TOKYO -- ANESSA, the No. 1 suncare brand in Asia*[1] from Shiseido, is proud to unveil the ANESSA Sunshine Project, a groundbreaking initiative to promote children’s holistic well-being by safely harnessing the power of the sun. The project will begin in Japan and eventually encompass 12 Asian countries/regions where ANESSA products are sold, namely, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan Thailand, and Vietnam. The goal is to directly reach over 300,000 children cumulatively, including related initiatives, by 2030.

*[1] Euromonitor, Beauty and Personal Care 2024 edition, retail value sales, 2023 data. Asia as per Euromonitor’s Asia Pacific definition.

Based on ANESSA’s “Free to Shine: let people shine infinitely under the sun” brand purpose, the project will include three main activities to help children build a foundation for lifelong well-being through healthy outdoor experiences under the sun:

· Participatory events for children
ANESSA will host special events to encourage children to enjoy more holistic well-being by playing outside spontaneously.

· UV education
ANESSA will continue providing opportunities to help schools, children and their parents learn about UV protection so that children can safely spend time in the sunshine for better health.

· Support for Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) patients
ANESSA will continue offering sunscreen products and financial support to patients suffering from XP, an incurable genetic disease that prevents exposure to UV rays.

In addition, a video on the health benefits of children playing outside is now available on Shiseido’s YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/TEJ3XblARQ8). The video features parents in urban areas of China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam talking about the limited outdoor play time of today’s children, and Professor Akira Maehashi, M.D., of the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, an expert on children’s wellness, talking about how playing outside helps children develop more fully.

ANESSA has been a suncare expert for over 30 years. According to Chiaki Tomita, Chief Brand Officer of Global Premium Brands at Shiseido: “Under ANESSA’s ‘Free to Shine: let people shine infinitely under the sun’ brand purpose, we began providing special support for Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) patients in 2004, and then from 2018 we initiated education about UV rays and the importance of sunscreen in collaboration with preschools and elementary schools in Japan. We look forward to expanding these efforts through the ANESSA Sunshine Project to encourage children to play outdoors and enjoy the many holistic benefits.”

ANESSA was created to provide UV protection that allows people to enjoy the benefits of sunshine, the ultimate source of life-giving energy. While the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 17 get at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day (at least 7 hours per week)*[2], the amount of time actually spent outdoors is declining in modern society. A survey*[3] conducted by ANESSA in urban areas of China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam found that less than 50% of children in these regions play outdoors at least 7 hours per week. According to Professor Akira Maehashi, M.D., playing outdoors promotes balanced physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual growth, strengthens the autonomic nervous system, and stimulates inspiration and spontaneity, all of which are essential for health throughout human life.

Going forward, the ANESSA Sunshine Project will address this growing need in modern society by helping children across Asia build a foundation for lifelong holistic well-being through nurturing experiences under the sun.

*[2] WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/336656)
*[3] ANESSA’s online survey about children's outdoor play, targeting parents in Shanghai, Tokyo, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City (100 respondents in each city) from February 15 to March 1, 2024