• Otsuka Pharmaceutical received the Best Communicator Award at the 2015 Hitosuzumi (Cool Break) Awards recognizing participants in this year's 'Heatstroke Prevention - Communication Project', a public/private i.nitiative organized by the Ministry of Environment.
• In 2015, Otsuka organized approximately 5,000 heat disorder awareness and prevention seminars, attended by approximately 500,000 people nationwide. An active partner in heat disorder prevention measures, Gyoda City in Saitama Prefecture was also honored with a Best Call-Out Award in the Hitosuzumi Idea Category.
• Since 1991, Otsuka has been partnering with the Japan Sports Association to research and to provide athletes, sports instructors and coaches with information on protecting against heat disorders. Today, these communication activities have been expanded to include the elderly and people who must work in high temperature environments.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, Japan; President: Tatsuo Higuchi) received the Best Communicator Award at the September 30, 2015 Hitosuzumi (Cool Break) Awards 2015 ceremony recognizing corporations engaged in meaningful heat disorder prevention initiatives. Otsuka received this award for two consecutive years, following the awarding in 2014. Based on proprietary research into the benefits of ion supply beverages, Otsuka has been providing athletes, sports instructors and coaches with information on the importance of electrolyte replenishment in preventing heat disorders in partnership with the Japan Sports Association since 1991. Subsequent heat disorder prevention initiatives include communicating the importance of hydration in the workplace, such as construction sites, factories and other high temperature environments, as well as providing information to elderly people, who account for the highest number of heat disorder patients transported by ambulance. In addition to organizing approximately 5,000 seminars attended by approximately 500,000 people in 2015, Otsuka also provided support for the summer Inter-High School Athletic Championships and partnered with local governments and organizations to produce educational posters, pamphlets and other materials on prevention of heat disorders. At the same Hitosuzumi Awards ceremony, Gyoda City in Saitama Prefecture, an active partner in heat disorder prevention measures, was also honored with a Best Call-Out Award in the Idea Category.

Summer 2015 was characterized by rising temperatures early in the season and Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported a total of 51,524 heat disorder patients transported by ambulance between June and August 2015. During the month of July in particular, a record number of people suffering from heat disorders required ambulance transportation.

In response to environmental changes such as global warming and the progressive aging of society, as well as to ensure the ability to engage in sports and recreation activities during hot weather, Otsuka Pharmaceutical will continue efforts to help the public understand the importance of hydration to prevent heat disorders 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