• The Heatstroke Prevention Communication Project was launched in 2011 as a public/private initiative under the auspices of the Ministry of the Environment. Membership is steadily increasing, with a total of 7,139 local governments, corporations, and private organizations participating in the project in 2016.
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical was named Best Communicator for the third consecutive year at the Hitosuzumi (Cool Break) Awards 2016.
• Otsuka also received a Top Runner Award, presented to the organization that implemented the most effective heat disorder prevention initiatives during the course of the year.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, Japan; President: Tatsuo Higuchi) has been named Best Communicator at the Heatstroke Prevention Communication Project Hitosuzumi (Cool Break) Awards 2016. Otsuka received the Best Communicator Award for the third consecutive year in recognition of the scale and significance of corporate heat disorder awareness and prevention activities, including distribution of posters and pamphlets, organization of heatstroke prevention seminars for corporations and local entities, presentation of workshops at sports events and other ongoing initiatives.
The company also received a Top Runner Award (Corporate Division), presented to the organization that implemented the most effective heat disorder prevention initiatives during the course of the year.

Based on results of proprietary research to verify the benefits of ion supply beverages, Otsuka has been engaged in promoting awareness of heat disorders and the importance of hydration and replenishment of electrolytes (ions) for more than 25 years. The company organizes on-site heat stroke prevention seminars, dispatching Otsuka staff members to provide information targeting sports enthusiasts of all ages, coaches and instructors, schools and other organizations.
Currently, Otsuka is expanding the scope of these activities, organizing approximately 5,000 seminars attended by as many as 500,000 people every year. These include presentations in partnership with corporations and business organizations focusing on the workplace, such as construction sites, factories and other high temperature working environments, and provision of information to elderly people, who account for the highest number of heat disorder patients transported by ambulance.

Otsuka also partners with local governments and organizations to distribute posters and pamphlets and participate in events to convey information about heat disorders and preventive measures. The company is also actively involved in providing support and information on the importance of hydration at the Inter-High School Athletic Championships and other summer sports events.
In recent years, Otsuka Pharmaceutical has concluded cooperative agreements with local governments to contribute to the health and wellbeing of residents. The company is actively partnering with several of the organizations recognized at the Hitosuzumi Awards 2016.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported a total of 50,412 heat disorder patients transported by ambulance between May and September 2016, a reduction of 5,440 compared to the previous year. However, higher than usual average summer (June-August) temperatures in western Japan were responsible for an increase in the incidence of heat disorders in those regions. Heat disorders can be normally be prevented through proper awareness and precautions. In response to environmental and social changes such as global warming and the progressive aging of the population and to ensure the ability to safely engage in sports and recreational activities, Otsuka Pharmaceutical will continue efforts to promote understanding of the importance of hydration and electrolyte (ion) replenishment in various scenarios.

• Overview of Otsuka Pharmaceutical initiatives to prevent heat disorders
• Results of Otsuka Pharmaceutical research on bodily fluid replacement using ion supply beverages