Targets to the potential LED market, Japanese major daily living product maker Irisohyama Inc. has announced to set up a plant to manufacture light bulbs using energy-saving LED utilizing an area in Tosu, Saga Prefecture that was vacated by a subsidiary of Panasonic Corp.

The Sendai company will buy a former facility of Panasonic Factory Solutions Co. with an area of about 45,000 square meters that was closed in 2009 as part of a business restructuring.

The company will use the new plant as a base for development and production of devices, including one to place electronic parts on printed circuit boards.

LED light bulbs are becoming increasingly popular, making up about half of the light bulbs sold at major electronics retail stores in June,according to the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry.

Irisohyama entered the LED lighting business in 2010. Its shipment of LED light bulbs for households in June has surged to 460,000, five times as many as in June last year and accounting for a nearly 25 percent share of the domestic LED light bulb market by shipping quantity.

In the mean time, the firm also announced in July that it would expand production of LED light bulbs at its factory in Dalian, China.