Top > Corporate Social Responsibility > Society > Coexistence with Communities
Striving to be Indispensable in Every Community We Serve
Benesse is investing energy in “grassroots” activities that help bind the Company to local communities. The Company's business philosophy is based on the idea of helping people to improve their quality of life, which entails the development of lively, pleasant communities. The Company and its employees are therefore always looking for ways to make themselves indispensable in the communities where they work.
Interview
Business Activities Should All Have a Close Connection to the Community
Satoshi Yagi
Deputiy Director, Corporate Communications Division and Human Capital & General Affairs Division
In the Company's early years, when it was still known as Fukutake Publishing, employees used to get together with local high school teachers and discuss “how to increase the percentage of students graduating and going on to college.” This support for education was based on the idea that as young people from a particular area became educated, and begin to work in and contribute to their communities, the town would gradually become more prosperous. In that sense, the seeds of our “grassroots activities” in communities were planted long ago.
I generally work out of the Benesse head office, which is located in Okayama City. This is the town where Benesse was born, and the Company's relationship to the community is long and deeply rooted. The Company takes part in, and provides support to local sports organizations, festivals, and many other events and activities. During the local fireworks festival, which is a major event in Okayama, Benesse offers the head office roof and other company-owned properties to serve as viewing locations. Last year, 200 people from the local area were invited to view the event.
Benesse also offers company tours and participatory events to everyone from local students to adults. Members of the Okayama government, as well as schoolteachers, have been offered assistance to collect information and learn how to set up management structures. We always do our best to help out, in recognition of the fact that the people involved chose Benesse from among hundreds of possible companies.
Increasing the Range of Activities Which Have Lasting Benefits for Both Benesse and the Local Community
Benesse's efforts to develop ties to local communities are based on the idea that we should find out what people in the area are already interested in, and try to get involved. Perhaps one of the best examples is the Company's support for the small island of Naoshima, in Kagawa Prefecture. The island has a long history and rich cultural roots, as well as magnificent natural scenery. The people in the area have a real interest in art, and their participation in the art activities supported by Benesse have truly energized the aging population of the island. In 2010 Naoshima will take part in the “Setouchi International Art Festival 2010,” which will hopefully spread the vitality seen in Naoshima to an even wider area.
Benesse is considering ways to support the volunteer efforts of Company employees and trying to address the need for new ways to make a lasting impact on local communities. Naturally it would be possible to launch such efforts at any time, but Benesse is a company which understands that the best results are achieved when something is done thoroughly, on the basis of careful planning.
Rather than just contributing money to some activity, or sending someone to help out, Benesse prefers to get thoroughly involved in meaningful activities, which will leave a lasting impact on both the Company and the local community. This is the sort of activity we want to encourage-efforts which bring employees and local people together to preserve or promote some existing historical or cultural feature of the community. I believe that this approach will better contribute to improving the quality of life in a community, as well as providing lasting value for the Company.
Benesse Art Site Naoshima
Benesse House
Photo: Tadasu Yamamoto
Benesse Art Site Naoshima is a collective term for Benesse's art projects and the art-related activities of others on Naoshima Island, Kagawa Prefecture. Benesse's activities focus on creating works of modern art and architecture unparalleled elsewhere in the world, set against the vistas of the Seto Inland Sea within the natural beauty of Naoshima, and nurtured by a unique local culture.
Benesse Art Site Naoshima is intended to offer a venue for local residents and visitors alike to consider the meaning of Benesse's “live well”corporate philosophy, and as such it serves to communicate the Company's key messages to others. But that is not all: Benesse also uses its art-related activities to help revitalize regions suffering advancing depopulation and aging demographics. As a result of these efforts, in fiscal 2008, which marked the 20th anniversary of Benesse's work on Naoshima, the Company's activities gained significant public recognition as a successful community revitalization project.
The Oyako Mirai Caravan Reaches Out to Parents and Children
In 2008, Benesse commemorated the 20th anniversary of its Kodomo Challenge correspondence courses by conducting the “Oyako Mirai” project to consider how to make the most of a child's early years to help develop a strong future relationship between parent and child. As part of the project, from the spring of 2008 we held outdoor events for parents and children via the Oyako Mirai Caravan. For one year, Shimajiro and the “Shimajiro Van” traveled all over Japan, helping children to think about the importance of life and the environment by taking part in nature games and other activities. During the year, the Shimajiro Van traveled 17,970 km, drawing 3,641 event participants.
Shimajiro Van
An Oyako Mirai Caravan event.
Company Visits and Firsthand Work Experience
Benesse offers company visits and opportunities for firsthand work experience targeting a wide range of ages, from elementary school students to adults. The goals here are to give children the opportunity to see what companies are like and to get a glimpse of the working world, as well as to deepen understanding of Benesse and its operations among school officials and those with an interest in the Company. The activities offered are varied, encompassing everything from company visits as part of class excursions and integrated learning, to firsthand work experience lasting several days and forums conducted as part of corporate research and research announcements. Benesse's Tokyo headquarters hosted 41 visits, for a total of 342 visitors, in fiscal 2008. Such company visits will continue to be a vital part of efforts to enhance communication with local communities in fiscal 2009.
One-Day Work Experience at the Tokyo Head Office (Example: Junior High School Student)
Arrive at Benesse/Receive Company Briefing
Listen to a basic lecture about Benesse, including Company history, businesses, workforce size, etc.
Building Tour
Participate in building tour. Junior high school students, whose stereotypical image of an office setting is rows of desks, are surprised to find a library and relaxation spaces.
Lunch
Introduction to Shinkenzemi Junior High School Courses
Listen to a lecture on what this job involves and how the courses are made.
Work Experience
Experience working in an actual workplace by distributing internal mail and participating in a mock planning meeting. Interview peers about products.
Speeches About Experience and Debriefing
Finish
From Overseas
Invitation to North American Social Studies Teachers
During fiscal 2008, we hosted 10 high school social studies teachers, education professionals and other parties from North America. The person in charge in our Human Capital Department gave a presentation on Benesse's approach and initiatives regarding the management of a work-life balance as well as the employment of women. The visitors took great interest in Shinkenzemi, Tamahiyo and other products and services, asked many questions and exchanged views.
Tools for Teaching Hand-wash (Taiwan)
These hand-wash teaching cards are used in kindergartens, while pamphlets are taken home.
About eight years ago when there was an outbreak of E. coli O157 food poisoning in Taiwan, our Taipei Office received a request from Taiwanese health authorities who wanted our help with health and hygiene education using the popular tiger-cub character, Shimajiro. Answering this request, Benesse produced a video featuring Shimajiro, which was distributed free of charge to kindergartens and elementary schools in every region of the country. In this way, we supported children's health and hygiene education. These activities are ongoing and have been replaced by different media.
Benesse Star Dome
Benesse Star Dome
Located on the top floor of the 21-story Tokyo Head Office Building, the Benesse Star Dome has been welcoming visitors since 1994. The facility has video presentation programs on hand for everyone from small children and elementary school students to adults, and was visited by around 30,000 people during fiscal 2008. The Tokyo Head Office receives many different visitors on school excursions and company visits throughout any given year.
Participating in Regional Events
Benesse's Okayama Headquarters cosponsors several city events, including the Okayama Fireworks Festival and the Okayama Momotaro Summer Festival, in which employees continue to voluntarily take part.
The Tokyo Head Office, located in Tama New Town, Tokyo, also cosponsors a variety of events with government and neighborhood associations that revolve around the center, including flower planting in the spring, the summer festivals, and the Tama Center Illuminations year-end event.
Operating Sports Teams
The “Challenge! Oita National” sailing competition
Benesse is supporting amateur sports through its operation of the Benesse Sailing Team. With sights on winning a medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, the Benesse Sailing Team is taking part in tournaments in Japan and abroad, anchored by key sailors Noriko Okuma and Yuka Yoshisako. Both athletes achieved decisive wins in the Women's Sailing Spirit Class at the “Challenge! Oita National” 63rd Annual National Sports Festival held in Japan from October 3 to October 10, 2008.
The Shimajiro Fund
Benesse collects donations for a variety of causes through its Shimajiro Fund, which is affiliated with its Kodomo Challenge correspondence courses for pre-school children. Donations, which benefit the Japan Committee for UNICEF, support children worldwide who are facing challenges associated with war, natural disasters and other crises. The donation system is set up so that each phone call to a dedicated phone number results in a ¥100 donation.
