Hearing Distributor Japan Co., Ltd., operating under the trade name AudioNova Hearing Aid Specialty Store, will open “AudioNova Hearing Aid Specialty Store Gamo Yonchome” in Joto Ward, Osaka, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. A preview event where visitors can view the store and its equipment will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the day before the opening. According to the company’s trade area data based on the 2020 national census, approximately 79,000 older adults and approximately 93,000 working-age residents aged 45 to 64 live within a 2.5-kilometer radius of Gamo Yonchome Station. The new store aims to serve as a local hearing consultation hub where both older adults and working-age people can casually seek advice and try hearing-related services. Hearing concerns are not limited to older adults. JapanTrak 2025, a large-scale survey on hearing loss and hearing aids, reported that the share of people who are aware of “difficulty hearing” or possible hearing loss is 16.0% among those aged 65 to 74 and 33.6% among those aged 75 and older. Among working-age groups, the figure is 7.2% for ages 45 to 54 and 8.3% for ages 55 to 64, suggesting that the image of hearing aids as something only for older adults does not reflect reality. The company believes hearing changes can appear as everyday difficulties regardless of age, making it important for local communities to have a consultation point available from the stage when people first become concerned. The Gamo Yonchome store aims to meet two types of consultation needs. For older adults, it will offer casual consultations based on everyday concerns such as “the TV volume has become louder recently” or “conversation feels tiring.” For working-age people, the store will also handle concerns about hearing in specific situations such as meetings and phone calls, and will organize options such as checks, adjustments, and trial listening depending on each situation. The store will also provide oppor