UV Protection Efforts Advancing, Yet Eyes Remain Unprotected – Consumer Survey Reveals "Inconvenience" as a Barrier for Sunglasses

In recent years, UV radiation levels have tended to rise from early spring, necessitating earlier protective measures. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency's UV Index, UV intensity sharply increases around March, reaching "very strong" levels by April, indicating a need for caution. *(Reference: Japan Meteorological Agency "Annual Transition Graph of Daily Maximum UV Index (Observed Values) (Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture)" as of April 23, 2026) Against this backdrop of environmental change, societal awareness of UV protection has grown, and more people are taking daily precautions. However, when it comes to UV protection, attention often gravitates towards skin and hair, with "eye" protection not being sufficiently widespread. In response to this situation, our company focused on "eye UV protection," which can be considered a "blind spot" in UV countermeasures, and conducted a survey on UV awareness targeting 960 men and women aged from 20s to over 60s. **Eye Protection Insufficient Despite Rising UV Awareness** Regarding UV protection, approximately 40% of respondents answered that "the starting period for UV protection has become earlier in the past few years," indicating an advancement and year-round adoption of measures. On the other hand, looking at specific protection methods, "UV-cut skincare products" (62.2%), "hats" (49.3%), and "parasols" (43.5%) ranked high, while "sunglasses" (27.3%) and "UV-cut glasses" (12.9%) remained at low levels. It became clear that while UV protection awareness is increasing and the timing of measures is becoming earlier, eye protection is not sufficiently widespread. **The Reason Eye UV Protection Isn't Advancing is "Inconvenience"** Reasons for not using sunglasses largely centered on inconvenience, such as "troublesome to switch glasses" (24.4%), "inconvenient to carry" (17.5%), and "hassle to remove indoors/outdoors" (7.8%). These results suggest that inconvenience is the biggest factor hindering the adoption of sunglasses. Additionally, reasons like "resistance due to appearance/fashion" (26.1%) and "difficult to see without prescription" (20.6%) were also cited, revealing hurdles in both functional and psychological aspects. From these results, it became clear that despite the necessity of sunglasses for UV protection, they are items that are difficult to incorporate into daily life. **"Transitions®": A New Option for Daily Use, Cutting Almost 100% UV Rays** Photochromic lenses "Transitions®" offer a new option that can solve these challenges with a single pair of glasses. The lens color changes according to UV and visible light, functioning as glasses indoors and sunglasses outdoors. It cuts almost 100% of UVA and UVB rays, allowing for UV protection without the need to switch glasses. Outdoors, the lens color quickly darkens in seconds*1 in response to changes in UV and light, turning into sunglasses. Indoors, it returns to a state close to regular glasses in about 2 minutes*2. This feature allows for smooth visual transitions when moving between indoors and outdoors, reducing the stress of putting on and taking off glasses. It also mitigates the common resistance to the appearance of sunglasses, maintaining a natural look and bright vision. Furthermore, it supports prescription lenses for myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia, making it possible to incorporate eye UV protection seamlessly while ensuring everyday vision. *1 Performance value under conditions where gray polycarbonate and CR-39 lenses reach 18% transmittance at 23°C. *2 Performance value under conditions where gray polycarbonate and CR-3 lenses with high-performance anti-reflective coating fade to 70% transmittance at 23°C. **New Proposal "Transitions® Color Touch™" Adding "Fashionability" to Functionality** Moreover, "Transitions® Color Touch™", launched on April 1, 2026, features not only traditional photochromic functions but also the ability to enjoy faint colors indoors. It achieves both visual comfort and fashionability by developing strong colors outdoors like sunglasses and changing to subtle hues indoors. It is available in two types, gradient and wash, and five colors: Ruby, Amber, Sapphire, Amethyst, and Emerald. This allows for selection according to preferred style and scene. This survey revealed that while more people are starting UV protection earlier, eye UV protection still faces hurdles in terms of "daily usability" and "fashionability." Nikon-Essilor addresses these changes in consumer awareness and behavior by providing eyewear that combines functionality, everyday practicality, and fashion.