Santen Little Forest Project

Santen strives to contribute to a sustainable global environment and ensure the clear vision of a beautiful world for all. To this end, we engage in global environmental conservation initiatives that combine efforts to preserve biodiversity, achieve a carbon-free society, and create a recycling-oriented society.

We invited Dr. Shin-ichi Meguro, Senior Researcher at the Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, to discuss natural capital and forest conservation in March 2024. The dialogue centered on what we can do specifically through our business activities to address biodiversity conservation. We began taking measures within our power based on the advice we received through this discussion. Santen decided to create a small forest on the grounds of the Nara R&D Center, under the guidance of Dr. Meguro, as a way to restore nature at the facility together with our employees.

Participating in the reforestation were 14 groups and 29 people total, including in-house applicants and their families.

Participation was not limited to a specific department, and volunteers came from all over Japan. Dr. Meguro explained the importance of planting forests and shared the best methods for doing so. Afterward, all participants planted trees.

Large trees like the ones found in folktales previously existed all over the world.

Unfortunately, such trees do not exist now. Forests have been destroyed throughout human history to cut down trees for farmland and other various land use purposes. While Japan has promoted afforestation, cedar and cypress trees are not originally native to the area. These trees exhibit low biodiversity, are vulnerable to natural disasters, including heavy rains and earthquakes, and pose potential risks to human life through falling or collapsing.

Cedar and cypress trees also overcrowd forests and cause pollen allergies. Natural forests (i.e., more authentic forests) are extremely strong and have the ability to retain water, stopping landslides and other disasters. Natural disasters linked to climate change have been occurring worldwide in recent years. One contributing factor to the increasing damage is thought to be the loss of these natural forests.

As an eye-drop manufacturer, Santen relies on water as a natural capital of utmost importance, essential for ensuring a stable product supply.

We depend on strong and supple forests that foster interactions between diverse organisms. Given this dependence, we view forest conservation efforts to be critical to secure abundant water resources.

Santen decided to plant trees consisting of potential natural vegetation* species to cultivate a natural forest. We began by surveying the forest surrounding a shrine near the Nara R&D Center. Many shrines across Japan are surrounded by sacred groves, where natural forests have often been preserved since ancient times, avoiding deforestation. Forests are more than just collections of trees; they require a mix of small, medium, and large trees, along with a wide variety of species. No single species is more superior than another. A diverse mix of trees forms a cohesive ecosystem and stronger forests. Trees and humans are similar that we cannot survive alone. Santen decided to plant 285 saplings of 15 different species based on the results of our survey.

Our planting method involves a random mix of species, with trees planted at a higher density compared to cedar plantations. The key is to not overthink and plant freely.

Being overly hand-on is not ideal when planting trees, much like raising children.

Both children and adults worked with the soil and planted saplings enthusiastically. Creating a natural forest at the Nara R&D Center is the first step in our biodiversity and forest conservation efforts. Employees and their families worked together and enjoyed reforestation, strengthening their commitment to the global environment and the company.

We named the forest “Santen Eye Forest / Nara Research and Development Center”. Santen is dedicated to maintaining and improving eye health, striving to achieve Happiness with Vision. The name Santen Eye incorporates the meanings of Ai ('love' in Japanese) and eyes, both important to our company. Together at Santen, we seek to grow together with this forest.