Social Contribution and Regional Co-Creation
Social contribution activities
Based on our business philosophy “to work in harmony with nature and local communities,” we actively engage with our stakeholders and engage in ongoing community contribution activities, while promoting volitional and spontaneous volunteer activities and social participation by our employees through activities and opportunities for exchange that are accessible to all.
Social contribution activities policy
With regard to our policy for activities in relation to social contribution, firstly, among our initiatives as a business organization we conduct activities that focus on four pillars: “local communities,” “social welfare,” “development of youth,” and “environmental preservation.” As another initiative, we are also committed to support for and awareness of various social contribution activities and volunteer activities conducted by employees.
| (Unit: Million yen) | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Social Contribution Expenditure | 138.6 | 88.5 | 81.0 | 50.6 |
| Of which, donation amount | 13.8 | 8.9 | 19.4 | 5.7 |
In-house blood donation activity
Local communities
We cooperate with blood donation at each plant every year. In FY 2023, we held two blood donation campaigns, in summer and winter, during periods when blood is in short supply. (Blood donation: 339 people)
Additionally, since 2002, we have continued our bone-marrow donor registry activities, with a total of 98 employees registering as donors.
Extermination of coreopsis lanceolata as a biodiversity activity
Local communities and environmental preservation
In May 2024, we carried out activities to exterminate coreopsis lanceolata, which is an invasive alien species that may affect the ecosystem of Japan, three times in Oguchi Town and Konan City in collaboration with local governments, Toyota Boshoku Corporation, and Rinnai Corporation.
A total of 44 people from Tokai Rika participated, exterminating a total of 670 kg of the coreopsis lanceolata.
Co-Sponsorship for “Paralym Art World Cup 2023”
Social welfare
Since 2021, Tokai Rika has been a co-sponsor of the “Paralym Art World Cup,” a contest held by the Shougaisha Jiritsu Suishin Kikou Association to collect artwork from people with disabilities around the world. In January 2024, we presented the Tokai Rika Award to Aimi Mine, an artist from Aichi Prefecture and the author of the work “A Life Sowing Seeds of Happiness,” which was selected by our internal vote.
A Life Sowing Seeds of Happiness
Donation of Can Badges Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Toyokawa City
Local communities
With the help of our employees with disabilities, we handcrafted and donated original can badges commemorating the 80th anniversary of Toyokawa City, where our Otowa Plant is located.
Launch of Support Activities for School Children’s Clubs
Local Community and development of youth
Based on the comprehensive regional cooperation agreement between our company and the Oguchi Town, since FY 2023 we have held workshops as support activities for school children’s clubs in Oguchi during their summer and winter vacations.
This year’s workshop was held at Oguchikita Elementary School, and we plan to expand the number of elementary schools targeted in the next and subsequent years.
“Social Contribution (Contact) Activities” by Young Employees
Local communities
As part of the education on social contribution, young employees are invited to interact with users of facilities for people with disabilities and elderly people at a geriatric healthcare facility.
The program had been suspended since 2019 due to the COVID-19 crisis and other factors, but has resumed for the first time in 4 years.
Community Involvement in North America
Local communities
Based in Michigan, USA, our subsidiary TRMI partners with the Southern Michigan Food Bank and neighboring businesses to provide food and monetary donations for the Battle Creek area community. In 2024, we raised over $4,000 and provided approximately 23,000 meals.
Community Contribution Activities in South America
Community and social welfare
TRBR, our Brazilian subsidiary, donated used equipment to meet the needs of social welfare organizations and schools in the city of Santa Barbara do Oeste, where it is located.
We donated office supplies to an organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities and those with multiple disabilities return to community life. We also donated computers, monitors, and other computer-related equipment to schools serving the poorest neighborhoods and people in the city to support the education of their children in the future.
We will continue to contribute to the revitalization of the community through exchanges such as taking commemorative photos with the users of the support group and the children of the school.
Community Contribution Activities in Europe
Community and development of youth
TRB, our subsidiary in the U.K., helped prepare and run a mochi pounding event at a New Year’s celebration at a Japanese supplementary school in Manchester.
The purpose of the mochi pounding event was to introduce the students to traditional Japanese culture, as well as to promote food education and cooperation.
In addition to a local Englishman who made the pestle and mortar, many local Japanese pastry chefs, parents of the students, and alumni of the supplementary school collaborated in organizing the event.
Regional Contribution Activities in the ASEAN region
Community and social welfare
TRSI, our Indonesian subsidiary, invited the children and staff of an orphanage to enjoy a ceremony and meal together with its own employees.
During the ceremony, TRSI donated bags, rice, noodles, snacks, and money to the children and staff of the orphanage.
After the ceremony, food was served to the participants in the company cafeteria and at an outdoor booth, and it was a great time for everyone involved.
The donated items were all provided through employee contributions, and this activity has been ongoing since 2014.
Regional Co-Creation
By addressing concerns from the same perspective as the local community and revitalization efforts from different perspectives, we form a relationship of trust with the local community and accelerate efforts toward a sustainable future while building allies who share our aspirations both within and outside the community.
Working with Local Communities to Solve Community Issues at the Site of a New Plant
Tokai Rika Tohoku took the opportunity of constructing a new plant to begin working with the local community in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, to solve community issues.
The “Former Katano Residence,” a samurai residence registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan but not usually visited by citizens, was used as a stage for designing and producing a magazine for the future from the perspective of high school students, who are the future leaders of the town.
At the public unveiling, the high school students involved in the project were able to experience success and confidence in their ability to make a difference in their town, and visitors were able to experience a space unlike any they had ever seen before.
We will continue to work with the citizens, who are the main actors of the town, to create a town that people would want to visit and continue to live in.
