Interview with the Management Planning Department of HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.
HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. continues to evolve with unique technology rooted in the community.
What thoughts and ideas are behind their business?
We spoke with Yoshida Junichi and Yagi Tatsu from the Management Planning Department of HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. about the company's origins and initiatives.
The technology supporting HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.: "Flat Yarn"
Please tell us about HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES' business.
Yoshida (no honorifics)
The most recognizable product of HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES is the blue sheet, but it accounts for less than 10% of total sales, and the company has a variety of other products.
For example, they handle various products that support daily life and industry, such as sandbags, flame-retardant, soundproof, and mesh sheets, balchips for reinforcing concrete, and raw materials for adhesive tape.
Yagi (no honorifics)
Additionally, they manufacture and sell raw yarn for artificial turf used in soccer fields and tennis courts, as well as flexible container bags used for transportation and storage.
Please tell us about your main products, the blue sheet and flat yarn.
Yoshida
Few people have had the chance to closely examine a blue sheet, but it is actually a "woven fabric."
Originally, the parent company, Hagiwara Shoten, was weaving rush grass to make tatami mats in Kurashiki and Hayashima, but they replaced it with petroleum-derived materials, which is how it all began.
Yagi
The material used for the blue sheet is polyethylene.
This is cut into strips like film and then stretched thin while applying heat, resulting in a strong and flat thread.
This is the technology that HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES values: "Flat Yarn".
By weaving this flat yarn and going through a waterproof lamination process, HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES' blue sheets are created.
In other words, the technology of tatami mat making in Kurashiki has been transformed and is now utilized in products used worldwide.
About the company's uniqueness
There may be other companies in Japan and abroad that manufacture blue sheets.
What are the strengths and advantages unique to HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES?
Yoshida
In fact, we are currently the only company manufacturing blue sheets in Japan.
While other companies might be able to produce similar products, this industry has already matured, and the market is shrinking. Due to reasons such as unprofitability, domestic competitors have withdrawn.
Yagi
In their place, overseas manufacturers from countries like China and Vietnam have entered the market. While overseas products are cheaper, they often compromise on quality.
For short-term use, they may be acceptable, but when exposed to sunlight and ultraviolet rays, they deteriorate, leading to cases where they fail within months when used to cover roofs during disasters.
Our products are designed to be strong and weather-resistant, ensuring they can be used safely for a long time even in such situations.
Manufacturing inevitably has aspects that cannot overlook environmental issues. Please tell us about HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES' efforts and innovations regarding the environment.
Yoshida
HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES is promoting a horizontal recycling project for blue sheets called "Re VALUE+."
This initiative involves collecting used blue sheets and regenerating them into new blue sheets. Until now, most blue sheets have been incinerated.
The reason is that it has been difficult to maintain quality when reusing raw materials. Stabilizing the quality of regenerated pellets (processed into granules) has been a significant challenge.
Yagi
As the top manufacturer of domestic blue sheets, HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES has been promoting this project to solve this challenge. Utilizing the strengths of having a machinery product business and collaborating with various companies, we began full-scale operation of the recycling line in June 2025.
Yoshida
Products made from petroleum as raw materials require consideration for the environment.
That is why we want to contribute to reducing new resource extraction and energy consumption, as well as CO₂ emissions and other environmental burdens through this initiative.
The reason why blue sheets are "blue"
By the way, why are blue sheets blue?
Yoshida
Actually, it was originally "orange."
At that time, there were rumors that the orange pigment contained a harmful substance called "lead yellow."
Therefore, they switched to "blue" as a safer color. Additionally, there are other reasons as follows:
- Excellent weather resistance
- In the 1960s, blue raw materials were widely used in resin products like buckets and hoses, making them relatively inexpensive to procure
- They do not contain harmful substances, allowing for a safety appeal
- They are the same color as the sky and sea, making them less likely to spoil the scenery
These backgrounds led to the establishment of the name "blue sheet." While the impact of ultraviolet rays on weather resistance is significant, we do not have precise data on it.
Yagi
There are also color variations of the same polyethylene material, such as silver, green, and orange, and there are even highly functional sheets with heat-shielding and transparency. Recently, earth-colored sheets have also been added to the lineup for leisure use. Additionally, the range of sheet processing is broad, and we can create box-shaped products with the desired fabric.
We have also introduced large printing machines, so we can produce photo-printed banners starting from just one piece.
Health management expanding from the company cafeteria, initiatives that support employees and the community
During the interview, we saw the company cafeteria. Please tell us about your initiatives regarding employee health management.
Yoshida
Our president has declared "health management," and we are working on creating a workplace where employees can work energetically.
In the company cafeteria, the company covers half of the meal costs, allowing employees to enjoy hearty warm meals at reasonable prices, while also serving as an opportunity for interaction across departments, deepening internal communication.
Yagi
We have also established systems as part of work style reforms, such as initiatives for smoking cessation and mental health measures through stress checks, creating an environment that considers the mental and physical health of employees.
Finally, please give a message to the readers.
Yoshida
Many may know our company name from commercials, but they might not be aware of what kind of business we conduct.
Through this article, I hope readers will understand that a company rooted in Kurashiki is evolving the technology of tatami mat making into a modern form and contributing to the community and society.
Yagi
We will continue to leverage our technological capabilities and advance our environmental initiatives and product development. We aspire to be a company that continues to grow together with the community towards the future.
Conclusion
What strongly impressed me during the interview was that HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES is a "global company rooted in the community."
While blue sheets are essential products during disasters, there are few opportunities to be aware of their quality and background. However, in reality, they continue to challenge themselves while utilizing technology originating from Kurashiki and considering the environment and the community.
During the exchange of business cards at the interview, the words "Hami dase, Ami dase" engraved prominently on the card were very striking.
The attitude of creating new value without being bound by common sense was also felt from the atmosphere of the workplace and the words of the employees.
Furthermore, the phrases embedded in the commercial song, such as "MAKE YOUR HAPPY LIFE" and "Towards a future that makes your heart dance," convey a desire to share joy with the town of Kurashiki and its people.
What kind of future will HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. weave from now on?
As someone living in Kurashiki, I hope for their progress.
Data of HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.
| Organization Name | HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing and sales of industrial machinery using synthetic resin fibers "Flat Yarn" made primarily from polyethylene and polypropylene, and related products such as slitters that apply Flat Yarn technology. |
| Representative Name | Asano Kazushi |
| Year Established | November 29, 1962 |
| Address | 1-4 Nakado, Mizushima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-440-0860 |
| Website | HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. |
