Social Contribution Topics 2020

December

Japan Association for the United Nations World Food Programme Supporter EXILE ÜSA Visits "Ryo Honda's Humorous SDGs Illustration Exhibition"

The United Nations the World Food Programme Supporter EXILE ÜSA viewed Ryo Honda’s Humorous SDGs Illustration Exhibition on December 10, 2020. This is an exhibition that was held by the Japan Association for the World Food Programme in ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE. He visited on the same day as the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony for the World Food Programme (WFP). Please click here (Japanese only) for the situation at that time. (*Please do not use or post these photographs on SNS without permission.)

The exhibition was held from October 1 to December 13. Many people visited.
Thank you to everyone who came to the event.
ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE website: http://www.itochu-artsquare.jp/en/index.html

Kizuna no Mori: Forest Craftsmen Exhibition Held in Meiji Jingu Gaien

The Kizuna no Mori: Forest Craftsmen Exhibition was held in Meiji Jingu Gaien from November 20 (Fri) to December 6 (Sun) as contribution to the community and earthquake recovery assistance. ITOCHU collaborates with Meiji Jingu Gaien at various events including a baseball class for people with disabilities every year. We participated in this event by showcasing Iwate Prefecture’s Rikuzentakata and Shiga Prefecture. This event was held at a time when opportunities to sell special products have decreased due to the COVID-19 crisis. Rikuzentakata sold its kelp and other special products while Shiga Prefecture distributed samples of tea from what is called the birthplace of Japanese tea Ohmi. Both were well received by and delighted the visitors.
The ITOCHU Group has been supporting the recovery of Rikuzentakata since directly after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Shiga Prefecture is the land where ITOCHU was founded. Furthermore, Aoyama Gaien is where you will find our Tokyo Headquarters building. We would like to continue valuing our connections with the community and working to contribute to society in the future.

November

Contribution to Society in the COVID-19 Crisis: ITOCHU Launches the Aoyama Takeout Map

ITOCHU has launched the Aoyama Takeout Map. This is a site to support restaurants in the Aoyama area where our Headquarters building is located. We have also linked up our site with Omochikaeri.com Takeout Food Support Service on which we provide our services. Therefore, you can order and pay online on the member store page. Please feel free to use this.

Reopening of Lake Biwa Museum: ITOCHU Holds Company Day until November 23 (Mon)

We are holding the ITOCHU Company Day from October 24 (Sat) to November 23 (Mon) at Lake Biwa Museum after its reopening in October. ITOCHU is sponsoring the 2020 reopening project of this museum as a reopening supporter to contribute to the community where we were founded. The Company Day is an exhibition to introduce the activities of companies sponsoring this museum. We are exhibiting materials related to ITOCHU (founded in Ohmi), Shiga Prefecture and Lake Biwa under the title of “Ohmi Merchants and Sampo yoshi (Good for the Buyer, Good for the Seller and Good for Society).” This museum is operated with a mission to deepen understanding of Lake Biwa’s nature, history and life and to build an even better relationship of coexistence between people and the lake. Please check out Lake Biwa Museum as it has further evolved with this reopening.

Website of Lake Biwa Museum: https://www.biwahaku.jp/english/

Chubei I carried goods to Osaka and Kishu via Lake Biwa by boat from a nearby waterway. (Lake Biwa served as the cornerstone of transportation. The medium round boats in the photograph below crossed the lake and carried goods from various places.)

Contribution to Society in the COVID-19 Crisis: ITOCHU Donates ITOCHU Foundation’s Multimedia DAISY and Tablets

ITOCHU donated used tablets installed with Multimedia DAISY handled by the ITOCHU Foundation to the Minato City Board of Education on November 13 (Fri). This is the second donation we have made following on from those we donated to special needs schools in June. We have now delivered Multimedia DAISY* to all elementary and junior high schools established by Minato with this donation. (All elementary and junior high schools established by Minato have special needs classrooms.)
The activities of the ITOCHU Foundation and the contribution of this tablet donation project were recognized at the 39th Disabled Person’s Week Commemorative Project held by Minato on November 11 (Wed). We received a public commendation from the Mayor of Minato.
We hope to give the joy of learning through Multimedia DAISY without leaving behind children who have reading difficulties even during the COVID-19 crisis.

*Multimedia DAISY is an e-book. Those who have difficulty reading due to disabilities can enjoy reading this e-book with their eyes and ears on PCs and tablets. It is possible to see pictures and photographs on the screen while listening to the text by audio.

 Please see here (Japanese only) for details of the ITOCHU Foundation.

(Left) Donation to Mikio Urata, Superintendent of Education for the Minato City Board of Education            
(Right) Public Commendation by the Mayor of Minato: Kobayashi, President of the ITOCHU Foundation, and Masaaki Takei, Mayor of Minato

ITOCHU Cooperates with the 3rd Festival of Gratitude for COCOSHIGA as a Company Connected to Shiga Prefecture

A festival of gratitude was held at COCOSHIGA to commemorate the third anniversary of its opening from October 29 (Thu) to November 5 (Thu). This is a base to showcase information on Shiga Prefecture setup in Nihonbashi as an antenna shop of the prefecture. ITOCHU exhibited a panel introducing our company and the Lake Biwa Museum we support as a company connected to Shiga Prefecture. Shiga Prefecture is the home of Itoh Chubei I – the founder of ITOCHU. It is also the point where Ohmi merchants originated. We will continue to deepen our ties with Shiga Prefecture in the future.

October

Keiko Takeshita, Goodwill Ambassador of the Japan Association for the World Food Programme, visited ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

On October 16, 2020, Ms. Keiko Takeshita, Goodwill Ambassador of the Japan Association for the World Food Programme "Ryo Honda's Humorous SDGs Illustration Exhibition", visited ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE. On October 9, we received the joyful news that the United Nations World Food Programme was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and on October 16, we welcomed our guests on the occasion of World Food Day.
Ryo Honda, a multi-creator who works as a planner and environmental cartoonist, illustrated the 17 goals of SDGs and their challenges. It was scheduled to be held from October 1 to 16th, but the award extended the session to December 13. This is a good opportunity to deepen our understanding of the hunger issues that the UN WFP aims to resolve, and the SDGs that are deeply involved in these issues. Click here for more information about the exhibition.

Donation of Tickets for KidZania Tokyo to Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital: For COVID-19 Healthcare Professionals

We donated 150 tickets for KidZania Tokyo with a feeling of gratitude and a recognition of services to doctors, nurses, technicians and other healthcare professionals who have been working hard every day to deal with the COVID-19 crisis at Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital and also their families on October 16 (Fri). This is a hospital that has been of great service to us in cooperating with our measures against COVID-19.

ITOCHU Holds ITOCHU Premium Night at KidZania Tokyo

We invited 550 employees and members of their families to the KidZania Tokyo on October 15 (Thu). This is an occupational and social experience facility for children where ITOCHU serves as the official sponsor. KidZania Tokyo is operating while taking measures against COVID-19. For example, it is taking the temperature of visitors before they enter the facility, it is disinfecting each pavilion experience and it is ensuring masks are being worn. The General Trading Company pavilion contains the desire for children who will lead the next generation to get closer to the world and to raise their interest in English. It is at this pavilion where children can experience the fun of connecting to the world globally through presentations to overseas customers. Please experience this for yourself when you visit KidZania Tokyo.

July

ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE Holds ITOCHU’s “Sampo Yoshi” Business Exhibition Until August 30 (Sun)

ITOCHU is holding an exhibition showcasing our business producing new value through the recycling of resources from July 1 (Wed) to August 30 (Sun) in the ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE.
We are working on business that contributes to sustainable resource use through the spirit of sampo yoshi (good for the buyer, good for the seller and good for society) as stated in our corporate philosophy since the time of our foundation. We are exhibiting business that contributes to sustainable resource use with actual articles and visual materials. These include the recycled polyester fiber RENU®, energy-from-waste (EfW) mechanism and grape seed oil produced in France that uses up all grape seeds left after winemaking. Please make sure to check it out.

 Exhibition website: http://www.itochu-artsquare.jp/en/2020/sampoyoshi.html

 *We are opening with measures against COVID-19 in place.
 *The opening situation may change depending on the situation in the future. Please make sure to check the latest information on the ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE website or Facebook prior to visiting.

June

Contribution to Society in the COVID-19 Crisis: ITOCHU Donates 40 of ITOCHU Foundation’s Multimedia DAISY

ITOCHU donated 40 used tablets installed with Multimedia DAISY handled by the ITOCHU Memorial Foundation to nine schools for children troubled by the COVID-19 crisis. These schools included special needs schools (e.g., Tokyo Metropolitan Komei Gakuen and Minato Aoyama Elementary School), special needs classes and classes in hospitals. Multimedia DAISY is an e-book. Those who have difficulty reading due to disabilities can enjoy reading this e-book with their eyes and ears on PCs and tablets. It is possible to see pictures and photographs on the screen while listening to the text by audio.
We donated used tablets to Tokyo Metropolitan Komei Gakuen on June 16 (Tue), Tokyo Metropolitan Shikamoto Gakuen on June 22 (Mon), Tokyo Metropolitan Aoyama Special Needs School on June 24 (Wed) and Minato Aoyama Elementary School on June 30 (Tue). We hope that children will not find their learning opportunities restricted even during the COVID-19 crisis. We also want them to spend time at school and home as meaningfully as possible through Multimedia DAISY.

 Please see here (Japanese only) for details on the ITOCHU Foundation.

・June 16 (Tue): Komei Gakuen

・June 22 (Mon): Shikamoto Gakuen             ・June 24 (Wed): Aoyama Special Needs School

                                 ・June 30 (Tue) Aoyama Elementary School

Contribution to Society in the COVID-19 Crisis: Kyushu Branch Holds a Blood Drive with the Participation of 77 People

Kyushu Branch held a blood drive on June 25 (Thu) with 77 people asking to participate and 60 people actually giving blood. The branch ventilated the venue, disinfected it and ensured distancing between attendees as measures against COVID-19. Employees from ITOCHU and 20 group companies helped with this event.
The ITOCHU Tokyo Headquarters, branches and offices have been holding blood drives to contribute to society in the COVID-19 crisis. We are doing this in response to social demand: the number of people giving blood has decreased significantly leading to a serious blood shortage due to COVID-19. We plan to continue holding blood drives while paying close attention to the situation in the future.

Contribution to Society in the COVID-19 Crisis: Tokyo Headquarters Holds Emergency Blood Drive

Our Tokyo Headquarters held an emergency blood drive on June 11 (Thu). We restricted entry to the venue, ventilated it and disinfected it. We held this emergency blood drive in response to social demand: the number of people giving blood has decreased significantly leading to a serious blood shortage due to COVID-19. Many employees helped out with 129 people asking to participate and 88 people actually donating blood.
We received words of gratitude from the Tokyo Red Cross Blood Center: “This event is truly a great help when we are suffering a serious shortage of blood. We would like to express our gratitude for the attitude toward CSR held by everyone at ITOCHU.” Our plan is for branches and offices to hold blood drives and for our Tokyo Headquarters to continue do the same while paying close attention to the situation in the future.

May

Green Turtle Conservation Activity on Chichijima in the Ogasawara Archipelago: ITOCHU Completes a Prefabricated House

ITOCHU has been supporting the conservation activities of endangered green turtles through Everlasting Nature (ELNA) since FYE2017. We do this to conserve biodiversity as part of environmental conservation – part of our Basic Activity Guidelines on Social Contribution.
The mobile home accommodation facility for volunteers visiting Chichijima as part of this activity has deteriorated due to aging. Therefore, we supported the construction of a new accommodation facility with improved living environment and convenience. This prefabricated house was completed in May of this year.
Currently, tourists continue to be asked to refrain from traveling to Chichijima. The island is also not accepting volunteers. Nevertheless, we hope that volunteers will stay at this prefabricated house when visiting the island in the future. We would also be delighted if this will lead to them working even harder on their volunteer activities than ever before. ITOCHU will continue to support the conservation of green turtles through ELNA.
 *Please see here (Japanese only) for the website of Everlasting Nature (ELNA).

January

ITOCHU Gives Vocational Talk at Aoyama Junior High School

Aoyama Junior High School near to our Tokyo Headquarters held a vocational talk as part of the career education for its first-graders on January 28 (Tue).
Eight companies headquartered in Minato participated to contribute to the community. Young employees directly gave advice on the meaning and purpose of working to the junior high school students in the ITOCHU booth. This included an introduction to the work of a trading company and the companies of ITOCHU. We will continue to promote activities in cooperation with schools in the neighborhood as activities leading to the development of the next generation in the future.

Chugoku & Shikoku Branch and Local Group Employees Volunteer at the Hiroshima Men’s Ekiden Relay Race

The 25th Emperor’s Cup Inter Prefectural Men’s Ekiden Hiroshima (Hiroshima Men’s Ekiden Relay Race) was held on January 19 (Sun). A total of 56 people from the Chugoku & Shikoku Branch and 14 group companies (including six children of branch employees) participated in support and cleaning volunteer activities.
We have now been doing this activity for several years. This branch served as a member of the organizing committee for the Hiroshima Corporate Social Contribution Study Group. Two people from the Management Office setup a tent in front of the NHK Hiroshima Broadcasting Station together with people from the other companies on the organizing committee. They distributed/lent cleaning tools and collected garbage.
The employees in our group again came together as one this year in blue hats emblazoned with the ITOCHU logo! After taking a group photograph, the volunteers started cleaning. Members of the general public who came to support the ekiden relay race also participated as cleaning volunteers. The tools we prepared were all put to use in a flash. A group of young tourists from South Korea also helped. This meant we could enjoy friendly interaction with them.
The race proved exciting with the local Hiroshima team temporary taking the lead in the fourth leg. However, they finished in 16th place in the end. This means that those hoping to see the Hiroshima team win the race for the first time since the first edition will have to wait until at least the next year.