Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Corporate
March 31, 2009

20th Anniversary Edition Published March 31
OTSUKA Health Comic Library Sequel Vol. 2
"Explore! All About Our Bodies"
Educational comic series donated to elementary schools nationwide

Tokyo, Japan, March 31, 2009-- Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President: Taro Iwamoto) today announced the March 31, 2009 publication of "Explore! All About Our Bodies", the second volume in the OTSUKA Health Comic Library Sequel series targeting elementary school children. Featuring easy-to-understand cartoon explanations of the body's structure and how it functions, the series is donated to private and public elementary schools throughout Japan (approx. 23,000 schools) and to Japanese schools overseas. Produced under the editorial supervision of the Japan Medical Association and the Japanese Society of School Health, the series is endorsed by the Japan Pediatric Association. Initially launched in 1989, the educational OTSUKA Health Comic Library is in its 20th year of publication, and the current title is the 20th volume in the series.

Published at the rate of one volume per year, the OTSUKA Health Comic Library Sequel focuses on health and nutrition themes and is distributed to elementary schools throughout Japan, where it is made available to students in libraries, healthcare rooms and classrooms and is often used by teachers as well. In addition to introducing the heart, brain, digestive system and motor organs, Volume 2, "Explore! All About Our Bodies ", also touches on mental health topics in a format that makes it easy for elementary school children to gain an understanding of how their bodies function.

An editorial committee of five experts, including Professor Takashi Matsushita of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Teikyo University, oversaw the content of the volume, consisting of cartoon chapters by Takashi Yanase, Tetsuya Chiba and 11 other well-known cartoonists. At the end of each cartoon chapter, a summary page incorporating puzzles and word games provides an entertaining way for children to expand their understanding of the content. To encourage children to share the content with their friends, the volume has been published in five installments.

The following messages were received from an editorial committee member and two of the contributing cartoonists to commemorate publication of "Explore! All About Our Bodies", Volume 2 of the OTSUKA Health Comic Library Sequel series.

Takashi Eto, Professor, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Education (member of editorial committee)

We may be amazed at the wondrous mechanisms of our bodies, but we seldom take the time to fully understand them. "Explore! All About Our Bodies" provides the answer to many questions, making learning about important bodily functions both entertaining and easy-to-understand. This kind of knowledge forms the foundation for good health.

Takashi Yanase (cartoonist)

Working on the Health Comic Library series gives me a welcome chance to learn many things in the process of drawing the illustrations. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the animated feature debut of my "Anpanman " character, making him the same age as Health Comic Library. We hope to continue our efforts together!

Testuya Chiba (cartoonist)

I've been alive for a long time, but it continues to surprise me how little I actually know about my own body or about illness, health, viruses etc. I'm often impressed at the important things I learn while drawing cartoons for the Health Comic Library, and I certainly enjoy learning as I draw. Thanks for the opportunity!

Aiming to stimulate interest and help elementary school students enjoy learning about health and how their bodies function, Otsuka Pharmaceutical began publishing the OTSUKA Health Comic Library series in 1989. The initial series was published at the rate of one volume per year for 12 years. For the following six years, the OTSUKA New Health Comic Library featured content targeting junior high school children. In 2008, the series was re-launched as the OTSUKA Health Comic Library Sequel, once again focusing topics of interest to elementary school children. In its current incarnation, the series is donated to elementary schools, special education schools and public libraries in Japan and to Japanese schools overseas. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the series, this year's volume is distinguished by a commemorative emblem on the outer box and is accompanied by a separate supplement introducing various aspects of the OTSUKA Health Comic Library, incorporating behind-the-scenes anecdotes and excerpts from previous volumes.

In addition to allowing students free access to the books in school libraries and healthcare rooms, the series has also been used in the classroom, and both students and teachers have hailed the content as "easy to understand", "interesting", and "increases interest in health." To enable viewing by the maximum number of people, portions of Volume 2 will be posted on the Otsuka Pharmaceutical website (Japanese Only, URL: http://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/csr/).

Otsuka Pharmaceutical is convinced that the OTSUKA Health Comic Library Sequel will be useful in developing children's interest in and deepening their understanding of health.

Based on its corporate philosophy of "Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide", Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is dedicated to contributing to the health and wellbeing of people around the world.