Eliminating 'Late-Stage Leave of Absence' in Japanese Companies with the Pre-symptomatic Audit 'Onaka Sommelier'
With an 84.6% behavioral change realization rate, HIL Inc. aims to eradicate 'late-stage leave of absence' and economic losses that health checkups cannot prevent.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 21:00
Our company supports the 'April Dream' project by PR TIMES, which aims to make April 1st a day to share dreams. This press release represents the dream of 'HIL Inc.'
What if you could notice changes in your body a little earlier? What if you could know about future risks while you are still healthy? Surely, many people's choices would change.
The dream that HIL Inc. (Headquarters: Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture; CEO: Mika Oguma) wants to realize is to eliminate the loss of people's health and corporate talent caused by 'invisible pre-symptomatic conditions.' Through our pre-symptomatic audit 'Onaka Sommelier®' (hereinafter 'Onaka Sommelier'), which uses patented echo evaluation technology to visualize the inside of the body in just 5 minutes, we provide every working person with a 'reason to act.'
■ Pre-symptomatic conditions are progressing while invisible
'Mibyo' (pre-symptomatic state) is the condition before becoming ill. Many of these progress silently without subjective symptoms, reaching a point of no return by the time they are noticed. This is not just an individual problem. The decline in productivity caused by working while unwell brings enormous economic losses to companies. The reality is that valuable corporate talent and profits are being eroded simply because people 'did not notice.'
■ We want to see 'realization,' not just 'numbers'
Through Onaka Sommelier, HIL Inc. provides an experience where you can see the state of your body's interior on the spot. When people see the real state of their abdominal fat and muscles as an 'image,' rather than numbers on a health checkup paper, they understand their health status as 'their own issue' for the first time. And at that moment, their behavior changes.
■ 84.6% behavioral change proven by data, not emotion
This change is already happening on the ground as numbers. In a demonstration project led by local governments, 84.6% of employees at a major food manufacturer who experienced our service began 'improvement actions' for their lifestyle, and participation in internal health initiatives jumped to about twice the previous level. People move when they can see their own condition. Here is a model that transforms health investment from 'one-off initiatives' into 'certain results.'
■ 'Visualization' with scientific backing, not just a feeling
What we show is not just a feeling. Through the latest analysis, it has been confirmed that Onaka Sommelier has a statistically solid correlation with general health indicators such as metabolism and body composition. We turn 'vague anxiety' into 'conviction' with scientific backing. This technology, which visualizes pre-symptomatic conditions and leads to behavioral change before being flagged in health checkups, is already a reality in some areas.
■ Making pre-symptomatic care a social norm and realizing 'Lifespan = Healthspan' (Our Dream)
What we want to realize is not a society that panics after getting sick, but a society that can notice it beforehand. Eliminating 'late-stage leave of absence' for companies is just a milestone. Our true goal is a world where 'Lifespan = Healthspan' is the norm for everyone who works.
This value as an 'igniter for behavioral change' is already being introduced in various situations. HIL Inc. does not intend to let this dream end as a fantasy. We will create a society that raises the healthspan of all of Japan by turning the world where pre-symptomatic conditions are visible into infrastructure, and enabling all companies to realize 'truly meaningful health management.'
What if you could notice changes in your body a little earlier? What if you could know about future risks while you are still healthy? Surely, many people's choices would change.
The dream that HIL Inc. (Headquarters: Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture; CEO: Mika Oguma) wants to realize is to eliminate the loss of people's health and corporate talent caused by 'invisible pre-symptomatic conditions.' Through our pre-symptomatic audit 'Onaka Sommelier®' (hereinafter 'Onaka Sommelier'), which uses patented echo evaluation technology to visualize the inside of the body in just 5 minutes, we provide every working person with a 'reason to act.'
■ Pre-symptomatic conditions are progressing while invisible
'Mibyo' (pre-symptomatic state) is the condition before becoming ill. Many of these progress silently without subjective symptoms, reaching a point of no return by the time they are noticed. This is not just an individual problem. The decline in productivity caused by working while unwell brings enormous economic losses to companies. The reality is that valuable corporate talent and profits are being eroded simply because people 'did not notice.'
■ We want to see 'realization,' not just 'numbers'
Through Onaka Sommelier, HIL Inc. provides an experience where you can see the state of your body's interior on the spot. When people see the real state of their abdominal fat and muscles as an 'image,' rather than numbers on a health checkup paper, they understand their health status as 'their own issue' for the first time. And at that moment, their behavior changes.
■ 84.6% behavioral change proven by data, not emotion
This change is already happening on the ground as numbers. In a demonstration project led by local governments, 84.6% of employees at a major food manufacturer who experienced our service began 'improvement actions' for their lifestyle, and participation in internal health initiatives jumped to about twice the previous level. People move when they can see their own condition. Here is a model that transforms health investment from 'one-off initiatives' into 'certain results.'
■ 'Visualization' with scientific backing, not just a feeling
What we show is not just a feeling. Through the latest analysis, it has been confirmed that Onaka Sommelier has a statistically solid correlation with general health indicators such as metabolism and body composition. We turn 'vague anxiety' into 'conviction' with scientific backing. This technology, which visualizes pre-symptomatic conditions and leads to behavioral change before being flagged in health checkups, is already a reality in some areas.
■ Making pre-symptomatic care a social norm and realizing 'Lifespan = Healthspan' (Our Dream)
What we want to realize is not a society that panics after getting sick, but a society that can notice it beforehand. Eliminating 'late-stage leave of absence' for companies is just a milestone. Our true goal is a world where 'Lifespan = Healthspan' is the norm for everyone who works.
This value as an 'igniter for behavioral change' is already being introduced in various situations. HIL Inc. does not intend to let this dream end as a fantasy. We will create a society that raises the healthspan of all of Japan by turning the world where pre-symptomatic conditions are visible into infrastructure, and enabling all companies to realize 'truly meaningful health management.'
FAQ
What is 'Onaka Sommelier'?
It is a pre-symptomatic audit service that uses patented ultrasound evaluation technology to visualize visceral fat and muscle conditions in just 5 minutes.
Why does it trigger behavioral change?
Because by seeing the inside of their own body through images rather than just paper numbers, individuals can strongly perceive their health status as a personal issue.
What are the benefits of adoption?
Improved productivity through higher employee health awareness and reduction of corporate talent loss risks by preventing late-stage leave of absence.