Merries is a Japanese baby diaper brand owned by Kao Corporation, a major consumer goods company headquartered in Japan. The brand is best known for disposable diapers engineered to prioritise skin gentleness, breathability, softness, absorbency and a comfortable fit. First introduced in Japan in 1983, Merries has since expanded into multiple international markets across Asia, including Singapore.1

According to Kao’s official corporate history, Merries was established in 1983 as a diaper developed specifically with the delicate nature of babies’ skin in mind. However, the company’s research into disposable diapers actually began a decade earlier, in 1973, well before the Merries brand itself was launched.2

1973–1982: Pre-launch research

Kao commenced research into disposable diapers in 1973. At that time, disposable diapers were not yet the dominant form of infant hygiene, and the company focused its efforts on understanding the relationship between diaper materials, moisture retention, ventilation and infant skin health.3 This foundational research eventually led to the creation of the Merries brand.

1983: Launch in Japan

Merries was officially launched in 1983. A key innovation at launch was the use of an all-over breathable sheet, designed to allow moisture and heat to escape while effectively retaining urine. Kao describes this as the first diaper in Japan to utilise an all-over ventilation sheet.4 Consequently, the brand’s philosophy became strongly associated with maintaining baby comfort rather than treating the diaper solely as an absorbent disposable product.

1990s: Fit and fastening development

Throughout the 1990s, Merries continued to refine its diaper construction. In 1994, the brand introduced a pants-type diaper featuring leakage-prevention technology. By 1996, Merries had emphasised rounded corners and softer materials to minimise potential friction against babies’ skin.5

1997: Super Merries

In 1997, Kao introduced Super Merries, which incorporated nonwoven fabric alongside resealable fastening technology to improve both fit and ease of use.6

2000s: Pants diapers and comfort technology

The 2000s saw further expansion of the pants-style range and the introduction of additional comfort features. In 2004, Merries pants diapers were updated with a wetness indicator, providing parents with a visual cue when a change was needed. In 2008, Merries Pants received a Good Design Award in recognition of their comfortable fit.7

2010s: Advanced ventilation

During this decade, the brand placed increasing emphasis on airflow and moisture management. Technologies such as an airy mesh sheet and an air tunnel were introduced, followed by the development of a three-layer Air Through design.8

2020s: Premium and specialised products

In 2020, Kao launched Merries First Premium, positioned as a premium-tier diaper offering enhanced gentleness for delicate skin. In 2023, the company introduced its “Zutto Hada-Sara Air Through” technology, and in 2025 it released Gussuri Pants, a diaper designed specifically for nighttime use.9

The name Merries is derived from the English word “merry”, evoking cheerfulness and smiles. Kao has also stated that the name references the musical merry-go-round mobiles commonly hung above babies’ cribs to encourage smiling.10

The Merries logo carries deliberate emotional symbolism. Its shape is intended to resemble both:

• A baby cradle, representing comfort and peaceful sleep; and
• A heart, symbolising parental love.11

The broader brand concept is encapsulated in the phrase “Smile & Smile”, reflecting the belief that a comfortable, happy baby contributes to the happiness of parents as well.12

Merries is built around a central proposition:

A diaper should be gentle enough to function almost like comfortable underwear for a baby’s delicate skin.

Accordingly, the brand places particular emphasis on skin gentleness and comfort, rather than positioning absorbency as its sole technological advantage.

Kao states that its research into infant skin has spanned more than 50 years, involving collaboration with dermatologists, paediatricians and other specialists. As of 2025, the company reports having studied more than 80,000 babies and their families in Japan as part of these ongoing research efforts.13

While specific technologies vary by market and product generation, several characteristics consistently define Merries product development.

Breathability

Breathability is one of the brand’s defining attributes. The current three-layer Air Through system is designed to allow moisture and stuffiness to escape through multiple layers. Based on Kao’s stated measurement methodology, the surface contains more than 5 billion microscopic holes per diaper.14

Air tunnel

Merries Pants products feature an air-tunnel structure around areas such as the waist. This design creates space between the skin and the gathers, facilitating the escape of heat and moisture.15

Softness

Soft nonwoven materials and textured structures are employed to ensure the diaper feels gentle against the skin. Newer constructions, such as the “fluffy Air-in Cushion”, utilise a three-dimensional surface intended to increase the amount of air between the skin and the diaper material.

Absorption

Like other modern disposable diapers, Merries uses an absorbent core designed to rapidly capture and retain urine. The brand’s engineering philosophy combines absorption with ventilation, aiming not merely to hold liquid but to maintain a comparatively dry environment around the baby’s skin.

Wetness indicator

Selected Merries products feature a colour-changing wetness indicator, providing a visual signal that the diaper is wet and may require changing.16

Stretch and movement

Merries Pants are designed to accommodate crawling, walking and increasingly active babies. International product materials describe waist gathers capable of substantial stretching to facilitate easy application while maintaining a comfortable fit.17

Although exact line-ups differ between countries, Merries generally operates across several core categories.

Tape diapers

These are traditional fastening/tape diapers, primarily aimed at newborns and younger infants.

Pants diapers

Resembling underwear, these are pulled up over the legs and are particularly suited to mobile babies.

Good Skin

Merries Good Skin is one of the principal lines sold in Indonesia.18

Skin Protection

Merries Skin Protection is another Indonesian product line focused on protection, comfort and hygiene. Launched by Kao Indonesia in 2021, it was described as the first diaper in that market to incorporate natural tea extract as part of a hygiene-oriented positioning.19

Premium products

In Japan and select other markets, Merries offers premium products such as First Premium, which sits above the standard range in terms of materials and skin-comfort features.20

Merries maintains a particularly established presence in Indonesia. According to Kao Indonesia, the brand entered the Indonesian market in 2012 with its Merries Japan product line. Merries Good Skin followed in 2014, and Merries Skin Protection was launched in 2021.21

Kao Indonesia’s current catalogue lists the following categories:

• Merries Tape
• Merries Pants
• Merries Skin Protection
• Merries Skin Protection Slim
• Merries Good Skin22

Sustainability has become a component of the brand’s activities in Indonesia. Since 2019, Kao Indonesia has operated Merries Senyumkan Lingkungan (MSL), an initiative exploring methods for processing used diapers and reusing associated materials. Examples cited by Kao include converting used diapers into plant pots, using recovered diaper gel as a planting medium, and repurposing packaging into items such as tote bags, pouches and folding tables for Posyandu.23

In 2025, Kao Indonesia announced a further initiative utilising pyrolysis technology to process used diapers into fuel, in cooperation with Kertabumi.24

It is important to distinguish these efforts from the product itself: the company’s initiatives involve post-use processing and environmental programmes, while the diapers remain conventional disposable hygiene products.

Merries possesses a distinctive visual identity centred on softness, cleanliness and childhood happiness.

Colours

Brand materials in Indonesia emphasise a predominantly white base with pastel polka-dot patterns. White represents cleanliness and softness, while pastel colours are associated with the joy surrounding a baby’s growth.25

Merries-chan

The brand mascot is Merries-chan, a fluffy white rabbit. The character represents the softness of the brand and is portrayed as a friendly companion watching over babies alongside their parents.26

Although Merries originated in Japan, Kao has expanded the brand internationally. The global Merries website lists operations or markets in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, alongside several other international territories.27

This footprint establishes Merries as a notable Japanese-origin baby-care brand with significant presence across Asia.

Merries is not an independent entity but a brand within Kao Corporation, a large Japanese consumer products company. Kao’s portfolio extends beyond baby care to include personal care, beauty, household and hygiene brands. In Indonesia, for example, Merries sits alongside brands such as Bioré, Laurier, Attack and Magiclean.28

Merries can be characterised as a premium, quality-oriented Japanese baby diaper brand differentiated by skin comfort. Its positioning rests on four pillars:

1. Japanese technology: Emphasis on technology derived from Kao’s Japanese research and manufacturing heritage.
2. Skin gentleness: Significant investment in baby-skin research, making softness and breathability central to the brand identity.
3. Comfort and movement: Pants and tape designs engineered for fit, flexibility and moisture management.
4. Emotional branding: Connection of technical product attributes to the emotional relationship between parent and child, summarised as: comfortable baby → happy baby → smiling parents.

Merries is Kao’s Japanese baby-diaper brand, founded in 1983 and built around the idea that babies’ comfort and smiles depend on gentle, breathable, soft and well-fitting diapers.29

1. メリーズについて｜花王 メリーズ
2. Kao – Merries
3. History of Merries
4. Tentang Produk Popok Bayi Terbaik | Merries
5. Merries | Introducing the Merries Brand
6. Kao Indonesia | Merries Skin Protection, the First Diaper with Natural Tea Extract to Protect Baby’s Skin Stay Hygienic
7. Kao Indonesia | Katalog Produk | Merries
8. Kao Indonesia | MERRIES Mengajak Ibu Berpartisipasi Mengolah Popok Bekas Pakai Menjadi Bahan Bakar Melalui Inovasi Merries Senyumkan Lingkungan
9. Kao Indonesia | MERRIES Encourages Moms to Participate in Processing Used Diapers into Fuel Through Merries Senyumkan Lingkungan Innovation
10. Kao Indonesia | Merries Good Skin Together with the Indonesian Midwives Association (IBI) Educate 200 Midwives in Jabodetabek in Good Skin Day Activities!
11. Kao Indonesia | Merries Good Skin Bersama Ikatan Bidan Indonesia Edukasi 200 Bidan di Jabodetabek dalam Kegiatan Good Skin Day!
12. Melihat Sejarah Popok Bayi
13. Memahami Prosedur dan Proses Pembentukan Bayi Tabung
14. Kao Indonesia | Merries Skin Protection, Popok Pertama dengan Ekstrak Natural Daun Teh untuk Menjaga Kulit Bayi Tetap Higienis
15. Tips Memilih Popok untuk Cegah Si Kecil Mengalami Ruam
16. History of Merries
17. Popok Bayi No. 1 di Jepang | Kao Merries
18. Kao Indonesia | Katalog Produk | Baby Diaper
19. Memperkenalkan Popok Bayi Merries | Popok Bayi No. 1 di Jepang
20. Tentang Popok Bayi Merries | Popok Bayi No. 1 di Jepang
21. Komitmen kualitas Popok Bayi Merries | Popok Bayi No. 1 di Jepang
22. Popok Bayi Premium dengan Perlindungan Ekstra Higienis | Merries
23. Product | Merries
24. Saran Dari Dokter Kulit | Merries
25. Frequently Ask Question | Merries
26. Pernyataan Hukum | Merries
27. Post Bukti Scan Untuk Ekstra Poin | Merries
28. Beli Produk Popok Terbaik | Merries
29. Extra Poin untuk New Member | Merries