AGRIEX, Vietnamese Subsidiary of HOLUS, Opens 'Dental Room' for Checkups and Guidance at Second Factory

HOLUS Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hideaki Abe), which cultivates agricultural products and manufactures food in Vietnam alongside Japanese farmers, has opened a 'Dental Room' for dental checkups and guidance for employees and their families following the completion of its local subsidiary AGRIEX's second factory (Lam Dong Province, Vietnam). With the opening of this facility, HOLUS/AGRIEX is full-scaling a 'Workplace Preventive Dentistry Model' where the company protects employee health. Dr. Akihito Ikushima, the first Japanese dentist to pass the medical Vietnamese language exam, will be permanently stationed at the facility. Through dental checkups and individual guidance, he aims to establish the habit of 'preventive dentistry,' which is not yet common in Vietnam. This initiative is linked to the expertise gained through the school oral care project that Dr. Ikushima has been promoting in collaboration with the Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology at Tra Vinh University. It aims to spread preventive dentistry in Vietnam through both workplace and education sectors. ■ AGRIEX Second Factory 'Dental Room': - Base for Corporate Preventive Dentistry Model: The newly opened Dental Room serves as the core base for the unique 'Corporate Preventive Dentistry Model' promoted by HOLUS/AGRIEX. - Improving QOL for Employees and Families: With Dr. Ikushima's permanent presence, precise checkups and individual guidance for over 500 factory employees and their families are now possible. - Establishing Preventive Habits: Through awareness activities in the annexed seminar room, the facility aims to normalize 'regular checkups before pain occurs,' a concept not yet common in Vietnam. High-quality Japanese preventive dentistry will permeate from the corporate community. - Improving Employee Performance: Global studies suggest that employees with dental issues suffer from decreased productivity, a trend also observed in the company's internal surveys. This initiative supports oral hygiene and is expected to improve workplace productivity. - Ripple Effect on Families and Communities: By raising the awareness of parents (employees) through workplace care, the initiative leads to child education and practice at home, contributing to the improvement of oral hygiene in the entire local community. ■ Guidance by Dr. Ikushima, the First Japanese Dentist with Local Qualifications Dr. Ikushima, who leads this activity, became the first Japanese dentist in 2024 to pass the 'Medical Vietnamese Language Exam' at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, which allows for examination without an interpreter. Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Graduated from Hokkaido University Faculty of Dentistry in 1994. Opened 'Ikushima Dental Clinic' in Abashiri, Hokkaido, in 1999. Since 2012, he has been active in dental volunteer work in Vietnam as a member of JAVDO, visiting annually. He contributes to training young dentists through technical guidance and seminars in Hanoi, besides providing care in impoverished areas. Since 2023, he has been promoting the importance of preventive dentistry and health promotion at AGRIEX. He is also participating in a two-year research study in the Ninh Thuan region in collaboration with the Department of Public Health at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In recent years, he has focused on preventive dentistry and 'health promotion.' His representative project with Tra Vinh University involves transferring Japanese school dental health technology to elementary schools in Vietnam. His achievements over the past five years have been highly evaluated, and the second five-year phase of activities started in 2026. ■ Future Outlook: Development of a 'Preventive Dentistry Platform' Led by Japanese Companies HOLUS/AGRIEX aims to elevate this 'Corporate Preventive Dentistry Model,' symbolized by the Dental Room, into a 'Preventive Dentistry Platform' that can be expanded across Vietnam. The company intends to spread the message that improving employee oral hygiene leads to better QOL and overall health promotion, which brings significant benefits to corporate activities. In the future, the company also considers collaborating with other Japanese companies operating in Vietnam to function as a platform for protecting employee health and permeating a culture of prevention throughout society. By leading the paradigm shift 'from treatment to prevention,' the company aims to realize a sustainable society as a bridge between Japan and Vietnam.