The Beyond-time "Revolution of Love":
Saku Matsukawa, the Uninhibited Heroine, Created the First Latex Condom in Japanese History
The Beyond-time "Revolution of Love":
Saku Matsukawa, the Uninhibited Heroine, Created the First Latex Condom in Japanese History
As a technological pioneer in the condom industry, Sagami Rubber Industries Co., Ltd. owes its development to the innovative spirit and tenacious beliefs of its founder, Saku Matsukawa, a female industrialist who broke through gender boundaries and redefined the value of condoms in the Showa era through cutting-edge technology.
the founder of Sagami
From a "competitive girl" to a "business pioneer"
Saku Matsukawa was born in Atsugi, a city of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan in 1892. Unlike other girls of her age, she was competitive and mischievous, showing extraordinary courage and independence since her youth. She often boldly accepted various challenges: In order to reach her destination faster than everyone else, she never took the main road, but instead went up a wooded mountain alone to find shortcuts. Furthermore, her tree-climbing speed was definitely not inferior to that of boys, and she also loved mathematics and writing. Even though she was not good at calligraphy, every time her sister scolded her, she would puff up her cheeks and fearlessly retort, "I can write worse!", which shows her unshakeable and unyielding character.
However, Saku also has a gentle side. In order to protect her brother who was not fond of studying, she once gave all her school awards to him, but this little kindness could not hide the truth. When her brother proudly showed off to his family, their parents found that the grades on the award certificates did not match with his, so they revealed the truth and scolded both of them severely.
Saku's unwillingness to be ordinary and her caring nature, which was nurtured since childhood, became the cornerstone of her future entrepreneurship.
After graduating from school, Saku went to Tokyo to study etiquette and married her beloved husband in the 1920s. Saku was encouraged by him to join the business world as a wholesaler of medical oxygen cylinders in Kanagawa. However, her career suffered a heavy blow just after it started: The worst natural disaster in modern Japan, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, not only destroyed the capital Tokyo, causing massive infrastructure paralysis, but also shook the hearts of the entire nation. Fortunately, Saku's residence was saved from total destruction by a stockpile of oxygen cylinders, and her family survived. This life-and-death experience made her deeply realise the fragility of life and the importance of "protecting the future through choice". She then opened a pharmacy after the earthquake, entering the medical field and laying the groundwork for her career transformation.
(left: Saku Matsukawa; centre: Shigeo Takeuchi)
A "Revolution of Love" against the conservative society: Technological innovation of latex condoms
In the 1930s, condoms were primarily made of raw rubber. They were thick, heavy and prone to deterioration. As a result, the majority of men refused to use them, and the streets of Japan were filled with abandoned children due to a high rate of unintended pregnancy. During that time, Saku's pharmacy was repeatedly robbed, and she was shocked to find that the thieves were often starving, homeless orphans. Recognising that the problem was rooted in the inadequacy of contraceptive tools at the time, she became determined to stop such tragedies and started a "Revolution of Love".
To break the unfortunate cycle of suffering of innocent young lives, Saku set out to make thinner, more comfortable condoms that all men would be willing to use. Saku was aware of the changing times and had her eye on the natural latex technology that was emerging overseas, attracted by its characteristics of being both light and durable. In 1934, she partnered with a research team to establish the "Asahi Latex Research Institute". While devoting herself to the development of new technology, she also cared for the community. She hired the orphans who once were shoplifters to work in her factory, providing them with food, accommodation and education opportunities, in the hope of supporting their growth and creating a brighter future for the next generation of Japan. After repeated trial and error, the research institute successfully launched Japan's first latex condom with unprecedented thinness, strength and comfortableness, bringing about radical change to the market ecology.
However, as the saying goes, "All things are difficult before they are easy." - Saku's entrepreneurial journey was a battle against the prejudices of the times. In order to promote her new product, Saku pushed a rickshaw to visit drugstores one by one, but was always met with a cold shoulder due to the conservative culture and her gender. "How can this thing ever be sold?" Everyone doubted, but she never gave up, and always responded firmly, "The future must be the era of thin latex condoms." One's dream and persistence can shape an era, and her foresight was proven to be true in the end. Despite spending years, and even becoming bankrupt, selling both her drugstore and her house, Saku's unique vision was finally accepted by society. Products made of raw rubber were gradually phased out, while soft, thin latex condoms became the mainstream. This marked the first step towards Saku's ideal of "protecting life".
Overcoming adversity and achieving an international reputation
Blessings never come in pairs. Saku was struck by the loss of her husband just as latex condoms gained acceptance in the market. Despite having to raise two children alone, as well as facing the difficulties of juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship, she was not defeated. She overcame sadness and continued her business with strong willpower and finally established the Sagami Rubber Industry Co., Ltd. in 1944. In anticipation of the baby boom during the postwar economic recovery, Saku took advantage of the surging demand to bring latex condoms to the public eye.
the American birth control pioneer
During the same time, she was inspired by the speeches of Margaret Sanger, a pioneer of the birth control movement in the United States, thus established her lifelong mission of “empowering people to make better reproductive choices through reliable contraceptive tools and protecting the rights of women and children”.
In the 1950s, Japanese people became more aware of family planning and sexual health. Saku made it her mission to provide reliable contraceptive solutions, and thus, in addition to popularising her new products, she also strived to improve the three major condom quality indicators of “thinness”, “reliability” and “shelf life” to meet European and American standards. In 1966, Sagami achieved a major market breakthrough. Thanks to the excellent quality and reasonable prices of its condoms, Sagami was selected by the Swedish government as an aid supplier to developing countries. Since then, Sagami has entered the international market, exporting its products to more than 80 countries in the 1980s, and has become an internationally renowned condom brand.
From technological innovation to social responsibility
Sagami's achievements stem from its pursuit of ultimate quality: Sagami pioneered the "Electronic Pinhole Test", which uses electric current to inspect each condom for anti-hole detection, ensuring that the product is in perfect condition when leaving the factory; at the same time, the company introduced a medical-grade sterilisation process to avoid the risk of allergies caused by traditional talcum powder coating - these technologies later became industry benchmarks.
In terms of material research and development, Sagami began exploring the use of polyurethane (PU) materials in condom production as early as the mid-1960s. In February 1998, Sagami launched the world's first PU condom with a thickness in the range of 0.03mm, called the "Sagami Original 0.03 PU Condom". In February 2005 and November 2013, Sagami made new achievements by successively launching the "Sagami Original 0.02 PU Condom" and "Sagami Original 0.01 PU Condom", whose thicknesses are in the range of 0.02mm and 0.01mm respectively. Sagami has continuously set out new industry standards and broken through the thinness limit, at the same time, allowing people with latex allergies to enjoy a comfortable and intimate experience. In addition, Sagami has gradually expanded its business scope to areas such as medical equipment and elderly care, implementing the concept of "improving life with innovation".
As one of the leading figures of the first female entrepreneur group in Japan, Saku was also committed to promoting gender equality and setting up scholarships to encourage scientific research among the young. In 1985, Saku was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen" of her birthplace, Atsugi City, in recognition of her industrial and social contributions.
Freedom of choice, Hope for the future
"Everyone should have their freedom of choice" is Saku's lifelong belief.
Even after more than 90 years, the spirit of founder Saku Matsukawa, "love all, serve all", still lives on in Sagami's products and has become the core value of Sagami Rubber Industries Co., Ltd. The hope for the future that Saku envisioned when she founded the company will become the driving force behind Sagami Rubber Industries Co., Ltd.'s continued embrace of new challenges.
