Hisamitsu Celebrates Salonpas® Day with Strategic Partnerships to Drive Future Growth

Every year on May 18, it's a celebration for something surprisingly universal: relief from everyday aches and pains. Known as Salonpas® Day, a global celebration that reflects the brand’s continued commitment to helping people move more comfortably.

In fact, the date carries special significance in Japan, where “5” is associated with kori (stiffness) and “18” with iyasu (to relieve), together expressing the phrase “Kori wo Iyasu,” or “relieving stiffness.” As Salonpas® celebrates 92 years since its launch in 1934, Salonpas® remain committed to evolving with their consumers by leveraging technology, e-commerce, and digital media to support our ambition of achieving double-digit growth in 2026.

In conjunction with Salonpas® Day, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc., is proud to announce that Salonpas® has been recognized by Euromonitor International as the world’s No. 1 OTC topical analgesic patch brand based on sales for the tenth consecutive year since 2016. Euromonitor International presented Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical with two official certificates, one recognizing Salonpas®’s achievement and one naming Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical as the holder of the worlds largest share in the corresponding marketing category for nine years running.

Following this decade-long milestone, Hisamitsu Malaysia is accelerating its growth strategy through digital transformation, e-commerce expansion, community engagement, and strategic partnerships designed to connect with a new generation of health-conscious and digitally empowered consumers.

As part of this strategic direction, Hisamitsu Malaysia also announced its first collaboration with PLAYA Racquet Club @ PARC Subang through the Salonpas® Day Pickle & Patch event. This marks the beginning of a broader initiative to partner with sports and wellness venues across Malaysia, bringing Salonpas® closer to active lifestyle communities and reinforcing its role as a trusted recovery companion.

Founded in 1847 in Japan, with headquarters in Tosu, Saga Prefecture and Tokyo, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc. is a global healthcare company specializing in transdermal patch technology. The company is present in more than 50 countries and is known for trusted brands such as Salonpas® and ByeBye-FEVER®.