{
  "id": 5663575,
  "title": "How Asahi Kasei Keeps Creating No. 1 Products",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/how-asahi-kasei-keeps-creating-no-1-products",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-04T23:12:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "News On Japan",
    "slug": "news-on-japan",
    "url": "https://newsonjapan.com/article/150637.php"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Asahi Kasei has transformed itself from a local company in Miyazaki Prefecture into a global conglomerate with annual sales exceeding 3 trillion yen by consistently developing products and technologies that dominate their markets or occupy niches with few direct rivals. The company operates across three main business areas: materials, housing and healthcare, with products ranging from household products like Saran Wrap and Ziploc to lithium-ion battery materials, Hebel Haus homes, condominiums, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Asahi Kasei's president, Koshiro Kudo, has emphasized a strategy of identifying businesses where the company can establish a clear competitive advantage, aiming to be overwhelmingly No. 1 in recognition while being one of a kind.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}