New Lifesaving Project Launched on July 1st, "AED Day," Aiming to Increase AED Usage Rate from 5% to 30%

~A lifesaving project addressing the challenge of "installed but not used" AEDs in Japan, which has one of the highest numbers of AED installations globally~

Amagasaki Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Managing Director and Initiator: Yosuke Taniyama) will officially launch the lifesaving project "GO!30 AED PROJECT" on July 1, 2026, "AED Day," aiming to increase the AED usage rate from the current approximately 5% to 30%.

Japan is one of the countries with the highest number of AED installations in the world. On the other hand, the percentage of AEDs used after cardiac arrest remains at 5.2%, indicating a significant gap between having an AED "available" and it actually being "used."

This project will address concerns such as the anxiety of never having touched an AED, the inability to access AEDs during nights and holidays, and the psychological barrier of hesitating to act due to the eyes of others, working to transform AEDs from "installed" to "usable."

Official Website: https://go30aed.org/

GO!30 AED PROJECT: Four Initiatives

1. Increase Opportunities to Interact with AEDs

To use an AED in an emergency, it is crucial to have "touched one before" and have an "image that you can handle it."

In addition to hands-on training using AED trainers, this project will create opportunities to see and touch multiple AED models and understand their differences. By making AEDs, which are rarely touched in daily life, feel as familiar as home appliances, we aim to transform them from "unknown machines" to "machines that anyone can use."

2. Expand AED Environment Accessible 24 Hours a Day

An AED is meaningless if it cannot be accessed when needed.

AEDs installed in schools, companies, and facilities may not be usable in emergencies if the buildings are closed at night or on holidays. We will promote the creation of an environment where AEDs can be reached when needed, through the utilization of outdoor AED boxes and proposals for installation models that allow access from outside the facility.

3. "GO!30 STORIES" - Delivering Voices of Those Involved

To increase AED usage rates, we need not only numbers and knowledge but also stories that touch people's hearts.

"GO!30 STORIES" will feature and disseminate the voices of those involved in lifesaving, families of those who were saved, educational institutions, and installation facilities. The official website also features a message from the bereaved family of Asuka Kirita, whose experience formed the background of the school accident response text "ASUKA Model."

4. Create New Mechanisms to Make AEDs Feel Familiar

To lower the psychological barrier to using AEDs, in addition to training and improving installation environments, it is also important to increase opportunities to feel familiar with AEDs in daily life.

In the future, we will also work on developing products, services, and experiential content that make AEDs feel more familiar. By collaborating with companies, organizations, and creators, we will create new mechanisms that reach people who have not previously been interested in AEDs.

Initiator's Comment (Yosuke Taniyama, Managing Director, Amagasaki Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)

For about 20 years, while involved in the sale and maintenance of AEDs, I have felt the reality that although AEDs have certainly increased, they are not sufficiently used in times of need.

AEDs are wonderful devices for saving lives. However, if they are inside buildings and cannot be accessed, if people are unsure whether they can use them, or if they hesitate to act due to the eyes of others, lives that could have been saved will not be reached.

The GO!30 AED PROJECT is not merely a sales promotion for AEDs, but an initiative to make the AEDs in our communities truly "usable," including those already installed.

From an AED usage rate of approximately 5% to 30%. We want to shape a society that saves lives, starting from Kumamoto, together with everyone.

Seeking Supporters, Sponsors, and Co-creation Partners

This project is seeking companies, organizations, local governments, and educational institutions that agree with our activities and wish to work together to create a lifesaving environment.

Collaboration will include joint hosting of AED experience events and lifesaving training, development of products and services that make AEDs feel familiar, donation of related tools to schools and childcare centers, development of AED environments accessible 24 hours a day such as outdoor AED boxes, and listing of supporting companies and organizations on the official website.

Companies, organizations, and local government officials interested in this project are encouraged to inquire through the official website.

Official Website: https://go30aed.org/

GO!30 AED PROJECT Overview

Name: GO!30 AED PROJECT Start Date: July 1, 2026 (AED Day) Initiator: Yosuke Taniyama, Managing Director, Amagasaki Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Objective: To increase the AED usage rate from approximately 5% to 30% Main Initiatives: Creating opportunities to interact with AEDs, promoting 24-hour accessible AED environments, disseminating voices of those involved, creating new mechanisms to make AEDs feel familiar Official Website: https://go30aed.org/

Company Profile & Inquiries

Amagasaki Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a specialized trading company headquartered in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Since its founding in 1961, it has supported local life and the environment through the sale of industrial chemicals, water treatment chemicals, and septic tank related chemicals. In addition to its Kumamoto headquarters, it operates a Kagoshima sales office and has been involved in the sale and maintenance of AEDs for about 20 years.

Company Name: Amagasaki Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Head Office Location: 3-13-18 Heisei, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture Sales Office: Kagoshima Sales Office URL: http://www.amayaku.com/

Inquiries regarding this matter: GO!30 AED PROJECT Contact (Yosuke Taniyama) TEL: 096-370-0150 FAX: 096-370-0151 Mail: info@amayaku.com

*Source: Japan AED Foundation "Current Status of Sudden Cardiac Arrest," Japanese Circulation Society "AED Diffusion Status," Japan Emergency Medical Service Foundation "AED Day," Saitama City Board of Education "ASUKA Model"