Japan — The Olympics are known to be exciting for athletes and spectators alike. Japanese condom makers also have something to anticipate during this period: business.
However, the pandemic has led to multiple restrictions alongside the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The tightening of rules and regulations means that condom makers cannot distribute ultra-thin condoms to those partaking in the event.
Since the 1988 Seoul games, it has been a standard practice to distribute free condoms at the Olympics. Hundreds of thousands of condoms are given out to encourage safe sex among the athletes present at the games.
After Tokyo was named as the host city for the 2020 Summer Olympics, Japanese condom production firms churned out condoms in large quantities to ensure that adequate stocks are prepared.
However, the firms are now facing a complication: they are only allowed to hand out latex-based condoms, instead of the ultra-fit versions that are made of polyurethane. Organizers predict that approximately 160,000 condoms will be handed out during the games when they start next month.
Condomania boutiques found in Harajuku and Shibuya districts, both of which part of Tokyo, offers a wide selection of condoms. Such boutiques are usually visited by tourists and the condoms offered by them demonstrate Japan’s technological advancements and progression in their production.
Condom makers are now prohibited from distributing ultra-thin condoms with a thicken of approximately 0.02 millimetres which they alone can produce.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of foreign tourists in the area has dropped dramatically, leading to the boutique having trouble making ends meet. Koji Negishi, shop manager of Condomania, reveals that they are still open due to the regular customers in the neighbourhood who continue to purchase from the boutiques.
Negishi says that while people were initially worried about the products offered by Condomania due to the thinness of the material, more people started purchasing them after realizing that the quality was good.
Sagami Rubber Industries, a leading condom manufacturer in Japan, has built a new factory in Malaysia in 2018 in order to keep up with the expected rise in demand. The company prides itself on its innovation and now boasts a 0.01 mm variant that it developed.
You Zi Xuan is an intern at The Independent SG.
/TISG