Kao Corp. said Thursday its net profit rose 4.6 percent to 65.36 billion yen in fiscal 2003 for the sixth consecutive year of growth amid unfavorable market conditions at home and abroad.
Sales were up 4.3 percent to 902.63 billion yen.
Kao President Takuya Goto said the company suffered continued price falls in its main household products, including laundry detergent.
Kao is the country's largest manufacturer of household products.
But the popularity of newly launched health-care products in Japan helped the company weather an otherwise tough year, he said.
Healthya Green Tea, a bottled tea drink released in May, racked up sales of more than 19 billion yen during its first year and sales are expected to more than double for the current year, it said. Kao's Econa Healthy cooking oil also continued to enjoy strong demand.