Sustainability

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical believes that it is essential not only to perform our business operations but also to address various social issues. By supporting and cooperating with community-based NPOs and civic organizations through both human and tangible resources, we hope to contribute to solving social issues. Additionally, promotion and education of medicine and pharmacy is made through the support of foundations.

Bonds with Tosu City, Saga Prefecture

Since our founding in Tosu City, Saga Prefecture, in 1847, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical has delivered our products to all over Japan and the world from that location as a base. Therefore, we conduct various activities because we want to contribute to the promotion of sports and regional revitalization in Tosu City, Saga.We will continue to work on the regional revitalization in Tosu City, Saga Prefecture, which is the place of our foundation and considered an important area for us, in the future as well.

Promoting the SAGA Sports Pyramid Initiative (hereinafter, ‘SSP Initiative’)

We executed a collaboration agreement with Saga Prefecture and the Saga Sports Association in support of the SSP Initiative that aims to promote human and community development utilizing the power of sports through the development of top athletes who will challenge the world from Saga Prefecture (May 2021).Based on this agreement, we allow junior high/high school athletes attending schools in Tosu City to use the dormitories owned by us.
In addition, we conducted a High-Five Project linked to Salonpas_Ⓡ sampling events in 2024. This is an initiative of making a donation of the number of high fives x 9 yen to the SSP Initiative according to the number of high fives given by participants in the events.

JLPGA Step Up Tour Salonpas_Ⓡ Ladies Open

Salonpas_Ⓡ, which is our signature product, is celebrating the 90th Anniversary of its release in 2024, and has become a favorite in more than 30 countries and regions around the world. We would like to express our gratitude to all the people in Saga Prefecture, which is the place of our foundation, as well as our customers who have supported us. As we wanted to put the gratitude into action through economic, social and cultural contribution, we held JLPGA Step Up Tour Salonpas_Ⓡ Ladies Open in Saga Prefecture for the first time in October 2023.

Utilization of Salonpas_Ⓡ Arena

The Salonpas_Ⓡ Arena constructed in 2023 as a new practice base for the team of SAGA Hisamitsu Springs also serves as an evacuation center equipped with emergency power generators and water receiving tanks.
The Agreement on Providing an Evacuation Center in Time of Disaster (December 2023) concluded between our company, SAGA Hisamitsu Springs and Tosu City aims at maximizing recovery activities in affected areas and districts in time of disaster through mutual cooperation between the said three parties.
If disasters, such as great earthquakes, wind, and rain, occur in Tosu City, we will provide Salonpas_Ⓡ Arena as an evacuation center for residents and a place to stay for support staff dispatched from other municipalities at the request of Tosu City for cooperation according to this agreement.

Improvement of Medical Welfare

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical donated 10 million yen to the public interest incorporated foundation of SAGA Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Tosu (SAGA HIMAT, Tosu City, Saga Prefecture) in August 2022 for the purpose of contributing to the improvement of medical treatment and welfare, the progress and development of cancer treatment, and the eradication of cancer in Japan and abroad through cancer treatment using heavy ion beams, as well as to improve patients' quality of life.

Product Development based on Concept of Local Production for Local Consumption

●Lifecella_ⓇSaga Bijin_Ⓡ

The “Saga Bijin_Ⓡ” series of Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical cosmetics brand Lifecella_Ⓡ is a Saga Prefecture brand cosmetic based on the concept of “local production for local consumption” in Saga, the place where the company was founded. In our aim to use the blessings of Saga with no waste, spread the good ingredients produced in Saga, and have people living in and visiting Saga experience the benefits, the products were developed in cooperation with the prefecture, municipalities, and companies in Saga Prefecture and are currently sold at souvenir shops and Rest Stop stores in the Saga area.
Saga Bijin_Ⓡ Asparagus (gel sheet mask/lotion) and Saga Bijin_Ⓡ Ariake Seaweed (gel sheet mask/lotion), which were launched in March 2022, are eco-friendly cosmetics, effectively utilizing scraps of asparagus and Ariake Seaweed, which are usually discarded at the time of shipment.

(Examples of Bonds with Tosu City, Saga Prefecture)

Support for Sports

We at Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical support the development of a sound society and the promotion of people's fitness through sponsorship of sporting events. We are the special sponsor of the domestic major golf tournament World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup; we also co-sponsor various other sporting events around Japan, including volleyball and citizen marathons.In FY2023, we co-sponsored the 2023 FIVB World Cup and the 20th World Aquatics Championships.

SAGA Hisamitsu Springs

Established as an in-house club in 1948, our female volleyball team SAGA Hisamitsu Springs (renamed as such on July 1, 2024) belongs to Japan's top league, SV.LEAGUE WOMEN, and participates in tournaments in Japan and abroad.
We are also committed to fostering next-generation athletes. For children, we organize volleyball clinics by players from the SAGA Hisamitsu Springs and run the Springs Academy.
In May 2023, we opened Salonpas_Ⓡ Arena, a new practice facility in Tosu City, Saga Prefecture. This training arena is equipped with world-class equipment and also available for use by the general public for sports and other events.
In FY2023, Salonpas_Ⓡ Arena had approximately 18,000 visitors, mainly from within Saga Prefecture, and contributed to promoting local people's fitness and creating opportunities for interaction through sports.
Going forward, we will continue to contribute to the creation of a prosperous and vibrant city by participating in events and promoting volleyball in Saga Prefecture and Tosu City. Please look forward to our future activities.

Initiatives for Safe Driving

At Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, as an initiative to raise awareness of safe driving and prevent traffic accidents, we have installed telematics dashboard cameras in company vehicles. Furthermore, we are focusing on education to prevent being involved in accidents and causing them, such as conducting driving training in cooperation with driving schools.

Efforts Made by Overseas

●Hisamitsu Indonesia's sample donation to evacuees from the eruption of Mt. Semeru

In May 2024, through local volunteer companies and organizations, Hisamitsu Indonesia donated product samples along with letters to 395 people who were forced to evacuate due to the eruption of Mt. Semeru. Wishing to provide some comfort to the evacuees while they were living in the shelters, we offered Salonpas_Ⓡ for alleviating stiff shoulders and lower-back pain, and ByeBye-FEVER_Ⓡ for relieving fever and beating the heat.

●Taipei Branch Office's product presentations sharing information including protection measures against dengue fever

In January 2024, at local kindergartens, the Taipei Branch Office handed out samples of ByeBye-BUG_Ⓡ repellent patches to the children and staff, and also gave a product presentation for parents and shared information such as protection measures against dengue fever, which is prevalent in Taiwan. By informing them about preventive measures against this viral disease, the Taipei Branch Office contributed to raising local people's awareness of infection prevention.

●Free Medical Examination in Vietnam

In Hisamitsu Vietnam, we conducted free medical examination as one of our initiatives on the Day of Salonpas_Ⓡ. “Salonpas Car” equipped with health check medical devices visited nine locations in Vietnam, and a total of 3,540 people had a medical examination.

Hisamitsu-Hot-Heart Club

In 2007, as part of a project commemorating the 160th anniversary of our founding, we established the charity organization Hisamitsu-Hot-Heart Club. The club operates funds based on contributions from our officers and employees who agree to the purpose of the club and supports NPOs and civic organizations both in Japan and abroad with matching contributions from the company. In FY2023, we made donations to 41 organizations nationwide which are engaged in various activities such as conservation of the natural environment, childcare support, and international cooperation. We donated a total of 60.4 million yen to a total of 604 organizations for support since the establishment.

●FY2023 Donation Recipients (example)

Disaster Relief Activities

On January 31, 2020, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical and the Japanese Red Cross Society executed the Agreement on Support and Cooperation in Disaster. By executing this agreement, we are able to provide supplies and monetary donations in the event of a disaster more quickly.
In order to support victims of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the Company donated 10 million yen (9 million yen from Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical and 1 million yen from the “Hisamitsu-Hot-Heart Club”) together with the donations collected within the company to the Japanese Red Cross Society in January 2024.

Humanitarian Support to Ukraine

In response to the Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, the Company provided humanitarian support to Ukraine in April 2022.We made a donation of 10 million yen through the Japanese Red Cross Society to support people who were victimized in Ukraine and people who were forced to evacuate to the surrounding areas.We also donated drugs based on the list of drugs requested by the Ukraine government.We are deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine and hope that peace and safety of Ukraine and surrounding regions will recover as soon as possible.

Support by Foundations

●The Nakatomi Foundation

The foundation was established with private funds of the late former Chairman Masayoshi Nakatomi of Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical and funds from Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc. commemorating the 140th anniversary of the company. By providing financial support for scientific research aiming to improve citizens’ good health, the foundation aims to help citizens maintain and improve their good health and contribute to achieving a vibrant, affluent economy and society. In FY2023, 86 researchers were supported with financial support of 118.5 million yen.

●Nakatomi Memorial Foundation

Since 2010, this foundation has been operating the Nakatomi Memorial Museum of Pharmaceutical Science and Industry (Tosu City, Saga Prefecture), established in 1995 as part of the projects commemorating the 145th anniversary of Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical. The museum is popular as a facility to hand down to the next generation the industrial culture of drugs underpinning the evolution of pharmaceutical industry of Saga Prefecture, as well as a place to know more about pharmaceuticals and learn about their history and culture. It also holds classes to learn how to make spiced sake and curry spices using yagen (a crushing tool used in grinding plant medicines) on a regular basis.

●Nakatomi Sports Promotion Foundation

This foundation provides financial support for various efforts by sports organizations in Saga Prefecture, sports tournaments, and the development of athletes and coaches. The foundation aims to contribute to the sound growth of athletes’ mental and physical health and rich personalities by promoting sports and improving athletic performance. The foundation was established in July 2019 as a general incorporated association and then certified in March 2020 as a public interest incorporated association. In FY2023, the foundation provided financial support of 10,003,000 yen to 21 organizations for 21 projects.

A Product That Solves Issues of Life in Space and on Earth Is Installed on the International Space Station

Fixpace_Ⓡ

In the “Space Life Story Book” published by JAXA, “reduction of loss/scattering of objects” in zero gravity space is one of the challenges of living in space. To solve this problem, the Company developed “Fixpace_Ⓡ,” which can easily fix a ballpoint pen and utensils such as knives and forks by simply affixing them onto a wall or table using the adhesive technology developed over time by the Company.“Fixpace_Ⓡ” was installed in the Crew Dragon Spaceship (Crew-5) boarded by astronaut Koichi Wakata launched into space on October 6, 2022.

Odorleship_Ⓡ

In the Space Life Story Book published by JAXA, a problem with garbage and odor to be tackled in closed isolated spaces is mentioned as one of the challenges of living in space. To solve this problem, the Company developed Odorleship_Ⓡ using the adhesive technology developed over time by Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical.Odorleship_Ⓡ is going to be carried to the ISS when astronaut Kimiya Yui stays there for an extended period of time in 2025.

Running of the Establishment, “Medical Research Laboratory,” at KidZania Fukuoka

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical opened the “Medical Research Laboratory” Establishment, where the Company is the official sponsor, on September 21, 2022 in “KidZania Fukuoka” planned and operated by KCJ GROUP INC. (hereinafter referred to as KCJ GROUP).Through experiences at the “Medical Research Laboratory” Establishment, the Company and KCJ GROUP hope that children will learn the joy of “manufacturing” that launches products developed through research and that these experiences will help them learn to nurture their ability to live in real society.