Even as anti-Japan rioters were busting the windows of Japanese stores and demolishing Japanese cars in Beijing and other cities in China in mid-September, young fathers in the subprovincial city of Xi'an were taking lessons in how to bathe their newborns with soap and lotion developed by Japanese baby products maker Pigeon Corp.

The sharp contrast was also visible in Wuxi, a city west of Shanghai, where young parents thronged to an event showcasing a new product lineup by Pigeon, the biggest maker in China in the field.

Although violent demonstrations, reignited by Tokyo's nationalization of three Senkaku islets, threatened businesses of many Japanese companies in China, some firms like Pigeon were little harmed by the move, and for a reason.