Sony Life Presents Donation to Eye Mate Association for Guide Dog Training Support

Sony Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (President and Representative Director: Hiroyuki Tsubota, hereinafter "the Company") presented a donation to the Eye Mate Association (Representative Director: Takao Shioya, hereinafter "Eye Mate Association") on March 27, 2026, for the purpose of "supporting the social participation of visually impaired people through the training of Eye Mates (guide dogs)." Additionally, a letter of appreciation was awarded by Representative Director Takao Shioya of the Eye Mate Association in recognition of the Company's continuous support for over a quarter of a century.

The Company encourages its employees to participate in social contribution activities. As part of this, since 1997, it has been conducting the "Eye Mate Donation" annually to support the social participation of the visually impaired. Furthermore, the Company sells Eye Mate charity goods, such as clear files, and donates all proceeds excluding the purchase cost.

These fundraising activities utilize a "matching gift system," where the Company provides an amount equal to the donations collected from employees over a year, and that total is presented to the Eye Mate Association, which trains guide dogs. In fiscal 2025, approximately 6.07 million JPY was collected from all employees, and combined with the Company's special donation, a total of 12.13 million JPY was presented. As a result, the total amount of donations from the Company for the Eye Mate training project has reached approximately 318.65 million JPY.

Sony Life will continue to support as many visually impaired people as possible to participate in society through the training of Eye Mates.

Overview of the Eye Mate Association:
The association has a long history, having produced the first guide dog in Japan, and is an organization that sends out the largest number of excellent Eye Mates (guide dogs). In 2025, it celebrated the 68th anniversary of the birth of the first domestic guide dog pair. As of March 14, 2026, a total of 1,491 pairs consisting of Eye Mates and visually impaired individuals have graduated from the association.

The Eye Mate Association trains guide dogs according to uncompromising standards and provides walking instruction to the visually impaired. It carries out projects to help them participate in society and succeed in independent walking as a means of social adaptation. The association's projects target visually impaired individuals nationwide. Financially, it is a non-profit organization operated through outsourcing fees from local governments, general donations, and income from funds.

Official Website: https://www.eyemate.org/