ITOCHU Group Corporate Mission Sampo-yoshi:
Past, Present, and Future

Sampo-yoshi Today and in the Future

■ Sampo-yoshi as Reflected in Our Business Today

■ Towards the Future: Sampo-yoshi Globally

Sampo-yoshi Capitalism

Amidst the shift in social values from shareholder capitalism towards stakeholder capitalism, ITOCHU Group has embraced an approach to capitalism that serves all stakeholders, or Sampo-yoshi Capitalism, based on our longstanding practice of Sampo-yoshi. We seek to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through our core business.

Our “Operating System”: Sampo-yoshi

Sampo-yoshi could be called our “operating system” (OS), which was installed at the time of our founding in 1858. By exclusively installing and advancing policies, or “software applications,” that are compatible with this OS, ITOCHU Group has achieved sustainable growth as well as social impact. The spirit of Sampo-yoshi provides the basis for our signature initiatives, such as our Work-Style Reforms.

Global Interest

Sampo-yoshi is increasingly attracting global interest as a competitive strategy for corporations that increases organizational capacity and profitability, contributing to enhanced corporate value, sustainability, and longevity.

In 2024, ITOCHU’s initiatives grounded in Sampo-yoshi were selected as the subject for a Harvard Business School (HBS) case study, which was published as an official HBS case in 2025.

Key Points in Case Study

Over 160 years of trust-focused management, and growth in management indicators
Strong social trust through Sampo-yoshi, and high rankings in industry and global sustainability standards
Increased labor productivity through Work-style Reforms
Contribution to SDGs and solving social issues through core business

ITOCHU’s Sampo-yoshi-based model for enhancing labor productivity has also attracted attention in South Korea and China as a framework to help address major social issues such as declining birthrates and aging populations, which similarly affect Japan.

Sampo-yoshi Video for Global Audiences

As part of our efforts to increase understanding of Sampo-yoshi globally,
we have created an introductory video in partnership with Bloomberg.

Further Internationalization of Sampo-yoshi

In an era of economic globalization and business complexity, we anticipate that interest in Sampo-yoshi as a resilient value that addresses social issues and supports sustainable corporate growth will continue to expand. As the inheritors of our founder’s Sampo-yoshi spirit, we believe strongly in further sharing this value globally.