One of Japan's leading condom makers, Okamoto Industries, Inc., has announced a new "design condom" series which will feature images including traditional Ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock paintings.

According to the press release:

"By printing designs [representing] "Japanese Culture" (Ukiyo-e), as well as gifts, events, names or collaborations [with other businesses] which will be of interest to the rapidly increasing number of foreign visitors, we hope [they will feel] more connected to condoms and find them easier to use. That is why we developed this technology."

These "design condom" series will go on sale this summer and will be available at condom specialty shop Condomania in Harajuku, Tokyo and Sannomiya, Kobe, as well as its online shop. At Condomania, they will also be sold in capsule toy dispensers which are popular with foreign visitors. Okamoto also plans to accept orders for custom designs.


Design Condom

Let's take a look at some of the designs currently planned:

Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa" (or "The Great Wave," as it is commonly known):

Utagawa Kunisada's portrait of a kabuki actor in the role of samurai Kudo Suketsune:

And various others...

Condom featuring VivaGel®

In addition to its "Design Condom" series, Okamoto also announced that it will launch the first condom with antiviral coating in Japan under its leading and highly successful Zero Zero Three (003) brand. This represents the Japanese debut of Australian pharmaceutical company Starpharma's VivaGel® condom which features barrier protection and SPL7013, a proprietary compound proven in laboratory studies to inactivate up to 99.9% of HIV, HSV and HPV.


By - Ben K.