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 Birth of Menicon Video
1950 - 1969 / Starting from zero
1951 | Founder Kyoichi Tanaka develops the first practical corneal contact lenses in Japan. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
2024 |
Menicon × Tohoku University Co-creation Research Center for Miru Mirai established. |