Wellness

Aiming to Improve QOL for Patients

As the average life expectancy increases, the possibility of undergoing multiple surgeries in one’s lifetime also rises. Adhesions, a phenomenon where organs and/or tissue damaged by surgical intervention adhere to one another during the tissue remodeling process, can cause problems during follow-up and subsequent surgeries. If adhesions occur, the degree of difficulty of the subsequent surgeries will increase, as will the stress placed on patients and the onus on doctors. Therefore, with the aim of making occurrences of adhesion as unlikely as possible, the Gunze Group has developed TENALEAF®, an absorbable adhesive barrier material. Reducing the likelihood of adhesions occurring leads to the shortening of surgery times, and due to its high flexibility and ease of manipulation. TENALEAF® is also expected to lead to improved QOL for patients.

TENALEAF® sheet-type absorbable adhesive barrier material

For Those Troubled by Infant Skull Deformities

Until the age of about one year, the skulls of infants are soft and composed of a number of loosely connected bones. The skull’s shape easily deforms into conditions that include plagiocephaly (oblique head) and brachycephaly (short head), due to external pressure caused by orientation habits when sleeping. In response to calls for a remedy from families troubled by infant skull deformities, the Gunze Group has obtained pharmaceutical approval for its ReMO baby® helmet, which corrects skull positional deformation in infants. We create helmets that fit the shape of each baby’s head and will correct any deformity as the infant grows. Through domestic manufacturing, we have put in place a system capable of providing high-quality products by responding to needs in detail.

ReMO baby® helmet for correcting skull positional deformation in infants

Sustainable Product Development That Is Closely Connected to People and the Environment

In the apparel business people- and environmentally-friendly materials are used actively to develop sustainable products.
The Fitte group of the KIREILABO women’s innerwear brand is supported by customers for its a rich lineup that meets a variety of needs, such as the gentle comfort of organic cotton blend materials and natural earth colors. Even while making the bust firm, we have achieved gentle comfort with our COMFY MAKE BRA. Its washing tag is transfer printed, and we adopted an organic cotton blend material for all materials that come into contact with the skin (excluding the under tape, sewing thread, metallic parts and fittings, and the transfer print). In the legwear field, the WASHIITO (Japanese paper yarn) brand of ethically made socks, which provides pleasant comfort for the feet while being environmentally friendly, recently made its debut. The socks made from Japanese paper fiber—waste from managed coniferous forests—We have achieved a new soft texture that is different from ordinary Japanese paper fibers by utilizing a new technology to make extremely thin Japanese paper into yarn. This is a product that takes full advantage of the antibacterial, deodorizing, water-absorbing and quick-drying merits of Japanese paper. In the house casual wear field, Gunze launched KAIMIN NAVI, a pajama series that makes rolling over in bed easy. Made from organic cotton, which places less of a burden on the environment than common cotton, these pajamas are colored with dyes extracted from natural materials (cherry blossoms, carnations, blueberries, bamboo charcoal, etc.). While feeling the natural power of plants, people- and environmentally-friendly KAIMIN NAVI pajamas can be worn with peace of mind.

COMFY MAKE BRA women’s innerwear

WASHIITO socks

KAIMIN NAVI pajamas

MediCure for Kids Children’s Underwear That Aims to be Gentle on the Skin

Products that reduce skin irritation, MediCure underwear supports self-care after surgery, particularly for those with sensitive skin or after breast cancer treatment. In response to requests from dermatologists and customers, for underwear for children due to its gentle comfort, we launched MediCure for kids. Having undergone clinical research at a university, this material has a smooth texture and is comfortable to wear even when you perspire. In addition to being completely seamless, the washing instructions are printed to reduce irritation caused by seams and tags. Gunze is promoting the development of products that take underwear from mere clothing to clothing for medical treatment that takes care of the skin and spirit. From 2021, we started selling these products at dermatology clinics through Medical U&A, Inc.

“MediCure for Kids” children’s underwear

For Products That Are Close to Women’s Bodies and Hearts

Gunze has been working on developing products that are close to women’s bodies and hearts for many years. In recent years, as Femtech has been attracting attention, the Company once again held an in-house seminar to deepen understanding of women’s bodies and health. We invited Dr. Kaori Koga, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of Tokyo Hospital, as a lecturer and about 100 people, mainly product planners and sales representatives, attended the seminar. They learned about the structure of women’s bodies and the problems associated with age and life stage changes. Through the provision of products that capture needs that change with the times, Gunze will continue to support women so that they can lead their lives more comfortably and in their own way.

Views from in-house seminars