We focus this month on Menicon, a leading global eyecare company based in Japan. We recently had the pleasure to hear from Dr. Hidenari Tanaka, Menicon’s CEO.

Dr. Tanaka, please tell us about your company in terms of its history and direction.

Menicon was founded by Kyoichi Tanaka, who began his career working at a prestigious optical shop in Nagoya, Japan, processing lenses and making frames for eyeglasses. At the time, he was only 15 years old; however, his work ethic and skills impressed his superiors so much that he was promoted to chief engineer only two years later. The interaction that later became the inspiration for Menicon’s conception occurred between Kyoichi and a customer, a U.S. commander’s wife, who had refused to show him her cherished contact lenses. From that moment, he set out to create his own contact lenses, and the foundation for Menicon was established.

Starting with the development of our first corneal contact lens in 1951, challenge, safety, end-user-first philosophy, and high-quality products remain the cornerstone of our growth and success. Our current objective is our VISION2030 slogan: we will continue to develop safe and high-quality products and are determined to undertake challenges in both health care and life care in addition to our vision care business. As we develop as a global company, we are implementing corporate activities directed toward social contributions and the global environment, as is expected from a human-, animal-, and environment-friendly company.

Tell us about any new developments in which Menicon is involved.

Our newest contact lens to join the Miru family is Miru 1day UpSide. This innovative lens is packaged with Smart Touch technology, which makes it possible to apply contact lenses without touching the inner lens surface. This promotes compliance and hygiene while balancing a unique combination of oxygen, water content, and an ultra-low modulus.

We’ve devoted our efforts to four important challenges—providing vision, protecting the health of the eye, fostering technology and cultivating human resources, and creating sustainable values. The core of our contact lens business is to bring everyone the joy of sight. In doing so, we are devoted to sustainable development for a better society.

Tell us your vision for the contact lens field in the short term (less than 5 years) and in the long term (20 years from now).

While myopia management has been a hot topic in recent years, the increase in myopia during the COVID-19 pandemic shines a new light on the severity of the global myopia pandemic. It is our responsibility as global leaders to come together to tackle the myopia pandemic. We hope that in 20 years, our collective technologies will have advanced enough to slow the progression of myopia so that we can prevent the potential for future vision loss. The eyecare industry has an ethical responsibility to continue to educate patients and their families on the importance of routine eye exams, the prevalence of myopia, preventative care, and options for myopia management.

In 2019, we launched the Menicon Bloom Myopia Control Management System (not available in the United States). It is our belief that the growing prevalence around the world of myopia and its progression requires a comprehensive and educated response, and we have identified this as a major initiative within our development programs. As a pioneer of contact lenses, we will expand our myopia control business based on our accumulated technology, products, and services, and we will contribute to society by continuing to support eyecare professionals in managing the fast-growing worldwide incidence of myopia. CLS