Rohto

Rohto is the principal consumer-facing brand associated with Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a Japanese health and beauty-care company headquartered in Osaka. The group traces its origins to a pharmacy established in 1899 and developed its early reputation through over-the-counter medicines and ophthalmic products. The Rohto name became particularly associated with eye drops, whose cooling sensation, distinctive packaging, and broad range of formulas helped make the brand recognizable in Japan and overseas. The company expanded from traditional pharmacy products into a wider portfolio covering eye care, dermatological and functional skincare, lip care, sunscreen, oral medicines, supplements, and selected medical and diagnostic businesses. Within the brand family, eye-care products remain the clearest expression of Rohto’s identity. Product lines marketed under the Rohto name in different countries include cooling and redness-relief drops, dry-eye treatments, maximum-strength formulas, and products aimed at screen-related or light-related eye discomfort. Formulations and product names vary by market because medicines and quasi-drugs are subject to local regulatory requirements. Rohto’s international development accelerated through partnerships, subsidiaries, licensing, and acquisitions. The group acquired The Mentholatum Company in 1988, giving it a major North American and international consumer-health platform and adding brands such as Mentholatum, OXY, Hada Labo, Sunplay, LipIce, Selsun, and Deep Heat to the wider corporate portfolio. These businesses are related to Rohto Pharmaceutical but are not all products of the Rohto master brand. The company has also expanded in Asia and developed a European ophthalmic presence through partnerships, including a 2024 arrangement with Austria’s Sigmapharm Group. Marketing for Rohto commonly emphasizes immediate sensory relief, visual comfort, active lifestyles, and the idea of returning consumers to everyday experiences. North American advertising has used memorable creative devices such as zombie imagery and emotional situations involving dry eyes, while newer campaigns have addressed digital-device exposure and the combined effect of sunlight and screen light. In India, the company used multi-city sampling and experiential promotion to introduce and strengthen its products. Rohto should therefore be understood as an international product brand within a broader public Japanese pharmaceutical and consumer-health group, rather than as a standalone German company. The supplied country value of Germany conflicts with the company’s documented Japanese headquarters and corporate identity, so the geographic classification is corrected to Japan. Rohto remains active, with sales and distribution spanning Japan and numerous overseas markets.

Rohto’s history is rooted in Rohto Pharmaceutical, which began in Osaka in 1899 as a pharmacy business. The company subsequently developed over-the-counter medicines and built a strong position in eye care. The launch and growth of Rohto-branded eye drops established the name as a recognizable consumer-health mark, with the brand’s cooling sensation becoming an important part of its market identity. Over time, Rohto Pharmaceutical broadened its activities beyond ophthalmic products. Its portfolio came to include dermatological medicines, functional cosmetics, lip care, sunscreen, oral medicines, supplements, and diagnostic-related businesses. This diversification allowed the company to address several everyday health and personal-care needs while retaining eye care as one of its most visible specializations. Internationalization became a major turning point. In 1975, Rohto obtained trademark rights connected with Mentholatum products, enabling the sale of products under that name. In June 1988, it acquired The Mentholatum Company, giving Rohto a substantial platform in North America and an international route to market. The wider group later developed and marketed brands including Hada Labo, OXY, Sunplay, LipIce, Selsun, and Deep Heat. These brands sit within the corporate portfolio and should not be treated as interchangeable with the Rohto master brand. The group also entered and expanded across Asian markets, including China and Vietnam, and established operations or distribution relationships in countries across Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. Rohto’s overseas communications have generally adapted the product proposition to local consumer-health needs, regulatory frameworks, and retail structures. Brand communication has evolved from conventional eye-drop demonstrations toward more differentiated cultural and lifestyle advertising. In the United States, campaigns for cooling and dry-eye products used situations such as zombie makeup, graduation, and watching a child’s soccer game to dramatize eye discomfort and recovery. A 2021 campaign, 'Get Every Drop Out of Life,' framed eye relief as part of self-expression and active living. In 2024, 'Fear No Light' used horror-film conventions to introduce a product positioned around protection from sunlight and screen light, while 'See the World Differently' presented a broader contemporary eye-care portfolio. Rohto Pharmaceutical continues to operate as a publicly listed Japanese company, with the Rohto brand active in Japan and international markets. Its current identity combines pharmaceutical heritage, mass-market consumer health, ophthalmic specialization, skincare capability, and an acquisition-led approach to geographic and category expansion. Because product registrations and brand architecture differ by country, the exact Rohto assortment is market-specific.

• 2024

  European ophthalmic partnership announced

  [2]Rohto Pharmaceuticalen.wikipedia.org

  Rohto Pharmaceutical partnered with Austria’s Sigmapharm Group to support ophthalmic products and European production and sales.

• 2021

  Get Every Drop Out of Life campaign

  [3]Get Every Drop Out of Life campaign announcementprnewswire.com

  Rohto Cooling Eye Drops launched a campaign connecting eye comfort with wellness, self-care, and pursuing everyday ambitions.

• 1988

  The Mentholatum Company acquired

  [2]Rohto Pharmaceuticalen.wikipedia.org

  Rohto Pharmaceutical acquired The Mentholatum Company, strengthening its international consumer-health presence.

• 1975

  Mentholatum trademark rights obtained

  [2]Rohto Pharmaceuticalen.wikipedia.org

  Rohto gained rights connected with the Mentholatum trademark, enabling the sale of Mentholatum-branded products.

• 1899

  Rohto Pharmaceutical founded in Osaka

  [1]Rohto Group corporate websiterohto.co.jp

  The corporate predecessor of today’s Rohto Pharmaceutical began as a pharmacy business in Osaka, establishing the foundation for the later consumer-health group.

Accessible, science-led consumer health and beauty care, with a distinctive focus on ophthalmic relief, cooling sensory experience, daily wellness, and practical self-care.

• Eye care

  Rohto Cooling Eye Drops

  A family of cooling eye drops marketed in several countries for issues such as redness, dryness, and irritation. The range is associated with Rohto’s characteristic cooling sensation, although formulas, indications, and packaging differ by market. United States reports also documented a major recall involving certain products because sterility could not be assured.

• Dry-eye treatment

  Rohto Dry-Aid

  A dry-eye line promoted around restoring or supporting the eye’s natural tear film. Advertising for Rohto Dry-Aid has used everyday moments, including a parent watching a child’s soccer game and graduation, to show how dryness and blurred vision can interfere with important experiences.

• Digital-eye-care product

  Rohto Digi-Eye

  An eye-care offering presented in Rohto’s contemporary advertising portfolio alongside products addressing dry eye, redness, and visual comfort. Its positioning reflects the company’s effort to connect ophthalmic self-care with prolonged screen use and digitally intensive lifestyles.

• Skincare and consumer health

  Rohto skincare and wellness portfolio

  Rohto Pharmaceutical’s broader portfolio includes functional skincare, dermatological products, lip care, sunscreen, oral medicines, supplements, and related health products. Individual brands such as Hada Labo and Rohto V5 belong to the wider corporate group, while their availability and legal brand ownership vary by market.

• United States eye-drop recall over sterility assurance

  A large recall of certain Rohto Cooling Eye Drops was reported after the manufacturer could not assure that the products were sterile. The FDA classified the action as Class II. The affected product scope and recall date should be verified against the relevant FDA notice before publication as a dated event.

  Source

Read more

• 2024Fear No Light

  United States

  Created for Rohto Dual Light Relief, the campaign used horror-film conventions rather than conventional eye-care imagery. Its premise treated sunlight and screen light as the threatening force and introduced drops positioned around both forms of light exposure.

  Outcome. The campaign ran across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube and was designed to reach Gen Z and millennial audiences.

  Source
• 2024See the World Differently

  United States

  A portfolio campaign presented Rohto Cool Redness Relief, Dry-Aid, Optic Glow, Max Strength, All-In-One, and Digi-Eye as products supporting different eye-care needs.

  Outcome. The campaign broadened Rohto’s advertising presentation beyond a single cooling or redness-relief proposition.

  Source
• 2021Get Every Drop Out of Life

  United States

  Rohto Cooling Eye Drops positioned eye relief as an enabler of self-care, self-expression, and active living. The campaign targeted consumers placing greater emphasis on wellness, including remote workers, gamers, influencers, and makeup users.

  Outcome. The campaign served as a broader lifestyle platform for the cooling eye-drop range.

  Source
• 2015Zombie Eyes

  United States

  A Rohto Cool Max television commercial used zombie makeup and horror imagery to dramatize tired or red eyes. The creative suggested that the product could bring eyes 'back to life' and was produced with advertising and special-effects collaborators.

  Outcome. The commercial was broadcast and documented by advertising-monitoring and local news sources.

  Source
• 2012Rohto Pharma India multi-city sampling campaign

  India

  Rohto Pharma India used a multi-city experiential sampling program in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bangalore. Activities in malls, multiplexes, residential communities, and colleges were designed to increase trial, visibility, and direct consumer engagement.

  Outcome. The campaign was reported as receiving a strong response in its first phase and was extended into a second phase.

  Source

• 2024

  Invest in European ophthalmic expansionStrategy

  Background

  Rohto Pharmaceutical sought to strengthen ophthalmic production, research, and commercialization in Europe.

  Action taken

  The company entered a partnership with Austria’s Sigmapharm Group and committed investment toward research, development, production, and sales.

  Aftermath

  The partnership was intended to expand Rohto’s European ophthalmic footprint; longer-term commercial results were not established in the supplied sources.

  Source

• 1988

  Acquire The Mentholatum CompanyM&A

  Background

  Rohto Pharmaceutical had already obtained rights associated with Mentholatum products and pursued a deeper international consumer-health presence.

  Action taken

  The company acquired The Mentholatum Company, adding an established North American and international platform to its group.

  Aftermath

  The transaction became a major foundation for Rohto’s global expansion and broader portfolio of consumer-health brands.

  Source

1. 1Rohto Group corporate websiterohto.co.jp
2. 2Rohto Pharmaceuticalen.wikipedia.org
3. 3Get Every Drop Out of Life campaign announcementprnewswire.com
4. 4Fear No Light campaign coveragemmm-online.com
5. 5See the World Differently commercial listingispot.tv
6. 6Rohto India sampling campaignarchive.adgully.com
7. 7Zombie Eyesispot.tv
8. 8United States eye-drop recall over sterility assuranceyahoo.com