Based on our basic activity guidelines on social contribution, "Environmental Conservation" and " Growth of Future Generations," we have been supporting mangrove planting in Uken Village. In 2023, we concluded an industry-academia-government collaboration agreement with Uken Village, Sophia University, and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. regarding environmental conservation and regional development in Uken Village, and ITOCHU is contributing through cooperation in tree planting and environmental education.

As this initiative, a mangrove planting and nature culture experience tour was conducted from December 12 (Thu) through 14 (Sat). Organized by Japan Airlines, Japan Airlines and ITOCHU employees participated in the tour. Participants experienced the nature and culture of Uken Village through the Amami rabbit night tour, mangrove planting, cultural exchange in Taken area, and sightseeing in the village.

We have produced a project introduction video and a tree-planting tour Vlog. Please take a look.

Chubu Branch, in support of the educational activities of NPO "eboard," which aims to "never let anyone give up learning, no matter who they are or under what circumstances," has conducted the activity to add furigana (phonetic guides) to subtitles of educational material videos, for the first time. “eboard” creates educational material videos with subtitles for each subject from elementary school to high school, and makes them available free of charge so that anyone can learn anywhere. In November, we received 30 videos and data and worked on correcting errors in automatic furigana during lunch breaks for three days. A total of 11 people participated in the project, which was completed and the data returned by the end of December. We will continue to cooperate in the creation of new videos in the future.

In December 2024, we placed a collection box for used notebooks in the Tokyo Head Office, in cooperation with the Notebook Recycling Project undertaken by third grade students at nearby Aoyama Elementary School. The project began when students studying the global environment realized that treating things with care helps protect the earth, and is being undertaken jointly with KOKUYO Co., Ltd.. This is the second year in a row we have cooperated with the project. At the Tokyo Head Office building, 114 notebooks were collected during the approximately 20-day installation period.

In early December, new works were put on display in the Gifted Art exhibition space on the first floor of the Tokyo Head Office. We hope that visitors will enjoy these wonderful, high-quality works.

＜New works＞
・”Mobile Ironman Series: Final the Passwords VS Nebiras Chaos”（Ryo Hirayama）
・”Monster War of Hakaio 1 ” (Ryo Hirayama)
・”Monster War of Hakaio 2 ” (Ryo Hirayama)
・”Monster War of Hakaio 3 ” (Ryo Hirayama)
・“Cherry Blossoms - The Road to Wasabi Field” (Akio Kakishita)
・“The Sea” (Eriko Kato)

●About the Gifted Art Exhibit
In accordance with our Basic Activity Guidelines on Social Contribution, ITOCHU Corporation began displaying art by people with special talents and abilities on the first floor of its Tokyo Head Office in March 2023 with the aim of supporting the social involvement of people with disabilities through art. The exhibit is supervised by the NPO Nijiiro no Kaze.

On Saturday, November 17, the Minato City Half Marathon 2024 was held in Minato City, Tokyo, with 10 employee volunteers from ITOCHU participating. The volunteers were in charge of providing water before the start of the race. It was perfect weather for the marathon, and volunteers were able to interact with many runners while providing support. ITOCHU will continue to promote activities in cooperation with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Minato Ward that contribute to the local community.

ITOCHU Corporation has been donating foreign-language picture books for children to the prefectural library in Shiga Prefecture, where ITOCHU was founded, since 2021. This project, which delivers picture books collected with the cooperation of ITOCHU's overseas offices around the world, contributes to the local community and supports the next generation in Shiga Prefecture, which has a large population of foreign residents.
In FYE2025, we delivered 508 picture books in 24 languages from 26 countries, bringing the total number of 1950 picture books in 39 languages from 49 countries.

On Friday, November 8, a vocational lecture was held at Aoyama Junior High School as part of the career education program for first-year students. In addition to ITOCHU Corporation, six companies and organizations based in Minato City participated in the program, presenting on their work activities and providing opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of careers and to think about their career choices.

ITOCHU Corporation received a letter of appreciation from Kayoko Kameda, Director of the Shiga Prefectural Lake Biwa Museum, in recognition of its contribution to the museum and its achievements.　ITOCHU has been undertaking a collaborative project with Shiga Prefecture and the museum since 2022 to conserve the endangered Ayumodoki fish, with the aim of preserving the environment in the area where ITOCHU was founded.
Please click here for details.

ITOCHU Europe has been supporting “The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association’” since 2022 and naming and supporting a puppy to become a potential guide dog through the “Name a Puppy” fundraising. The name of the puppy is chosen by the employees every year and following “MIRAI”　in 2022 and “SORA” in 2023, the puppy was named “YUME” this year. Training as a guide dog is conducted for 20 weeks from the age of one. We look forward to the day that the guide dogs we have supported become partners for those who need help.

In October, ITOCHU Corporation Istanbul Branch donated 300 saplings to TEMA: The Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats.

TEMA was founded in 1992 to protect soil, the source of our food and our habitats. Soil is also an important actor in the fight against the climate crisis, serving as the largest carbon sink after the oceans. Soil erosion is one of the biggest problems in Türkiye historically.

Due to climate change, summer season has been very dangerous period with regards to the risk of forest fires. ITOCHU Istanbul members donated 300 saplings in total to Çanakkale regions, which has faced major forest fires recently. Our aim in this project is to contribute to afforestation works for Çanakkale area. After our donation, we received a Certificate of Appreciation from TEMA Foundation.

In October 2024, a ceremony was held at ITOCHU's Tokyo Head Office to present the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon, in recognition of ITOCHU's contribution to the public interest by donating to the "WATA SHIGA Shining Country Sports/Disability Sports" to be held in Shiga Prefecture in 2025. ITOCHU will continue to contribute to society through a variety of activities.

In late September, new works were put on display in the Gifted Art exhibition space on the first floor of the Tokyo Head Office. Many pieces by Mineaki Ishihara and Kanta Fushimi are being exhibited. We hope that visitors will enjoy these wonderful, high-quality works.

●About the Gifted Art Exhibit
In accordance with our Basic Activity Guidelines on Social Contribution, ITOCHU Corporation began displaying art by people with special talents and abilities on the first floor of its Tokyo Head Office in March 2023 with the aim of supporting the social involvement of people with disabilities through art. The exhibit is supervised by the NPO Nijiiro no Kaze.

ITOCHU Corporation, Nippon Travel Agency Co., Ltd., Osaka ATC Green Eco Plaza and EMIELD Co., Ltd. jointly held the Expo Evangelist Program for students on school excursion to Osaka in preparation for EXPO 2025 OSAKA, KANSAI, JAPAN. This is a limited program until the end of the Expo period to deepen understanding of SDGs and nurture young people who will create the future as Expo evangelists. Including the first one on July 18 (Thu), we have held this event four times so far, and a total of 235 high school students from three schools have participated. On the day of the program, the high school students learned about ITOCHU's corporate mission of "Sampo-yoshi" and examples of SDGs initiatives by FamilyMart and Dole, both members of the ITOCHU Group, and then presented their ideas for solving social issues of their choice in the spirit of "Sampo-yoshi" in group work, which was reviewed by ITOCHU.

Tohoku Branch is participating in the Picture Book Delivery Project of Shanti Volunteer Association. In this activity, Participants attach stickers of local languages like Laos, Myanmar, and other countries to Japanese picture books, and deliver the books to children in Southeast Asia, where there is a shortage of picture books. Using our own free time, or holding a session during lunch break to create translated picture books, the nine branch members made 15 books with all their hearts, imagining the smiles of children who read the books. On the last page of the completed picture book, we wrote our name in the local language. We will continue this activity so that the children who read the picture books will have dreams and hopes.

On Friday, August 2, 2024, a work experience program for elementary school students "Let's experience the work of a trading company!” was held at the Osaka Head Office, with 9 fourth- to sixth-grade students participating. The program was a part of the Osaka Station City Kids Week, a work experience event held from August 1-25 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of JR Osaka Station. The participating elementary school students enjoyed an overview of the company, an initiation ceremony, exchange of business cards, an English meeting with ITOCHU Singapore Pte Ltd, a drone business experience, and a tour of the Expo 2025 Master License Office, deepening their interest in the various fields of work at a general trading company.

The Hiyoshi Dormitory, where approximately 220 mainly young employees live, is actively involved in community contribution activities. First, 11 employees cleaned the area around the dormitory early in the morning on June 30 (Sun.). On July 28 (Sun.), 13 employees participated in the Bon Odori Festival at Suwa Shrine in Minowa-chou, helping out at stalls and working as security guards.

This year marks the 31st Clean Ota River event, a simultaneous cleanup around Ota River, Hiroshima Prefecture's representative river. Cleanup area covers 38 rivers in Ota River system. 8,000 people from companies and local governments participated in the cleanup activities on Sunday, July 28, at various locations in the prefecture. Six employees from the Chugoku and Shikoku Branch cleaned up the riverside areas around the company early in the morning on their day off.

On Saturday, July 20, ITOCHU Corporation held an environmental study tour for employees and their children in Shiga Prefecture, where the company was founded. During this year's event, the second of its kind following last year's, participants spent the morning observing Lake Biwa by canoe, a popular activity from last year. In the afternoon, participants observed plankton in water collected from the lake and made LED sensor lamps with paper made from the yoshi reeds they observed from their canoes. After directly observing Lake Biwa and the yoshi reed clusters from canoe, the children were enthusiastic about the study session, which related to what they had just experienced. Participants deepened their understanding of ecosystem conservation and environmental preservation through the experience and learning at Lake Biwa.

*Yoshi reeds are reeds that grow in clusters around Lake Biwa and play a major role in environmental conservation, such as purifying the water, providing a habitat for flora and fauna, and preventing erosion on the shores of the lake. Shiga Prefecture is making major efforts to preserve yoshi.

ITOCHU Corporation welcomed junior high school students from Tokyo Metropolitan Aoyama Special Needs School for a workplace learning experience at its Tokyo Head Office on Tuesday, July 2. ITOCHU’s comprehensive workplace learning program is designed to motivate and prepare students for their transition into future employment and social independence. The students undertook tasks like cleaning and sterilizing desks in the conference rooms on the tenth floor. ITOCHU will continue to provide workplace learning experiences in the second half of 2024.

On Thursday, June 20, twenty third graders from Minato City’s Aoyama Elementary School took part in an out-of-classroom learning experience at our Tokyo Head Office. From the top floor, the students viewed their Minato City home from all directions and heard an explanation of the company by an ITOCHU employee. The students listened intently to stories about overseas assignments and engaged in a lively question and answer session. They also learned about the work of the staff who support ITOCHU in areas such as reception, security, the Palace Hotel, and cleaning, and observed them at work.

On Wednesday, June 5, a total of 16 employees from Chugoku and Shikoku Branch participated in "Zero Trash Clean Campaign" conducted by Hiroshima City. Participants could decide the date, time, and location of the cleanup, and we used our lunch break to collect trash around Peace Boulevard near the branch. Most of the trash collected was cigarette butts, reminding us once again of the importance of good manners.

On Tuesday, May 7, PT Bhimasena Power Indonesia ("BPI"), an operating company in which ITOCHU Corporation has a joint investment with Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-POWER) and PT Adaro Power to construct and operate a 2,000 MW power plant in Indonesia, received the CSR and Sustainable Village Development Award from Indonesia’s Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration for its CSR programs.

In a major accomplishment, BPI received multiple awards: its Community Literacy Access Improvement Program (school education support, etc.) and Women’s Entrepreneurship Empowerment Program (side job technical support, etc.) received Gold Awards, and its Marine Environment Conservation Program (artificial fish reef installation, etc.) received a Silver Award.

Since 2012, BPI has been implementing CSR programs in the areas of economic development and education; health; society, culture, and environment; and infrastructure, benefiting more than 150,000 local residents in total. BPI will continue these efforts to improve even more people’s lives going forward. Please visit BPI’s website for detailed information on its business and CSR programs.

On Sunday, May 12, WFP Walk the World 2024 was held in Yokohama Minatoｍirai. The event is a charity walk in which part of the participation fee is donated to the World Food Programme (WFP) school lunch program in developing countries. ITOCHU Corporation employees and their families, including CAO Kobayashi who serves as a board member of Japan Association for the WFP, and Food Company President Miyamoto who serves as an adviser, participated in the walk. We all walked famous places in Yokohama, hoping to eradicate hunger among children in developing countries. In addition to Yokohama, the charity walk was held in Osaka and Nagoya, with a total of 276 participants from ITOCHU Corporation.

In March 2024, ITOCHU Corporation received a letter of appreciation from Shiga Prefecture for its donation to "Picture the Future! Shiga's Overseas Study Scholarship Program". This program supports high school students in Shiga Prefecture who want to study abroad and aims to develop human resources that can contribute to social issues with a global and local perspective. ITOCHU Corporation supports this program based on the social contribution partnership agreement with Shiga Prefecture and will continue to contribute to the development of children who will lead the next generation.

In this one year, Doha Liaison Office has collected around total of 500 water bottles used in the office. We have sent all these bottles to a recycle unit. We also encourage staff and their family members to recycle and reduce the usage of water bottles and cans in office and their home.

Based on our basic activity guidelines on social contribution, "Environmental Conservation" and " Growth of Future Generations," we have been supporting mangrove planting in Uken Village. In September 2023, we concluded an industry-academia-government collaboration agreement with Uken Village, Sophia University, and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. regarding environmental conservation and regional development in Uken Village, and ITOCHU is contributing through cooperation in tree planting and environmental education. As the first step of this collaboration, an eco-study tour including mangrove planting was conducted from March 14 (Thu) through 17 (Sun). Organized by Japan Airlines, a total of 20 ITOCHU employees and their families and Sophia University students participated in the tour. Participants experienced the nature and culture of Uken Village through the transmission of the history of Amami Oshima Island and island songs, mangrove planting, an SDGs workshop by Sophia University professor (Dr. Akemi Ori, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies), and sightseeing in the village. We will continue to improve this tour and contribute to the promotion of afforestation and other activities.

Tuesday, March 5, 9 of ITOCHU Corporation Saudi Arabia Branch staff visit "Children's Specialized Hospital at King Fahad Medical City" in Riyadh and pass drawing tablets as gifts to encourage hospitalized children. We prepared more than 90 of gifts. Some of them, we enter each room and pass the gift one by one directly. As for the balance, hospital staff delivered all to children. All children were surprised but it looked quite happy. The parents also appreciated our activity.

On Tuesday, March 5, we participated in a vocational lecture for first-year students at Osaka City Temma Junior High School. At the request of Kita Ward, Osaka City, 12 companies from various industries gathered to explain to approximately 25 students per class what kind of work each company does. In ITOCHU's class, we used FamilyMart and other companies as examples to give the students an image of what we do as much as possible. Mr. Maeda, the mayor of Kita Ward, also came to the event and spoke about the importance of this for children to have dreams for the future and to challenge themselves to achieve their goals.

On Saturday, February 17, ITOCHU Baseball Class was held at Meiji Jingu Stadium. This class has been held since 2007 to encourage children with disabilities to enjoy playing baseball. 53 children were paired with volunteer employees from 18 ITOCHU Group companies. While interacting with the employees, children experienced throwing, hitting, and running with coaches from the Tokyo Yakult Swallows Baseball Academy. A total of 231 people, including the children's families, had a great time.

ITOCHU Corporation received a request from Suzu City to provide aerial drone photography in the areas affected by 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, and dispatched personnel together with ANA HOLDINGS INC. to provide support. The drone used this time was manufactured by Wingcopter GmbH of Germany. Due to traffic restrictions, it took about 5 hours to travel from Toyama City to the heavily damaged Suzu City, but we set up an operation room in a truck and had the aircraft in operation as soon as it arrived. With the understanding and cooperation of local residents, we were able to take a total of more than 2,000 photos that contributed to the understanding of the road conditions at the disaster site and provided them to the relevant authorities, including ISUT (“Information Support Team” for disaster).

ITOCHU Corporation donated 10 million yen to support the victims of 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake and their reconstruction. ITOCHU also set up a dedicated website to accept donations from individual employees. 5,379,000 yen was collected between January 9 and January 31, 2024. Both donations and employee contributions will be donated to Japan Platform (JPF), a non-profit organization, and will be used to support NGO activities in the affected areas through JPF.

On January 21, 45 volunteers from 13 group companies donned ITOCHU blue caps and cleaned up the area around Peace Memorial Park, near the branch. While cleaning up, we cheered for Ishikawa Prefecture Team, who was hit by 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Once a year, Chubu Branch staff clean up around our branch building as part of our beautification activities. On January 11, a total of 22 people were divided into 2 groups and collected garbage around the building. Thanks to the daily beautification activities by local residents, the amount of garbage around the building seems to be decreasing year by year.