In 1993, Meilleur Co., Ltd. began its journey with the import and sales of a single pair of earplugs. Since its founding, the company has stayed true to its core belief: “To offer medical devices that we would proudly use for our own family and friends.” Today, Meilleur employs 34 team members and generated an annual revenue of approximately JPY 1 billion (€5.55 million) in the previous fiscal year. The company supplies around 1,000 products specializing in Central Sterile Supply Departments (CSSD), Operating Rooms (OR) / ICUs, and ENT departments.
The defining feature of Meilleur’s products is that they deliver value to both patients and healthcare professionals. Medical practices driven solely by corporate profit at the patient’s expense, or healthcare workers exhausting themselves physically and mentally, are neither desirable nor sustainable. The company’s goal is to promote healthcare that is safe, gentle, and supportive for patients and medical providers alike.
The company name, Meilleur, originates from the French word for “better.” By introducing superior medical technology, already widely adopted overseas, to the Japanese healthcare setting, Meilleur strives to contribute to better medical care, while also aiming to enrich the professional lives of its team members through meaningful work and a strong sense of mission.
Meilleur distributes unique medical devices and products to hospitals and clinics across Japan. Primary users include physicians, nurses, and sterile processing staff (including outsourced service providers), across specialties such as Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Anesthesiology, Orthopedic Surgery, and Plastic Surgery.
Since 2023, in addition to importing overseas products, the company has been actively developing its own proprietary products. These include “Fit-All,” a universal surgical microscope drape compatible with various objective lens diameters for both Leica and ZEISS systems, and “EZTY,” a reusable cable tie with potential well beyond healthcare, extending into food and pharmaceutical manufacturing, construction, infrastructure, solar power generation, and electronics/IT data centers.
While the product lineup will continue to focus primarily on operating rooms, CSSD, and ENT departments, the proportion of non-healthcare products is expected to gradually increase in the coming years.
The overall medical market in Japan faces significant growth challenges, as approximately 70% of Japanese hospitals are operating in the red. Further consolidation of hospitals and increasingly fierce competition among medical device manufacturers are anticipated. According to projections by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for 2040, the number of acute care hospital beds is estimated to decrease by 40% compared to 2025, down to 374,000 beds, with total bed capacity also projected to decline from roughly 1.164 million in 2025 to 1.069 million in 2040. Driven by demographic decline, a contraction of the traditional medical industry is inevitable.
In this shrinking market, products that contribute to SDG initiatives, such as the “Fit-All” universal microscope drape, are expected to gain broad market acceptance. The reusable “EZTY” cable tie, meanwhile, has the potential to replace conventional single-use ties used for temporary fastening.
Among all current products, “EZTY” stands out as the most innovative solution, with its utility and design recognized by the Good Design Award in 2025 and the iF DESIGN AWARD in 2026.
Regarding the market outlook for the second half of 2026, while the general medical industry remains stagnant, Meilleur anticipates a 25% increase in sales compared to the first half of 2026, driven in part by the launch of new products in the anesthesiology sector.
Meilleur Co., Ltd.
Tsurashi Yamane, Founder and Director
3-9-2 Yurinokidai, Yachiyo-shi, Chiba 276-0042, Japan
Tel: +81-47-480-6161 | Fax: +81-47-480-6162
