Interview with a representative from the Corporate Planning Office of HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.
Rooted in the community and continuing to evolve through its unique technologies, HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. has a story behind its business. What are the ideas and aspirations that drive it?
We spoke with Junichi Yoshida and Yagi Tatsuru of the Corporate Planning Office at HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. about the company’s origins and initiatives.
The “Flat Yarn” technology behind HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.
Could you tell us about HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.’s business?
Yoshida (surname only)
The product most people associate with HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. is blue tarps, but they account for less than 10% of total sales. The rest comes from a wide range of other products.
For example, the company makes a variety of products that support everyday life and industry, including sandbags, fire-retardant, soundproof and mesh sheets, Valchip concrete reinforcement fibers, and jumbo rolls for adhesive tape.
Yagi (surname only)
We also manufacture and sell artificial turf yarn used on soccer fields and tennis courts, as well as flexible container bags used for transportation and storage.
Could you tell us about your main products, blue tarps and flat yarn?
Yoshida
I think few people have taken a close look at a blue tarp, but it is actually a woven fabric.
Our parent company, Hagiwara Shoten, originally wove igusa, which was widely grown in Kurashiki and Hayashima, to make woven mats. That was the beginning: replacing the natural material with petroleum-based material.
Yagi
The material used in blue tarps is polyethylene.
We turn it into a film, cut it into strips, then heat and stretch them into thin, strong, flat yarn.
This is the technology HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. values: flat yarn.
The flat yarn is woven and then laminated to make it waterproof, producing HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.’s blue tarps.
In other words, the techniques used to make woven mats in Kurashiki have evolved and are now used in products found around the world.
What makes the company unique
There are presumably companies in Japan and overseas that also manufacture blue tarps. What are HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.’s particular strengths and advantages?
Yoshida
In fact, we are currently the only company manufacturing blue tarps in Japan.
Other companies might be able to make similar products, but the industry is already mature and the market is shrinking. Domestic competitors have withdrawn for reasons such as unprofitability.
Yagi
Overseas manufacturers, such as those in China and Vietnam, have entered the market instead. Their products are inexpensive, but often lower in quality.
They may be fine for short-term use in certain applications, but exposure to ultraviolet rays from sunlight causes them to deteriorate. We have heard of cases where tarps used to cover roofs after disasters became unusable within a few months.
We focus on strength and weather resistance so our products can be used reliably for a long time, even in situations like these.
Manufacturers inevitably have to consider environmental issues. Could you tell us about HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.’s environmental initiatives and efforts?
Yoshida
HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. is promoting “Re VALUE+,” a closed-loop recycling project for blue tarps.
The initiative collects used blue tarps and recycles them into new ones. Until now, most blue tarps have been incinerated after use.
That was because it was difficult to maintain quality when reusing the raw material. A major challenge was ensuring consistent quality in the recycled pellets—the material melted, processed and formed into granules.
Yagi
As Japan’s leading manufacturer of blue tarps, HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. has worked to address this challenge through the project. Drawing on its strength in machinery manufacturing and with the cooperation of various companies, it began full-scale operation of its recycling line in June 2025.
Yoshida
Products made from petroleum inevitably require consideration for the environment.
That is why, through this initiative, we hope to reduce the extraction of new resources and energy consumption, and help lessen environmental impacts, including CO₂ emissions.
Why blue tarps are blue
By the way, why are “blue tarps” blue?
Yoshida
Actually, they were originally orange.
At the time, a rumor spread that orange pigment contained a hazardous substance called lead chromate.
So the color was changed to blue, which was considered safer. There were also other reasons:
- It has excellent weather resistance.
- In the 1960s, blue resin was widely used for products such as buckets and hoses, making it relatively inexpensive to source.
- It contained no hazardous substances, allowing its safety to be emphasized.
- Like the sky and sea, it was less likely to detract from the scenery.
These factors led to the name “blue tarp” becoming established. Ultraviolet exposure is also thought to have a significant effect on weather resistance, but we do not have precise data.
Yagi
Polyethylene sheets are also available in colors such as silver, green and orange, as well as in high-performance versions with features such as heat shielding and transparency.
Recently, earth-tone sheets for leisure use have also been added to the lineup. Sheets can be processed in many ways, and we can make them into box-shaped products using the fabric you request.
We have also installed a large-format printer, so we can make items such as photo-printed banners, even as a single piece.
Health-focused management starting with the employee cafeteria, and initiatives supporting employees and the community
During our visit, we saw the employee cafeteria. Could you tell us about the company’s efforts to support employee health?
Yoshida
Our president has declared a commitment to health-focused management, and we are working to create a workplace where employees can thrive.
The company covers half the cost of meals in the employee cafeteria, where staff can enjoy generous portions of hot set meals at affordable prices. The cafeteria also provides opportunities for employees from different departments to connect and helps strengthen communication within the company.
Yagi
We have also introduced measures as part of workplace reform, including efforts to promote smoking cessation and mental health support through stress checks, creating an environment that takes care of employees’ mental and physical health.
Finally, could you share a message for our readers?
Yoshida
Many people may know our company name from our commercials, but may not know much about what we do.
I hope this article helps people learn how a company rooted in Kurashiki has evolved the techniques of woven-mat making for the modern age and contributes to the community and society.
Yagi
We will continue to build on the technical expertise we have developed, advancing our environmental initiatives and product development. We hope to remain a company that continues to grow alongside the community into the future.
From the Writer
What left the strongest impression on us during the interview was that HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. is a “global company rooted in its community.”
Blue tarps are indispensable in times of disaster, yet we rarely have the opportunity to think about their quality or the story behind them. In reality, the company continues to take on challenges that benefit the environment and community, while putting Kurashiki-born technology to use in the modern world.
When we exchanged business cards during the interview, the words “HAMIDASE, AMIDASE” prominently printed on the cards made a strong impression.
Their commitment to creating new value without being bound by conventional wisdom could also be felt in the atmosphere on the work floor and in the words of employees.
Phrases in the commercial song such as “MAKE YOUR HAPPY LIFE” and “Toward a future that makes your heart soar” also convey a wish to share joy with the town of Kurashiki and its people.
What kind of future will HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. weave from here on?
As someone who lives in Kurashiki, I look forward to seeing what lies ahead.
HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. Information
| Organization name | HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacture and sale of related products made using “flat yarn,” a synthetic resin fiber whose main raw materials are polyethylene and polypropylene, as well as industrial machinery such as slitters that apply flat-yarn technology. |
| Representative | Asano Kazushi |
| Year established | November 29, 1962 |
| Address | 1-4 Mizushima Nakadori, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-440-0860 |
| Website | HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. |
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