History

In 1950, 19-year old Kyoichi Tanaka was employed at Tamamizuya optical shop and first heard of contact lenses from the wife of a U.S. Army officer.

From this encounter, through his own research, he developed the first corneal contact lens in Japan in 1951.

A commemorative plaque has been erected at Tamamizuya (Nishiki, Naka-ku, Nagoya) to mark the birth of this medical device that has earned a place in the history of the twentieth century.

The Man Who Invented the Japanese Contact Lens

The Birth of Menicon Video

1950 - 1969 / Starting from zero

1951 Founder Kyoichi Tanaka develops the first practical corneal contact lenses in Japan.
1952 Nippon Contact Lens Research Institute founded.
1953 M.T. Contact Lens released (the first commercial product).
1957 Nippon Contact Lens Co., Ltd. the predecessor to Menicon founded.
1958 K.T. Contact Lens released.
1965 The company name changed to Toyo Contact Lens Co., Ltd.
1967 “Menicon” registered as a trademark.


1970 - 1989 / Soaring Creativity

1970 Menicon 8 released.
1973 Menicon Soft released.
1977 Menicon Europe S.A. established in France.
1979 Menicon O₂ and Menicon O₂ Care released.
1981 Progent released.
1982 Menicon Co., Ltd. established.
The manufacturing and sales arms are separated, and Toyo Contact Lens Co., Ltd. continues as a manufaturing company.
1984 Seki Plant established as main manufaturing site in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture.
1985 The first Japanese approval for manufaturing intraocular lenses obtained.
Cataract-related business launched.
1986 Menicon EX released.
1987 Toyo Contact Lens Co., Ltd. and Menicon Co., Ltd. integrated to become new Menicon Co., Ltd.
Menicon O₂ -32 released.
Menicon GmbH established in Germany.
1988 Menicon Soft MA released.

Menicon SAS (France)

Menicon Seki Factory

1990-1999 / The Quality Challenge

1991 Menicon Super EX released.
Sponsorship for Menicon Super Concert series starts.
1992 Menicon Soft 72 released.
Menicon Pharma SAS established in France.
1994 The Menicon Gallery Menio opens at the former Mainichi Building.
Menicon Soft S released.
Colored IOL (intraocular lenses) Menicon Single Piece NV released.
1995 New headquarter building completed.
Sponsorship for Menicon Cup (the East vs. West Game for Japan Club Youth <U-15> Football) starts.
A new Menicon R&D Centre established in Kasugai City, Aichi Prefecture.
1996 A fund for the Menicon Professorship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) established.
Menicon is certified to ISO9001, and received CE Mark certification, which certifies that products meet the safety requirements for export to EU member countries.
1997 Menicon Z released.
Meni-One Lens, Japan's first intraocular lens for dogs, released.
intraocular lens Meni Flex released.

Menicon R&D Center

2000-2009 / Innovation to the world

2000 Menifocal Z and Menifocal Soft S released.
Hidenari Tanaka appointed as President, and Kyoichi Tanaka appointed as Chairman.
2001 Menicon España S.L. (now Menicon Iberia S.L.) established in Spain.
Menicon America, Inc. established in the U.S.
MELS Plan flat-rate membership system launched.
2002 A new Menicon Techno Station completed in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture.
Month Wear and Menicon O2 CARE NEO released.
Therapeutic contact lens for animals Meni-One Therapeutic Contact Lens released.
Menicon Z Night released.
2003 Meni-One Co., Ltd. established as independent company.
Menicon Holdings Europe established in France.
2004 New PROTEOFF released.
2005 Epica Heat System,Menicon 1Day, Menicon O² Care Milpha Fresh, Month Wear Toric, and Epica Clear released.
Privacy Mark acquired.
2006 Epica Cold released.
Menicon Holdings B.V. (now Menicon B.V.) in the Netherlands acquired.
Foldable intraocular lens Avansee released.
2007 Menicon Tinu released.
2008 2WEEK Menicon PremiO and Menicon Selest released.
Rose K acquired.
2009 Epica Cold Aqua More, 2WEEK Menicon PremiO Toric, and 2WEEK Menicon DUO released.
Equity stakes in David Thomas Contact Lenses Ltd. (now Menicon Ltd.) in the United Kingdom acquired.

 

Menicon Techno Station

2010-2019 / Toward a Global Corporation

2010 Equity stakes in Tomey Co., Ltd. acquired.
Company name changed from Tomey to Menicon Nect.
Management structure changed to a committee-based comapny.
2011 2WEEK Menicon Bifocal and Magic released.
Menicon Holdings Europe renamed to Menicon SAS.
2012 Equity stakes in W.I. System Co., Ltd. acquired.
2WEEK Menicon Attention released.
Gallery Menio and HITOMI Hall open.
Antibacterial O² Care Milpha released.
2013 O² Care Amino Sora released.
The total number of MELS Plan members exceeds one million.
Menicon Contact Lens School opens.
Miru 1day Menicon Flat Pack released. 
The opera Ashita no Hitomi (Vision for Tomorrow): Mo Hitotsu no Mirai (An Alternative Future) premiered.
Equity stakes in Menicon Pty Ltd. acquired and Menicon Australia Pty Ltd. established in Australia.
Menicon Singapore Sales Pte. Ltd. established in Singapore.
2014 Menicon Korea Co., Ltd. established in Korea.
2WEEK Menicon Rei released.
Menicon Business Park established.
2015 Kakamigahara Plant established as a manufacturting plant for daily disposable contact lenses.
Menicon listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the First Section of the Nagoya Stock Exchange.
2WEEK Menicon Rei Toric released.
Equity stakes in Fuji Contact Co., Ltd. acquired.
2WEEK Menicon PremiO Bifocal released.
2016 Equity stakes in Alpha Corporation Co., Ltd. and AIP Co., Ltd. acquired.
Anti-smoking Promotion Business added to the Articles of Incorporation.
1DAY Menicon PremiO released. 
2017 Menicon Rose K keratoconus lens released.
The Smart Creation work style reform launched.
2018 Menicon Contact Lens Training Center opens at Yangon Eye Hospital in Myanmar.
1DAY Menicon PremiO Toric, Four Seasons, and 2WEEK Menicon PremiO Bifocal Toric released.
2019 The total number of MELS Plan members exceeds 1.3 million.
Miru 1day UpSide released.
Menicon Ortho-K orthokeratology lenses released.
The Menicon Group's sales chain shops unified under the Miru brand.
Menicon Bloom Night orthokeratology lenses acquire the CE Mark certification.
Menicon Bloom™ Myopia Control Management System released.
Equity stakes in SOLEKO S.p.A. in Italy acquired.
Fundus AI veterinary ophthalmic examination support services launched.
Four Seasons Bifocal released.
Menicon Z Night approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

2020-The Future / New Vision of Miru for the World

2020 Meni-One X, an intraocular lens for dogs, released.
Seki Plant certified as an Excellent Gifu Prefecture Work-Life Balance Promotion Company.
Magic Toric released.
Kakamigahara Plant expanded.
European Distribution Center expanded and relocated.
A business tie-up agreement concluded with China's Wenzhou Medical University.
Equity stakes in Wenzhou FocuSee Vision Care Technologies Co., Ltd. in China acquired.
1DAY Fruttie released in Japan and China.
Miru 1day UpSide multifocal released.
Equity stakes in Hamano Contact Co., Ltd. acquired.
ALPHA (WUXI) Co., Ltd. established in China.
2021 Equity stakes in Itabashi Trading Co., Ltd. acquired.
70th anniversary of the company's founding.
Meni-One China Co., Ltd. established.
New &D service launched to support the life of dogs.
ClickMiru online contact lens ordering system launched.
2022 1DAY Menicon PremiO Multifocal released.
Miru Online Consultation Service introduced.
XC and XC Bifocal released.
New &HAUS facility opened for dogs requiring lifelong or temporary care.
Menicon Z Night orthokeratology lenses approved as a medical device in China.
2023

2WEEK Menicon Rei Multifocal released.
Shifted to a new management system with two representative executive officers.
Menicon Theater Aoi Building opened.
Miru 3C PLAN flat-rate service launched.
epica Smart clean released.
1MONTH Menicon MelsME and 1MONTH Menicon MelsME toric released.

2024

Menicon × Tohoku University Co-creation Research Center for Miru Mirai established.
Founder Kyoichi Tanaka passed away on March 10.
Equity stakes in SA Laboratoires Dencott in France acquired.
Menicon SC GmbH in Germany established.
Global Logistics Center established.
Shares and ownership of three distributors in Southeast Asia of Oculus Pte Ltd aquired.

 

(As of May 2024 )

Menicon Co., Ltd.

21-19, Aoi 3, Naka-ku, Nagoya 460-0006 Japan

Tel +81-(0)52-935-1515

overseas-contact@menicon.co.jp

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