ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Keita Ishii, President & COO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it will hold a “Kodomo Mannaka Action” called ITOCHU Kodomo Domannaka Week from August 21 (Mon) to 25 (Fri), 2023, as the first listed company to be appointed “Kodomo Mannaka Supporter” by the Children and Families Agency.

ITOCHU opened the ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO on the grounds of the Tokyo Head Office in April 2021 as a center for communicating and raising public awareness of various SDG initiatives. The studio currently welcomes about 100,000 visitors per year, following an expansion of the facilities, including ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO KIDS PARK, where pre-school and elementary-school children can learn about and get a feeling for SDGs through play, and ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO RESTAURANT: Hoshi no Kitchen (hereinafter “Hoshi no Kitchen”), which represents a first step toward “broadening sustainable culinary culture for the future.”

Now, ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO and the Tokyo Head Office are being used for the planning and management of ITOCHU's workplace after-school program. There is today growing demand for high-quality after-school programs, and in response ITOCHU is offering a program in the ITOCHU spirit that is designed to meet that need, not only to the children of ITOCHU employees but also to students of Aoyama Elementary School in Minato Ward as a way to contribute to the local community. ITOCHU also plans to actively advertise activities that it organizes during the same period, via social media and other means. We provide this workplace after-school program also during the long school break, a format that we will continuously evaluate.

- The following will be the main activities, aimed at elementary-school students in grades 1-4.

(1)They will experience ITOCHU's original workstyle reform “morning-focused working system.” The children come to the office early in the morning and choose what they want for breakfast from about 100 light food items, including bananas and yoghurt. For lunch, we offer a kid's meal from “Hoshi no Kitchen,” made with sustainable ingredients.

(2)With the help of Shiga Prefecture, ITOCHU's birthplace, we borrow English-language picture books and other items that we previously donated to Shiga Prefectural Library to create opportunities for the children to come in contact with foreign languages and culture, starting with English. We also give name cards made out of reed from Lake Biwa to the children as a gift, while also comprehensively deepening their understanding about the function of reed and the natural environment, for example with a Lake Biwa quiz.

(3)ITOCHU has been conducting “company blood giving” since 1999, teaching children about the preciousness of life by simulating blood giving. We also present our proof of concept for medical verification intended to implement blood derivate transportation using drones in society, which we released in May 2023, thereby deepening their understanding of our business.

(4)In collaboration with arts universities, ITOCHU also allows children to participate in creative classes where they can engage in various crafts with marine waste related to SDG themes and the theme of SDG #14 “life below water.”

Meanwhile, on August 23, ITOCHU also plans to hold an in-house exhibition of Femtech products named “Itochu Femtech Fes!?” which is part of the activity of the virtual office femtech team, The exhibition provides an opportunity for all employees, regardless of gender, to learn about the health challenges that women faces at different life stages as well as considering solutions. It is believed that the health of employees shall lead to children's happiness, while also contributing to SDG #3 “Good health and well-being.” and SDG #5 “Gender equality.”
　
ITOCHU will continue to consider its role in creating a better future together with children, while striving to realize a society where children can grow healthily and happily.