All Nippon Nonwovens Association（ANNA） held its Kansai New Year’s gathering on the 9th at a hotel in Osaka. Chairman Shuji Yonezawa (President of Kurashiki Textile Manufacturing Co., Ltd.) shared his aspirations for 2026, stating that the association will “work to promote information sharing through various activities and provide opportunities for members to exhibit at trade shows both in Japan and overseas.” He also expressed a strong commitment to human resource development through the young talent training program “ANNA Juku,” saying, “By drawing on the wisdom of member companies, we aim to advance the industry.”
Reflecting on 2025, Yonezawa noted that although domestic nonwoven fabric production had shown signs of bottoming out in 2024, “in 2025 it turned downward again, decreasing by about 5% year-on-year, making it a difficult year.” At the same time, he pointed out that nonwoven fabrics vary greatly depending on manufacturing methods and applications, and therefore cannot be evaluated by a single trend. He emphasized the strength of the industry’s wide-ranging applications.
A total of 302 people attended the gathering. New members introduced at the event included Oyashima.Co.,Ltd., a seller of industrial paper; NB SeirenCo.,Ltd., and Ohba Co.,Ltd., , a nonwoven fabric processor.
NB Seiren/Nonwovens as a Core Business
Koichi Yuikawa, President of NB Seiren—which was launched on January 1 after taking over Unitika’s Okazaki plant—addressed the audience as a new member. He expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “Spunbond nonwoven fabric is the core of the Okazaki plant, and we intend not only to continue the business but, if possible, to expand it.” He added that the company aims to “leverage Seiren Co.Ltd., ’s technological strengths to deliver products that provide 120% customer satisfaction.”