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Iris Ohyama

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A privately held Japanese manufacturer of household, storage, appliance, lighting, pet-care, food, garden, office, and business-oriented products.

Last updated November 4, 2026

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Overview

Iris Ohyama is a privately held Japanese manufacturer and product-development company headquartered in Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. The company operates within the broader IRIS Group and is best known for combining plastic processing, consumer-product design, manufacturing, distribution, and retail-oriented market development. Its product portfolio spans household storage, organization goods, furniture, bedding, gardening supplies, pet products, office and institutional equipment, lighting, small appliances, food, water, disaster-preparedness goods, masks, and selected business solutions. The company's origins date to 1958, when Morisuke Ohyama established Ohyama Blow Industry in Osaka as a plastics-processing business. Kentaro Ohyama became the representative at the age of 19 in 1964, and the business was incorporated as Ohyama Blow Industry Co., Ltd. in April 1971. A Sendai factory, now associated with the Ogawara production complex, was completed in 1972. The company later expanded from industrial and plastic components into consumer products, progressively building categories around practical everyday problems rather than concentrating on a single product type. Its major strategic transition occurred during the 1980s. After the oil shocks placed pressure on the plastics industry, Iris Ohyama shifted toward consumer-facing products and began developing demand in gardening. The company later entered pet products, storage products, household goods, stationery, lighting, appliances, food, and other categories. This expansion was supported by a “user-in” approach: products are designed around observed consumer needs and then developed through the group's manufacturing, engineering, distribution, and retail capabilities. The company has described this approach as a way to create demand and solve everyday problems rather than simply compete in established product categories. The Iris name became central to the business as the company expanded internationally and diversified its domestic operations. In 1988 it established Iris Korea, in 1992 Iris USA, and in 1998 Iris Ohyama Europe B.V. The group subsequently established or acquired companies and production bases in China, South Korea, the United States, Europe, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, and other markets. Iris USA's portfolio includes home goods, small appliances, pet products, Japanese rice, sparkling water, and related everyday products. The company therefore operates as both a Japanese-origin manufacturing brand and an international product platform. Iris Ohyama is particularly associated with plastic storage and organization systems, including containers, drawers, boxes, and related home-organization goods. It also became a large supplier of gardening products and pet-care items, areas that helped it build distribution through home centers and other mass-market channels. Over time, the company added LED lighting, televisions, kitchen appliances, cleaning equipment, bedding products, furniture, office products, food, water, and health-related goods. Its business model emphasizes broad assortment, fast product development, flexible production, and the ability to use common manufacturing capabilities across different product categories. The company also entered businesses connected to public and social needs. Following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the IRIS Group expanded into rice processing and packaged food partly to support agricultural recovery in northeastern Japan. Iris Foods developed packaged rice, retort foods, canned foods, drinking water, emergency foods, and other products. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Iris Ohyama began domestic mask production at its Kakuda facility in Miyagi while retaining overseas production capacity. The company also introduced infection-control products such as AI thermal cameras and desk screens, and later expanded domestic production of masks and antibacterial wet wipes. Iris Ohyama remains privately held. The current corporate profile identifies Kentaro Ohyama as chairman of the IRIS Group and Akihiro Ohyama as president and executive director of Iris Ohyama Inc. The company's English corporate profile reports that Iris Ohyama Inc. had 6,303 employees and sales of 245.8 billion yen in fiscal year 2025, while the wider IRIS Group had 13,670 employees and group sales of 794.9 billion yen; these figures are company-reported and are not public-company filings. Its present positioning is that of a practical, function-oriented, vertically integrated manufacturer serving household, institutional, and selected industrial or business needs through a broad portfolio of accessible products.

History

Iris Ohyama traces its origins to 1958, when Morisuke Ohyama founded Ohyama Blow Industry in Osaka. The business began as a plastics-processing and industrial-materials company. In 1964, Morisuke's son Kentaro Ohyama became the representative at the age of 19. The company was incorporated as Ohyama Blow Industry Co., Ltd. in April 1971, and a Sendai-area factory, now associated with the Ogawara production base, was completed in 1972. This move helped establish the manufacturing and regional identity that later became closely associated with the Iris Ohyama brand. During the 1980s, the company moved beyond its original industrial-plastics orientation. The oil shocks placed pressure on conventional plastics businesses, encouraging a shift toward consumer products and new demand creation. Gardening products became an important early consumer category, and the company used its manufacturing capabilities to develop products suited to home centers and mass retail. The company later introduced or expanded pet products, storage products, household goods, and stationery. In 1991, the corporate name changed to Iris Ohyama Inc., formalizing the brand identity used in its expanding consumer business. The 1990s were a period of internationalization and infrastructure development. Iris established or expanded overseas operations in South Korea, the United States, China, and Europe. Iris USA was incorporated in 1992, followed by production and distribution investments in the United States. Iris Ohyama Europe B.V. was incorporated in the Netherlands in 1998. The company also developed industrial and technology infrastructure in Japan, including the Kakuda Industrial Techno Park, and expanded its factory network across multiple Japanese regions. This structure allowed the business to produce a wide range of products through adaptable manufacturing lines and to distribute them through both domestic and international channels. In the 2000s, Iris Ohyama broadened its group structure and added new categories and subsidiaries. The group developed furniture and institutional products through Iris Chitose, expanded specialty businesses such as deoxidizers and heat-related products, and brought companies including Daishin, Houtoku, and Uniliving into the group. It also entered LED lighting in 2009. The company's growth model combined internal product development with acquisitions, manufacturing investment, distribution infrastructure, and close relationships with retailers such as home centers. The 2010s brought further diversification. Iris Ohyama and its group companies entered food, agriculture, and regional-recovery activities after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The group established Iris Foods in 2013 and began developing packaged rice and other food products. It worked with agricultural partners in Fukushima and other parts of northeastern Japan, buying rice and selling it in packaged formats. The food business subsequently expanded into retort products, canned goods, drinking water, emergency foods, and other everyday necessities. These activities gave the group a role beyond household goods and connected its commercial operations with agricultural and disaster-recovery initiatives. The company also expanded its international footprint through France, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Thailand, while strengthening research and development through facilities in Osaka and Tokyo. In 2018, Akihiro Ohyama became president of Iris Ohyama Inc. Kentaro Ohyama continued as chairman of the wider IRIS Group. The group maintained a strategy of entering adjacent categories where it believed consumer problems could be addressed with practical design and scalable production. The COVID-19 pandemic produced one of the most visible recent changes in the company's operations. Iris Ohyama had produced masks in China since 2007 and later added production in other overseas locations. When the pandemic caused shortages and supply-chain disruption in 2020, the company converted part of its Kakuda factory in Miyagi Prefecture to domestic mask production. It also invested in in-house production of important mask materials and added other production sites. The company reported that six factories together produced approximately 2.6 billion masks during fiscal 2020, based on its own calculation. It also launched AI thermal cameras, desk screens, disinfecting products, and other infection-control goods. From 2021 onward, Iris Ohyama continued extending the group into robotics, food resilience, and business services. It formed Iris Robotics with SoftBank Robotics Group to sell robots, provide implementation and operational consulting, and develop new robotic services. The group expanded its rice and emergency-food operations, introduced water production for disaster preparedness, and invested in packaged-rice facilities. It also pursued commercial cleaning robots through a partnership with Gausium. These moves illustrate the company's current pattern: retain a core in everyday consumer goods while adding technologies and services that respond to labor shortages, disaster preparedness, public health, and operational efficiency. Today, Iris Ohyama remains a private, diversified Japanese manufacturer. Its major identity is still built around practical household products, especially storage and organization goods, but its operating scope includes lighting, appliances, furniture, gardening, pet care, food, water, masks, office products, and robotics. The company describes its philosophy around responding quickly to changing consumer needs, reinvesting in the business, and putting customers first. Its reported scale in fiscal 2025 included 6,303 employees and sales of 245.8 billion yen for Iris Ohyama Inc., within an IRIS Group of 33 companies.

  • 2022

    Tosu packaged-rice capacity expanded

    [11]

    The Tosu factory received rice-milling and packaged-rice equipment to strengthen Japanese and ASEAN supply.

  • 2021

    Iris Robotics established

    [8]

    Iris Ohyama and SoftBank Robotics Group formed Iris Robotics to develop business-robot sales, consulting, and product development.

  • 2021

    Uonuma food factory begins operation

    [14]

    Iris Foods began operating the Uonuma factory after taking over retort-food and canned-food operations.

  • 2020

    Domestic mask production begins

    [7]

    Iris Ohyama began producing masks at the Kakuda factory in response to COVID-19-related shortages and supply-chain disruption.

  • 2018

    Akihiro Ohyama becomes president

    [2]

    Akihiro Ohyama became president of Iris Ohyama Inc.

  • 2017

    French subsidiary established

    [2]

    IRIS OHYAMA FRANCE SAS was established, expanding the European operating network.

  • 2013

    Iris Foods established

    [9]

    The group established Iris Foods and entered rice processing and packaged-food operations partly in connection with northeastern Japan's agricultural recovery.

  • 2009

    LED lighting business launched

    [13]

    The group entered LED lighting, later transferring related thermal-management technology to other product categories.

  • 1998

    European subsidiary established

    [2]

    Iris Ohyama Europe B.V. was incorporated in the Netherlands.

  • 1992

    Kakuda Industrial Techno Park and Iris USA established

    [2]

    The company completed the Kakuda I.T.P. and incorporated Iris USA, reinforcing industrial infrastructure and international expansion.

Products and positioning

Practical, function-oriented manufacturer of storage, household, home-improvement, office, garden, pet-care, food, lighting, appliance, and selected business-solution products. The brand emphasizes user-centered product development, quick response to changing demand, flexible manufacturing, and broad distribution rather than specialization in a single category.

  • Household storage · 1988

    Storage and organization products

    Storage is one of Iris Ohyama's foundational consumer categories. The range includes plastic containers, drawers, boxes, shelves, organizers, and related home-organization products. These products are designed around modularity, visibility, space efficiency, and everyday convenience. They are distributed through home centers, general retailers, online channels, and overseas subsidiaries, and reflect the company's historical shift from industrial plastics toward consumer-focused product development.

  • Garden and outdoor · 1981

    Gardening and outdoor products

    Iris Ohyama's gardening range includes products for home gardening, plant care, cultivation, storage, and outdoor use. The category was central to the company's 1980s transition toward consumer products and demand creation. It uses the group's plastics expertise to produce practical, scalable goods suitable for home centers and household consumers.

  • Pet supplies · 1987

    Pet-care products

    The pet-care portfolio includes litter products, litter boxes and systems, pet storage, feeding equipment, housing, and other everyday pet goods. The company has positioned pets as part of the family and has developed products intended to reduce odor, simplify cleaning, and improve the convenience of home pet care.

  • Lighting · 2009

    LED lighting

    Iris Ohyama sells residential and business-oriented LED lighting, including lamps, fixtures, replacement kits, and related energy-saving products. Lighting became an important technical platform for the group, with heat-transfer technology developed for LED products later applied to other products such as rice cookers.

  • Home appliances

    Small home appliances

    The appliance portfolio includes rice cookers, futon dryers, washing machines, cleaning equipment, kitchen appliances, fans, heaters, and other compact appliances. Products are generally positioned around ease of use, compact form factors, convenience, and solving specific household tasks rather than competing only through premium specifications.

  • Bedding appliance

    Kararie futon dryers

    Kararie is a futon-dryer series associated with Iris Ohyama's compact-appliance strategy. The company developed a hose-based warm-air design that avoids the large mat and bulky main unit traditionally associated with futon dryers. The series became a major product line and was repeatedly expanded with newer models and functions.

  • Food · 2013

    Packaged rice and prepared foods

    Through Iris Foods and related group companies, Iris Ohyama sells packaged rice, low-temperature-processed rice, retort foods, canned goods, rice cakes, emergency foods, and other everyday food products. The business grew partly from the group's post-earthquake agricultural-recovery activities and later expanded into broader food resilience and convenience categories.

  • Health and personal protection · 2007

    Masks and health-related goods

    The company entered masks in 2007 and expanded production during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its range includes disposable and domestically produced masks, higher-filtration products, antibacterial wet wipes, and related health or infection-control goods. Domestic production at Kakuda helped reduce dependence on a single overseas supply base.

  • Emergency and disaster preparedness

    Disaster-preparedness products

    The disaster-preparedness portfolio includes emergency food, alpha rice, drinking water, vehicle emergency kits, life-line boxes, and broader emergency sets. The range combines Iris Ohyama's household-goods distribution with the group's food and water operations and is marketed for earthquakes, storms, floods, and other disruptions.

  • Robotics and business solutions · 2021

    Business service robots

    Through Iris Robotics and related partnerships, the group offers or develops business-oriented robots, including delivery, transport, cleaning, and service robots. The business is intended to address labor shortages and repetitive tasks through robot sales, implementation consulting, operational support, and new service development.

Marketing campaigns

  • 2021COVID-19 mask supply and prevention support

    Japan · United States · South Korea · France · China

    The company used production sites in Japan, China, the United States, South Korea, and France to expand mask output and support supply during the pandemic. It also introduced related infection-control products.

    Outcome. Iris Ohyama reported approximately 2.6 billion masks produced across six factories during fiscal 2020 and reported number-one cumulative unit sales in the Japanese market for that period.

    Source
  • 2021Northeastern Japan agricultural recovery initiative

    Japan

    The IRIS Group purchased rice from agricultural initiatives in Fukushima and surrounding northeastern regions, sold it as packaged rice, and involved employees in agricultural activities such as rice planting in support of post-earthquake recovery.

    Outcome. The initiative continued the group's food-business and regional-recovery activities and supported the development of packaged rice and related products.

    Source
  • 2021IRIS OHYAMA CLUB product-registration program

    Japan

    The company introduced a product-registration service designed to support consumers after purchase and provide a more direct relationship between the brand and its customers.

    Outcome. The program expanded Iris Ohyama's customer-service and post-purchase engagement activities.

    Source
  • 2020Japan-made mask campaign

    Japan

    Iris Ohyama launched a nationwide television campaign for its Japan-made mask series, presenting domestic production as a source of supply reliability and consumer reassurance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Outcome. The campaign supported the company's domestic mask-production initiative and increased visibility for the Japan-made mask range.

    Source

Brand decisions

  • 2023

    Labor shortages and demand for operational automation created opportunities for business cleaning robots.Strategy

    Action taken

    The group entered a global partnership with Gausium for robotic cleaning and related business solutions.

    Aftermath

    The partnership extended Iris Ohyama's robotics strategy beyond delivery and transport into commercial cleaning applications.

    Source

  • 2022

    Increase packaged-rice production capacityStrategy

    Background

    The group sought to strengthen rice processing, respond to changing domestic rice demand, and supply Japan and ASEAN markets.

    Action taken

    Iris Ohyama installed rice-milling and packaged-rice equipment at the Tosu factory.

    Aftermath

    The investment expanded the group's food-manufacturing infrastructure and international supply capability.

    Source

  • 2021

    Create Iris Robotics with SoftBank Robotics GroupM&A

    Background

    Labor shortages, COVID-19 operating constraints, and demand for automation increased interest in service and business robots.

    Action taken

    Iris Ohyama formed Iris Robotics with SoftBank Robotics Group, with Iris Ohyama holding 51 percent and SoftBank Robotics Group holding 49 percent according to the announcement.

    Aftermath

    The joint venture expanded the group into robot sales, implementation consulting, operational support, and development of new business-robot products.

    Source

  • 2021

    Expand into drinking water and emergency preparednessStrategy

    Background

    The company identified earthquakes, storms, floods, and other disasters as drivers of demand for stored water and emergency supplies.

    Action taken

    Iris Ohyama entered drinking-water production and announced additional investment to increase capacity.

    Aftermath

    Water production complemented the group's packaged food, emergency-food, and disaster-preparedness products.

    Source

  • 2021

    Apply LED heat-transfer technology to rice cookingProduct launch

    Background

    The company sought to transfer technical knowledge from its LED-lighting operations into home appliances.

    Action taken

    It launched a rice cooker using heat-pipe technology originally developed for LED lighting.

    Aftermath

    The product illustrated Iris Ohyama's practice of reusing technical capabilities across unrelated consumer categories.

    Source

  • 2020

    Bring mask production to JapanStrategy

    Background

    COVID-19 created severe mask shortages and disrupted supply chains that had relied heavily on production in China.

    Action taken

    Iris Ohyama converted part of its Kakuda factory to produce masks domestically and increased internal production of key materials.

    Aftermath

    The company diversified mask supply across Japan and overseas, reported large-scale production, and expanded its health-related product portfolio.

    Source

  • 2013

    Enter rice processing and packaged foodStrategy

    Background

    The company linked new food operations to agricultural recovery in northeastern Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake and to growing demand for convenient packaged foods.

    Action taken

    The group established Iris Foods and began developing packaged rice and related food products.

    Aftermath

    The business later expanded into retort foods, canned goods, drinking water, emergency foods, and additional rice-processing capacity.

    Source

  • 1991

    Adopt the Iris Ohyama corporate identityStrategy

    Background

    After expanding from plastics processing into consumer products and overseas operations, the company changed its corporate name from Ohyama Blow Industry to Iris Ohyama.

    Action taken

    The company adopted Iris Ohyama Inc. as its corporate name.

    Aftermath

    The name became the basis for the consumer-facing brand and the wider IRIS Group identity.

    Source

Sources18 sources

  1. 1Corporate Profileirisohyama.co.jp
  2. 2Iris Ohyama History and Chronologyirisohyama.co.jp
  3. 3IRIS Group Profile 2026irisohyama.co.jp
  4. 4Strength of IRIS Groupirisohyama.co.jp
  5. 5IRIS USA Our Storyirisusainc.com
  6. 6Corporate Profile 2020irisohyama.co.jp
  7. 7Domestic mask production and fiscal 2020 mask salesirisohyama.co.jp
  8. 8Iris Robotics joint venture announcementirisohyama.co.jp
  9. 9Iris Foods alpha rice launchirisohyama.co.jp
  10. 10Drinking-water business expansionirisohyama.co.jp
  11. 11Tosu packaged-rice equipmentirisohyama.co.jp
  12. 12Gausium partnership announcementirisohyama.co.jp
  13. 13LED lighting business launchediris.net.cn
  14. 14Uonuma food factory begins operationirisohyama.co.jp
  15. 15Japan-made mask campaignirisohyama.co.jp
  16. 16Northeastern Japan agricultural recovery initiativeirisohyama.co.jp
  17. 17IRIS OHYAMA CLUB product-registration programirisohyama.co.jp
  18. 18Apply LED heat-transfer technology to rice cookingirisohyama.co.jp

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