ITOCHU Mission

The ITOCHU Group declares the spirit of “Sampo-yoshi” (Japanese for “good for all three sides”: good for the seller, good for the buyer, and good for society) to be our new corporate mission, based on the philosophy of our founder, Chubei Itoh I.

This spirit has been passed down from ITOCHU’s founding in 1858 to the present day, and we will continue to uphold it in the future.

“urite-yoshi” (“good for the seller”)

“kaite-yoshi” (“good for the buyer”)

“seken-yoshi” (“good for society”)

We seek not only to achieve profit but also to help address social issues, in line with the trust and expectations placed on us by our customers, shareholders, employees, and various other stakeholders. Through the business spirit of “Sampo-yoshi,” ITOCHU aims to have an ongoing and positive social impact and to contribute to a sustainable society for all.

*Historical Note: The concept of “Sampo-yoshi” traces to the merchants of Ohmi, or present-day Shiga Prefecture. They were permitted to do business in the regions they visited because they focused not only on “urite-yoshi” (“good for the seller”) and “kaite-yoshi” (“good for the buyer”), but also on contributing to the economy of these regions, or “seken-yoshi” (“good for society”), forming the roots of today’s sustainability. The phrase is said to originate from the personal motto of our founder, Chubei Itoh I: “Trade is a compassionate business. It is noble when it accords with the spirit of Buddha by profiting those who sell and those who buy and supplying the needs of society.”

As part of our efforts to increase understanding of Sampo-yoshi globally, we have created the following video and article in partnership with Bloomberg, available at the links below.

Article:The Japanese Secret to Business Longevity: Sampo-yoshi

I am One with Infinite Missions