As one measure for promoting CSR, the Company holds CSR Workshops in each organization, where employees take part in discussions about important CSR themes.

In the CSR Workshops held in fiscal 2011, 10 themes were set with reference to CSR Report 2010. These themes included “the work of my department and CSR,” “supply chain management,” “social contribution activities,” “environmental measures,” and "ITOCHU's corporate image." The workshops were a forum to debate and exchange views on selected themes in each organization. 163 workshop reports were submitted, which were attended by a total of 2,238 people.

The most-selected theme was “the work of my department and CSR,” which was chosen by 63 departments. This was followed by “ITOCHU’s corporate image,” with 41 departments selecting this theme for discussion and debate. A large number of departments also selected multiple themes for discussion.

Employee questionnaires on the CSR Report every year together with workshops are expected to deepen individual employee understanding of CSR. Participants in the CSR Workshops expressed positive opinions about them, such as “this sort of opportunity was a meaningful use of department meeting time,” and “I was able to exchange opinions with colleagues about something we don't normally give much thought to during the course of our normal workday.” We will continue to hold these workshops and think about theme selection and other points for future workshops.