Disappearing Manual Toothbrush Manufacturing Technology Revealed
PLUS Co., Ltd., a toothbrush manufacturer, has released footage of its 60-year-old manufacturing machinery and artisan skills. Facing a crisis of aging equipment and a lack of successors, the company is crowdfunding to ensure the succession of its technology.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 22:17
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 13:32
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 15, 2026 at 06:47 (17h 15m after Collected)
PLUS Co., Ltd. (Higashiosaka City, Osaka), the manufacturer of the eco-friendly toothbrush 'turalist' made from natural wood and bristles, has released footage of its 60-year-old machinery and artisan skills for the purpose of technology succession.
'turalist' is a rare product, with only 150 units produced per month, each handcrafted with a focus on natural materials.
This initiative aims to raise awareness of the current situation and ensure technology succession, and includes a crowdfunding campaign as one of the means to maintain future production.
◾ turalist Features
・Uses natural bristles such as horsehair and pig bristle
・Gently fits the gums when it absorbs water
・Wooden handle made from beech wood scraps
・Finished with natural paint (perilla oil)
・Designed to return to nature after use
・Can be used for about a year with maintenance
◾ Current Challenges... The production of turalist currently faces two major challenges.
① Aging Manufacturing Machinery
The specialized machine for implanting natural bristles has been in operation for over 60 years, and parts supply has already ceased. Repairs are difficult in case of breakdown, making continued production unstable.
② Artisan Skill Succession Problem
Production relies on the manual labor of skilled artisans. Besides our company's artisans, only a few people in the entire country possess this skill, and they are aging.
To pass on the skills of these artisans and the manufacturing machinery to future generations, we have released footage of the manufacturing site.
Toothbrush manufacturing has developed as a local industry in the Higashiosaka region since the Meiji era, and the loss of this technology and machinery would mean the disappearance of a part of the region's industrial history. For this matter, it is possible to directly cover the actual operating conditions of the manufacturing machinery and the bristle implantation work by skilled artisans. You can film the manufacturing machinery that has been operating for over 60 years and the manual processes by artisans, so we invite you to visit the site and cover the actual machine movements and artisan skills. Additionally, as part of our efforts for the continuation and succession of this technology, we are also conducting a crowdfunding campaign.
[For press inquiries regarding this matter, please contact:]
PLUS Co., Ltd. (2-16-16 Kizure, Higashiosaka City, Osaka)
TEL: 06-4309-5585 (10:00-17:00)
Mobile: 090-3054-7210
Email: katsu@kyoumi-shinshin.com
Contact: Muranaka
HP: https://nhes8739.com/
Machine Videos:
https://youtube.com/shorts/loGm5IgbXTE?si=1XbatU6USc5tqugL
https://youtube.com/shorts/TczAq7nb8lk?feature=share
Crowdfunding: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/928203/view
'turalist' is a rare product, with only 150 units produced per month, each handcrafted with a focus on natural materials.
This initiative aims to raise awareness of the current situation and ensure technology succession, and includes a crowdfunding campaign as one of the means to maintain future production.
◾ turalist Features
・Uses natural bristles such as horsehair and pig bristle
・Gently fits the gums when it absorbs water
・Wooden handle made from beech wood scraps
・Finished with natural paint (perilla oil)
・Designed to return to nature after use
・Can be used for about a year with maintenance
◾ Current Challenges... The production of turalist currently faces two major challenges.
① Aging Manufacturing Machinery
The specialized machine for implanting natural bristles has been in operation for over 60 years, and parts supply has already ceased. Repairs are difficult in case of breakdown, making continued production unstable.
② Artisan Skill Succession Problem
Production relies on the manual labor of skilled artisans. Besides our company's artisans, only a few people in the entire country possess this skill, and they are aging.
To pass on the skills of these artisans and the manufacturing machinery to future generations, we have released footage of the manufacturing site.
Toothbrush manufacturing has developed as a local industry in the Higashiosaka region since the Meiji era, and the loss of this technology and machinery would mean the disappearance of a part of the region's industrial history. For this matter, it is possible to directly cover the actual operating conditions of the manufacturing machinery and the bristle implantation work by skilled artisans. You can film the manufacturing machinery that has been operating for over 60 years and the manual processes by artisans, so we invite you to visit the site and cover the actual machine movements and artisan skills. Additionally, as part of our efforts for the continuation and succession of this technology, we are also conducting a crowdfunding campaign.
[For press inquiries regarding this matter, please contact:]
PLUS Co., Ltd. (2-16-16 Kizure, Higashiosaka City, Osaka)
TEL: 06-4309-5585 (10:00-17:00)
Mobile: 090-3054-7210
Email: katsu@kyoumi-shinshin.com
Contact: Muranaka
HP: https://nhes8739.com/
Machine Videos:
https://youtube.com/shorts/loGm5IgbXTE?si=1XbatU6USc5tqugL
https://youtube.com/shorts/TczAq7nb8lk?feature=share
Crowdfunding: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/928203/view