Santen Launches Nationwide Myopia Awareness Campaign for Children in Japan with Chibi Maruko-chan

Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Osaka, hereinafter “Santen”) announced that it began a nationwide awareness campaign on May 11, 2026, focused on the prevention and slowing of myopia progression in children. The initiative features Chibi Maruko-chan, the manga and television anime created by Momoko Sakura, and will be rolled out across Japan through television commercials, web advertising, in-clinic educational posters, and other media. The collaboration aims to present childhood myopia as a familiar, everyday issue through the daily life of the beloved national character Chibi Maruko-chan. By using casual conversations and moments of awareness at home and school as entry points, the campaign seeks to help families understand that myopia may progress more easily during childhood growth periods, encourage reviews of lifestyle habits, and communicate the importance of consulting an ophthalmologist early in a friendly and easy-to-understand way. The number of people with myopia worldwide is projected to reach 39.9% of the global population by 2030 and 49.8% by 2050. In Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s School Health Statistics Survey shows that the proportion of students with uncorrected visual acuity below 1.0 has been increasing year by year. The fiscal 2025 survey reported rates of 36.1% among elementary school students, 59.4% among junior high school students, and 71.5% among high school students. The recent rise in myopia is believed to be linked to lifestyle changes, particularly the combination of reduced outdoor activity among children and increased near-work activities such as reading, studying, and using digital devices. Myopia progression has been reported to reduce quality of life and increase the risk of complications that may affect vision. As a specialty company dedicated to eye health, Santen will continue providing new treatment options to patients and contributing to improved quality of life for as many people as possible, with the aim of realizing a society where people around the world can experience happiness through vision. The TV commercial story portrays childhood myopia as a familiar issue for everyone through everyday conversations with family and friends, as well as common scenes at school and at home. It gently conveys, with expressions designed to evoke surprise and empathy, that children in their growth years may experience myopia progression without noticing it. The commercials deliver the message that “children’s eyes are for life,” while quietly encouraging people to pay attention to small signs in daily life, review lifestyle habits, and consult an ophthalmologist early when concerns arise. The TV commercial titles are: Childhood Myopia: “Children’s Eyes Are for Life,” Childhood Myopia: “When Was That Vision Test?” and Childhood Myopia: “Can You See the Blackboard?” The commercials are scheduled to air nationwide from May 11 to mid-July 2026. “When Was That Vision Test?” and “Can You See the Blackboard?” are scheduled to begin airing in mid-to-late May. The “Children’s Eyes Are for Life” version was released on YouTube on May 11, 2026. Web advertising is scheduled for May to July and October to November 2026. Video ads will run on YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and TVer, while static banner ads will appear on Instagram, LINE, and Yahoo! JAPAN. In-clinic educational posters will be distributed from April 2026 to March 2027, with information provided sequentially to medical institutions through Santen’s medical representatives. Santen is a global pharmaceutical company specializing in ophthalmology. It works to maintain and improve eye health so that people around the world can lead richer and happier lives through vision. Since its founding in Osaka, Japan in 1890, Santen has supported eye health worldwide for more than 135 years through the research, development, manufacturing, and sale of ophthalmic pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The company has a broad product portfolio covering diseases including glaucoma, dry eye, infections, allergies, age-related macular degeneration, and myopia. Today, Santen’s products and services are available in more than 60 countries and regions worldwide.