the players to some extent helped give me a boost.
Although we have been working as a partner since July of this year, we have been spreading information about Yamajin Pharmaceutical on the Shiga Lakes website and SNS. The name “Yamajin Pharmaceutical” tends to give the impression that we are a rigid and unapproachable company that deals in pharmaceuticals, so in order to dispel that image, we created a logo that is more approachable and emphasizes “Karatto Hero.”
ーーAfter becoming a partner, what kind of reaction did you receive from your fans and those around you?
Sekiya)Some people saw the announcement and got curious and searched for it, wondering, “What is Karatto Hero?” Others looked at the website and tweeted, “An interesting company has become a sponsor.”In the future, we are also planning collaboration products with Shiga Lakes, so I hope our boosters are looking forward to it.
We are also developing products that can be used not only for basketball, but also for other sports and people whose jobs require physical activity. We are preparing to have our products available at sports shops across the country next year, and would like to deliver our products to even more people.
From Shiga to the whole country, manufacturing that turns “unpleasant” into “pleasant”
–You have talked about expanding your business nationwide, but what kind of thoughts do you want to keep in mind as you develop and sell your products?
Sekiya)We want to make desiccant a familiar item that can be easily selected according to the purpose and available everywhere.That’s what I think. Additionally, as a company based in Shiga Prefecture, we would like to complete all operations within the prefecture. Although Shiga Prefecture is not a large city, it is a place where local ties are strong and connections with people can be cherished.
That’s why I believe that if products made in Shiga Prefecture spread throughout the country, it will be a source of pride for our employees and a source of joy for everyone involved.
–I heard that you also request some work from an employment support facility in Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture.
Sekiya)We ask employment support facilities to package the products. Many people are involved because the work is relatively easy for people with any type of disability to tackle.
The work we ask them to do is package packaging at the final stage of manufacturing, and we hear that this work is popular with everyone, as it is easy for the workers to understand what kind of product they are working on.The people involved in the work are happy, and we believe that the company is contributing to society, so we hope to continue this initiative and contribute to the development of Shiga Prefecture.
–Finally, what kind of activities do you think Yamajin Pharmaceutical would like to focus on in the future, as a company whose philosophy is to “make the world’s bad things pleasant through innovative ideas and purposeful execution?”
Sekiya)I want to make desiccant something familiar to each and every person, not just as something that comes in sweets, but as something that can relieve dissatisfaction, inconvenience, and discomfort in each person’s daily life.
To achieve this, we believe that in addition to product planning, it is also important to make the finished product known to the world. I would like to focus my efforts on creating an environment where Yamajin Pharmaceutical products can be easily found and purchased, both in physical stores and on the Internet. We believe that by doing so, we can make the world a more comfortable place, increase the job satisfaction of our employees, and contribute to Shiga Prefecture.
–Thank you very much.
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