ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) and KCJ Group Inc. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku Tokyo; President & CEO Einosuke Sumitani, hereinafter “KCJ Group”) announced today that they will be hosting “Out of KidZania work experience with ITOCHU on its brand business” on August 11-12 (Monday and Tuesday). “Out of KidZania” is a program offering real-life work experience to children.

In this program about 30 children will learn about one of the typical ITOCHU business activities, brand business. From among many brands that ITOCHU has master license rights, this program will offer experience with the Syunsoku brand license business. The brand boasts great popularity centered on elementary school pupils.

The children will visit ITOCHU as members of the company and learn about the company and the brand business. After that they will go to the Syunsoku production and sales company Achilles Corporation (headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Mamoru Ito; Representative Director and President) and learn about marketing concepts and product planning.
The children will look at improving the Syunsoku brand image further, think about the product characteristics and consumer needs, and plan their own original license products, and make a presentation of their plans.
Also, as homework after the first day, the children will think out a design for socks. A few plans will be selected as the best and it is intended to put the chosen product on sale at KidZania Tokyo’s department pavilion.

Outline of the program “Out of KidZania with ITOCHU: Experience Brand Business Live”

This program goes beyond a general community visit and provides children with an opportunity to learn and experience a trading company’s business, in particular, the brand business where adding brand to a product adds value. The aim of the program is to have children acquire a wide range of knowledge on work and society, and to have them think for themselves.
ITOCHU is developing the KidZania pavilion and undertaking this project in line with its corporate philosophy “ Committed to the Global Good”, and will provide positive initiatives to support the development of youth as tomorrow’s leaders.

KidZania

KidZania originated in Mexico as a theme park to give children experience of work. It opened in Japan in 2006 as KidZania Tokyo and in 2009 KidZania Koshien opened. It has become very popular as a facility for enjoyable learning about the structure of society through direct experience. At present about 50 enterprises are providing pavilions and about 1,600,000 people a year visit the site.

Syunsoku

Achilles started selling Syunsoku shoes in 2003 and now more than 6 million shoes are sold each year. This is the number one junior sports shoe brand and has the overwhelming support of children. ITOCHU and Achilles Corporation have formed a general license business partnership for the sports brand Syunsoku. ITOCHU acts as the master licensee to develop the general license business.