Kao Corporation, Kao Customer Marketing Co., Ltd., Kanebo Cosmetics Inc., and Kanebo Cosmetics Sales Inc. are promoting the "Kao Group Million-Person Pink Ribbon Campaign" from October 1, 2007 to October 31, 2007. This campaign is one of Kao Group's social contributions towards supporting women's health. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the need for early detection, diagnosis, and medical treatment of breast cancer.

Through their 10,000 in-store Beauty Advisors (Kao) and Beauty Counselors (Kanebo), which is more than any other beauty care company in Japan, Kao's Sofina and est brands and Kanebo Cosmetics will distribute leaflets to promote to customers the importance of early breast cancer detection.

In Japan, the number of women who suffer from breast cancer is increasing every year. Between birth and reaching 89 years of age, a Japanese female statistically has a
one-in-twenty chance of getting the disease. It is particularly prevalent among young Japanese women in their 30s and 40s. The disease should be considered a problem not just for individual women but also for their partners and families.

Breast cancer can often be cured if it is detected in the early stages. Therefore, women should know how to perform self-examinations of their breasts, and awareness of this needs to be raised.

Furthermore, this campaign will be used as a chance to promote the importance of the early-detection of breast cancer to Kao Group employees. This will be done using leaflets and videotapes on the subject.

The campaign will be conducted in cooperation with the Japan Society of Breast Health, a non-profit organization established mainly by a group of medical doctors who are involved in breast cancer treatment.

* Pink Ribbon is the symbol of a campaign started in the 1980s in the USA to raise the awareness of the need to eradicate breast cancer by detecting the disease in its early stages. The campaign was started by people who had lost family members to breast cancer. The pink ribbon symbolizes their hope that such tragedies will not occur again by raising awareness of the need for early detection of the disease. The campaign has spread all over the world. In Japan, a number of companies and local governments have participated in the campaign and made efforts to reduce the number of women succumbing to breast cancer every year.

Outline of Million-Person Pink Ribbon Campaign

Leaflet for raising awareness of the need for the early-detection of breast cancer

Media inquiries should be directed to:

Corporate Communications Department
Kao Corporation
Tel:+81-3-3660-7043
Fax:+81-3-3660-7044