Sustainability

In addition to its business activities, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical has also been involved in a variety of social contribution activities. For example, with the aim of solving various social issues, we provide human and tangible resources to community-based NPOs and civic organizations. Furthermore, we promote and raise awareness of medicine and pharmacy through support from our foundations.

Bonds with Tosu City, Saga Prefecture

Since its founding in Tosu City, Saga Prefecture in 1847, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical has delivered products throughout Japan and around the world from its base here. As the site of our foundation and an important area for our business strategy, we consider Tosu City, Saga Prefecture to be a key area and will continue to work to revitalize the region.

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

In May 2021, we signed a collaboration agreement with Saga Prefecture and the Saga Sports Association in support of the SSP Initiative, which aims to promote human resource and community development through the power of sports by nurturing top athletes who will take on the world from Saga Prefecture. Based on this agreement, we allow junior high/high school athletes attending schools in Tosu City to use the dormitories owned by us.

High Five Project
—Delivering the power of “TE-A-TE” for Saga’s future depending on the number of high fives

As part of our efforts to contribute to the promotion of the SSP Initiative, the “High Five Project—Delivering the power of ‘TE-A-TE’ for Saga’s future through the number of high fives” was implemented from April 2024 to February 2025. This project involved donating 9 yen to the SSP Initiative for every high five given by event participants, resulting in a total of 1,015,605 yen being donated to the Initiative.It was held in conjunction with Salonpas_Ⓡ sampling events to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the launch of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory plaster “Salonpas_Ⓡ,” and was carried out at 11 venues across the country. A total of 112,845 people gave high fives at the venues.The donations will be used to promote the SSP initiative.

Certified as a Tosu City Zero Carbon Promotion Partner

Tosu City, Saga Prefecture, where our company was founded, announced the Tosu City’s Zero Carbon City Declaration in December 2023, aiming to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions by FY2050.Businesses or organizations that implement initiatives that contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society in accordance with the purpose of this declaration are certified as Tosu City Zero Carbon Promotion Partners. As our company considers “promoting environmental management” to be one of our material issues, we support this purpose and were certified as a Tosu City Zero Carbon Promotion Partner in October 2024.We will continue to work with Tosu City and the local community to realize a zero-carbon city.

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.

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

Through sponsorship of various sporting events, we support the promotion of various sports and people’s health. We have been a special sponsor of the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup, a domestic official golf tournament, and have hosted the Salonpas_Ⓡ Ladies Open, a JLPGA Step Up Tour, in Saga Prefecture, where our company was founded. We have also sponsored the Volleyball Nations League and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Salonpas_Ⓡ Night Game 2025. At marathons and events such as the Saga Sakura Marathon and the Tokyo Marathon, we provide participating runners with samples of Air_Ⓡ Salonpas_Ⓡ to help them manage muscle fatigue.Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical will continue to support athletes, sports enthusiasts, and everyone else with the power of “TE-A-TE.”

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 60,000 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

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical promotes and practices 10 eco-driving practices that are environmentally friendly and lead to safe driving. We are also working to raise employee awareness of safe driving and prevent traffic accidents by installing telematics dashboard cameras in company vehicles and conducting driving training in collaboration with driving schools.

Regular Welfare Marche

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical regularly hosts a Welfare Marche with the aim of promoting understanding of DE&I and contributing to the independent living of people with disabilities.At this event, we collaborate with welfare facilities, including Type B employment support facilities, and have them directly sell processed products such as sweets and bread, as well as agricultural produce such as vegetables and fruits, produced at their facilities. The event also serves as a sales platform for the facilities.

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.

●Hisamitsu Vietnam's Support Initiative of Collecting Empty Salonpas_Ⓡ Boxes

Hisamitsu Vietnam implemented an initiative to collect unwanted empty boxes by placing Salonpas_Ⓡ box collection bins in drugstores nationwide. The collected empty boxes were sold to a recycling company for cash and the proceeds were used to purchase mooncakes eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam, which were then donated to a pediatric hospital based in Hanoi.

●Hisamitsu Malaysia Hosts Salonpas_Ⓡ Day Event

Hisamitsu Malaysia hosted a Salonpas_Ⓡ day event at the KL Car-Free Marathon on May 18, 2025, where we sprayed around Salonpas_Ⓡ JET SPRAY and handed out samples of Salonpas A^e_Ⓡ. Participants commented along the lines of, “Being tired, this is a lifesaver.”
Additionally, on ByeBye-FEVER_Ⓡ Day, we offered samples at the kindergarten, providing an opportunity to enrich the health of participants and enhance local community engagement by means of community contribution activities.

Hisamitsu-Hot-Heart Club

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical has established the charity organization “Hisamitsu-Hot-Heart Club” as part of a project commemorating the 160th anniversary of its founding. The club operates funds based on contributions from our officers and employees who opt-in to the club and supports NPOs and civic organizations both in Japan and abroad with matching contributions from the Company. In FY2024, we made donations to 39 organizations nationwide that are engaged in various activities such as conservation of the natural environment, childcare support, and international cooperation. We have donated a total of 64.3 million yen to a total of 643 organizations for support since our establishment in 2007.

●FY2024 Donation Recipients (example)

Collaboration with the Japanese Red Cross Society

We work with the Japanese Red Cross Society to engage in a variety of social contribution activities.
We hold blood drives twice a year, inviting a blood donation bus from a blood center. Many employees participate every year (Locations: Kyushu Head Office, Utsunomiya Factory).
In addition, at the end of each year, we hold an on-the-street international charity drive at 16 locations nationwide. In FY2024, a total of 297 employees participated, and all collected funds were donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society.
In January 2020, we signed the Agreement on Support and Cooperation in Disaster. This agreement enables us to provide supplies and monetary donations more quickly in the event of disasters both at home and abroad.

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 related to health promotion, the foundation aims to maintain and promote the health of the people and contribute to achieving a vibrant, affluent economy and society. In FY2024, 83 people were selected for grants, and two were selected for promotion awards, being awarded a total of 125.5 million yen.

●Nakatomi Memorial Foundation

Since 2010, this foundation has operated 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 that passes down to the next generation the industrial culture of drugs underpinning the evolution of the pharmaceutical industry of Saga Prefecture, as well as a place to know more about drugs and learn about their history and culture. It also regularly holds hands-on classes using yagen (a crushing tool used in grinding plant medicines), including spice making.

●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 the cultivation of rich humanity through the popularization and promotion of sports and the improvement of 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 FY2024, the foundation provided financial support totaling 10,737,000 yen to 26 organizations for 26 projects.

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

Fixpace_Ⓡ

“Space Life Story Book” published by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) identifies the idea of reducing the loss and dispersion of objects in zero gravity as one of the challenges of living in space. To address this, we developed Fixpace_Ⓡ using our long-cultivated adhesive technology. Simply attaching it to walls or tables enables it to easily secure items ranging from ballpoint pens to cutlery like knives and forks in place. Fixpace_Ⓡ was loaded onto the Crew Dragon spacecraft (Crew-5) carrying astronaut Koichi Wakata that launched on October 6, 2022. It was also deployed on the Crew Dragon spacecraft (Crew-10 and Crew-11) launched on March 15, 2025, and August 2, 2025, respectively, with astronauts Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui on board.

Odorleship_Ⓡ

“Space Life Story Book” published by JAXA also lists waste management and odor control in confined, isolated spaces as another challenge of living in space. To address this, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical developed Odorleship_Ⓡ using its long-cultivated transdermal patch technology.Odorleship_Ⓡ was selected in JAXA's Second Call for Ideas on Common Challenges and Solutions to Life in Space and on Earth. The decision was made to include Odorleship_Ⓡ aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

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.