Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Otsuka) announced that it will begin offering a new program, "Heat Illness Prevention VR," on May 26 as part of FACEDUO, a virtual reality (VR) training program operated as a joint project with JollyGood Inc. This program is designed for use in seminars and educational initiatives conducted by local governments, medical institutions, and companies, with the aim of contributing to heat illness prevention for older adults.

FACEDUO "Heat Illness Prevention VR"：https://www.faceduo.jp/heatstroke/(in Japanese)

Heat illness is a familiar health risk that can occur in daily life when the body's temperature regulation system fails under hot and humid conditions. Older adults account for approximately 60% of heat illness-related emergency transports in Japan¹, and they are more likely to develop heat illness indoors and for it to become severe. In addition, older adults tend to be less sensitive to heat and thirst, and age-related declines in thermoregulatory function mean that heat illness may develop and become severe with little or no subjective awareness of symptoms. Therefore, in addition to promoting accurate knowledge, there is an increasing need for measures that enable individuals to notice symptoms themselves and take early action. At the same time, society-wide efforts are required to prevent the onset and worsening of heat illness, including community-based monitoring and support for older adults by local governments, medical institutions, and other stakeholders².

"Heat Illness Prevention VR" is a program developed based on Otsuka's more than 30 years of experience in heat illness prevention initiatives, enabling older adults and those around them to deepen their understanding of heat illness prevention through immersive VR simulations. The program consists of two modules designed to promote understanding of heat illness warning signs and to reframe awareness of these risks. By enhancing understanding of heat illness signs and age-related changes in physical function, the program encourages appropriate judgment and responses, with the aim of promoting behavioral change among older adults for effective heat illness prevention.

■ FACEDUO "Heat Illness Prevention VR"

The program consists of two modules: "Recognizing the Signs of Heat Illness" and "How Heat Illness Prevention Changes with Age." Each content takes approximately 12 minutes to complete and can be incorporated into existing seminars, training sessions, and educational programs.

Content 1: Step-by-Step Understanding of Warning Signs - "Recognizing the Signs of Heat Illness" -

Based on situations that may occur in everyday life, participants begin with a severe heat illness scenario and move backward in time to experience the back through from moderate to mild symptoms.

Through first-person simulations, participants experience how warning signs such as fatigue, dizziness, and muscle cramps can lead to severe conditions if overlooked.

By also learning the appropriate initial responses for each stage, the program cultivates not only the ability to "notice" symptoms but also to "take action." Participants experience delays in judgment caused by failing to recognize warning signs, fostering an understanding that encourages early awareness and prompt response.

Content 2: Reframing Awareness - "How Heat Illness Prevention Changes with Age" -

Set in the daily life of an older adult living alone, this module uses interactive dialogue to assess heat illness risks. As people age, they become less sensitive to heat and thirst, and reduced muscle mass lowers the body's ability to retain water.

Participants experience firsthand the gap between subjective perceptions such as "I don't feel hot yet" or "I'm still fine" and the body's actual physical condition.

The module also deepens understanding of commonly overlooked factors, including environmental risks present indoors and at night, as well as psychological resistance to using air conditioning, thereby encouraging awareness that leads to offers preventive actions.

【Medical Supervision - Comment from Dr. Shoji Yokobori】

Professor, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine,Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School
Director, Advanced Emergency and Critical Care Center, Nippon Medical School Hospital

As climate change progresses, the risk of heat illness continues to increase each year, and in Japan's rapidly aging society, it has become a serious health issue that cannot be ignored. While various measures have been implemented with the goal of halving heat illness-related deaths, their foundation lies in a correct understanding of heat illness and behavioral change by everyone.

The importance of preventing heat illness is not always easy to convey through words or text alone. By experiencing physical changes and warning signs as realistic sensations through VR, early awareness can be promoted, which we hope will ultimately lead to appropriate and timely actions.

Based on the corporate philosophy of 'Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide,' Otsuka Pharmaceutical continues to contribute to the health and well-being of people around the world.

• 1.

  Fire and Disaster Management Agency, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,"Emergency Transport Status Due to Heat Illness, May-September 2025" (Oct. 29, 2025)

• 2.Ministry of the Environment, "Heat Illness Prevention Action Plan" (Cabinet decision, May 30, 2023)

■About FACEDUO
FACEDUO is a VR training program that proposes solutions to social issues through people and technology. Currently, FACEDUO offers six programs, including: a Social Skills Training (SST) Support Program that allows users to practice social situations in VR; a Family Support Program for Social Withdrawal (Hikikomori) that helps families learn effective communication methods to encourage social participation; a Dementia Care Support VR program that teaches concrete caregiving responses; and a Frailty Prevention Support VR program that helps users recognize subtle signs of frailty in daily life among older adults.
For more information, please visit: https://www.faceduo.jp/(in Japanese)

【Inquiries regarding FACEDUO】
For local governments, medical institutions, and companies considering adoption: https://www.faceduo.jp/form/contact (in Japanese)

■Otsuka's Initiatives for Heat Illness Prevention

In the Otsuka Group's Fourth Medium-Term Management Plan, "Global Environment" is positioned as one of the key social issues to be addressed. As climate change leads to an increase in extremely hot days and tropical nights worldwide, health issues related to temperature regulation and heat stress prevention are becoming increasingly important.

For more than 30 years, Otsuka has conducted educational activities on the importance of fluid and electrolyte intake across a wide range of settings and age groups, including sports, schools, and workplaces exposed to heat. In addition to entering into comprehensive health collaboration agreements with more than 800 local governments nationwide, Otsuka signed Japan's first partnership agreement with the Ministry of the Environment in 2023 to promote heat illness prevention.

Otsuka also organizes the Heat Illness Prevention Ambassador® Program for local governments, schools, and companies (with special cooperation from the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency and endorsements from the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), and provides educational materials for teachers at elementary, junior high, and high schools--creating systems to widely disseminate accurate information

About Otsuka

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a total healthcare company that focuses on each individual's potential to enhance their well-being. Our medical-related business provides treatments and diagnostics for both physical and mental health. Our nutraceutical business supports daily health maintenance and improvement. Otsuka's unique products and services are based on scientific evidence, under the guidance of our corporate philosophy: Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide. For further information, please visit www.otsuka.co.jp/en/