Updated on May 29, 2026 Interaction with Society
Since its founding in 1926, the Kuraray Group has held to the philosophy that the purpose of companies is not to merely pursue profits, but to contribute to society. As well as contributing to society through our products and services, we have also contributed to the local communities in the locations where our Japanese plants and overseas subsidiaries are based. We have also carried on contributions to culture and academia since our founding and contributed to welfare for people in need. In 2016, we established the Kuraray Foundation, a general incorporated foundation funded by Kuraray. It carries out continuous social contribution activities from an independent perspective regardless of changes in the economic environment.
Since the 2000s, the Kuraray Group has established overseas bases and carried out M&A, growing into a global company. This means that we must engage with society on a global scale to fulfill our responsibilities. Based on the Kuraray Group Policy for Social Contribution Activities, our bases in each country continues to carry out social contribution activities aligned to their local communities. Moving forward, the entire Kuraray Group will continue to work together to share Kuraray’s philosophy of social contribution with society and collaborate towards a sustainable world.
Kuraray Group Policy for Social Contribution Activities
To fulfill its responsibilities as a member of society, the Kuraray Group shall make vigorous approaches to philanthropic activities in accordance with the following policy.
Types of Activities
- Activities that lead to a resolution of social issue
- Activities rooted in local communities where Kuraray's establishments are based
- Activities emphasizing participation by employees on their own initiative
- Activities that are sustainable in the long term
Areas of Activities：
Priority areas: culture, science, environment, and social welfare
Together with local communities
The Kuraray Group is a chemical manufacturer with nine production bases in Japan and 43 bases overseas. We are grateful to every member of the local communities that support our growth. We will continue to cherish our local communities and work with them sincerely.
During the first half of 2023, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had limited opportunities to engage and interact with local residents. However, in 2024, we were able to resume activities at our production sites in Japan and overseas and even initiate new initiatives for social contribution. We are also engaged in activities that contribute to biodiversity conservation, such as forest conservation efforts, cleanup activities, and the protection of endangered species, in collaboration with local governments and other organizations.
| Areas of Activities | Examples of Activities |
|---|---|
| Culture |
|
| Science |
|
| Environment |
|
Social Welfare |
|
Please see below for the initiatives at each site.
- Culture
- Science
- Environment
- Social Welfare
- Initiative at oversea site (links)
Local Events
The Kuraray Group hosts events open to local residents and employees’ families to strengthen ties with the local community.
【Activities (Locations)】
・Yukata Festival (Osaka)
・Christmas Fantasy 2025 (Kurashiki)
・Cherry Blossom Viewing Party, On-site Cherry Blossom Viewing (Saijo)
・Cherry Blossom Viewing (Niigata)
・Minyo Nagashi of the Nakajo Taisai Festival (Traditional Folk Dance Parade) (Niigata)
・Autumn Festival (Kuraray Plastics Co., Ltd.)
・Family Day (EVAL Europe)
・Japan Festival (Kuraray America)
・Japanese Cooking Workshop (Kuraray South America)
・Fun Movie Night (Kuraray Asia Pasific)
Focus: Cherry Blossom Viewing Party
At the Saijo Plant, we host a Cherry Blossom Viewing Party for local residents each year during the peak blooming season. Approximately 100 cherry trees are planted across the Saijo Plant, many of which are quite old. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll while experiencing the arrival of spring and reflecting on the long history of our plant.
This event has been well received by local residents each year as an opportunity to connect with nature and promote physical and mental well-being.
Painting and Calligraphy Contests
We hold calligraphy and painting contests for elementary school students from neighboring communities. We display the works both at exhibitions and on our website so that they can be viewed by a wide audience.
【Activities (Locations)】
・Elementary School Student Painting and Calligraphy Contests (Okayama)
・Kuraray Elementary School Art and Calligraphy Contest (Kashima)
Community Culture and Traditions
Kuraray was founded in Kurashiki City, an area of Japan that is steeped in culture. Although our founder lived during the Meiji era, as Japan was just opening back up to the rest of the world, he collected Western paintings for local citizens. This led to the establishment of the Ohara Museum of Art, which is famous worldwide. Since its birth, Kuraray has valued culture. We support many cultural facilities and cultural activities, including the Ohara Museum of Art and the Ehime Folk Crafts Museum, and other cultural facilities associated with Kuraray, honoring researchers of Japanese culture at the Kuraray Foundation, restoring paintings, and training young artists.
【Activities (Locations)】
・Supporting Cultural Facilities and Activities of the Ohara Museum of Art and the Ehime Folk Crafts Museum (Kuraray Group)
・Supporting the National Institutes for the Humanities, restoring paintings, and training young artists (Kuraray Foundation)
・Supporting the Preservation of Traditional Crafts (Osaka)
As well as the above-mentioned initiatives, the Kuraray Group will continue to carry out social contribution activities in the regions where it has our sites around the world.
Chemistry Classes for Elementary Schoolchildren and Leaning Programs
The Kuraray Goup conducts the “Chemistry Classes for Boys and Girls” which is an educational program for elementary school students designed to help children discover the enjoyment of chemistry through hands-on experiments. The program is held at specialized classrooms within the Kuraray sites, as well as at local elementary schools and public facilities. Kuraray Group employee volunteers serve as instructors and assistants. Since 1992, the classes have been conducted every year at Kuraray plants in Japan. To date, the program has been held more than 300 times in total, and by 2025, cumulative participation exceeded 10,000 children. Similar study sessions have also been conducted overseas, where the Kuraray Group employees serve as instructors in collaboration with surrounding schools, as in Japan. Through these efforts, the initiative has expanded globally.
【Activities (Locations)】
・Fun Chemistry House (Kurashiki)
・Fun Chemistry Class (Okayama)
・Exciting Chemistry Class (Saijo)
・Wondrous Laboratory (Niigata)
・Higashimachi Terakoya (Kashima)
・Fun Chemistry Class, Plant Tour (Tsurumi)
・Science Workshop (Kuraray South America)
Sports Tournaments and Classes
Each Kuraray plant holds sports tournaments as part of its youth development efforts and opens its sports facilities to local residents to promote community sports, including its baseball fields, gymnasiums, and tennis courts. These activities will continue in the future.
【Activities (Locations)】
・Soccer Tournaments (Kurashiki, Kashima)
・Ball Game Tournaments (Kurashiki)
・Volleyball Classes (Okayama)
・Tennis Tounaments (Niigata)
・Ground Golf Tournaments (Tsurumi)
・Tarui Town Ekiden Relay Marathon (Kuraray Plastics)
Learning Opportunities
The Kuraray Group contributes to addressing social challenges not only through financial donations, but also by providing learning opportunities that only a chemical manufacturer can offer. By sharing our expertise and resources—particularly in future-oriented human resource development and the effective reuse of Kuraray Group products—we help foster learning and create lasting social value.
【Activities (Locations)】
・“Sending School Backpacks Across the Sea” Campaign (Tokyo Head Office)
・Donation of Industrial Equipment to Robeson Community College (Kuraray America)
・Career & Leadership Summit (Kuraray America)
Focus: “Sending School Backpacks Across the Sea” Campaign
"Sending School Backpacks Across the Sea” is an international contribution activity in which school backpacks used in elementary schools in Japan are sent to children in Afghanistan and other areas, who are deprived of education opportunities by war. The backpacks are donated every year together filled with stationery and letters. Up to now, these backpacks have been sent to Afghanistan, Mongolia, Nepal and Cambodia.
On the 22st anniversary of the campaign that was launched in 2004, 6,001 school backpacks donated in 2025 from all over Japan crossed the ocean and were delivered along with school supplies to children at elementary schools in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. So far, the total of 169,409 school backpacks have been sent as presents. Kuraray hopes to continue to deliver more school bags to Afghan children in the future.
As well as the above-mentioned initiatives, the Kuraray Group will continue to carry out social contribution activities in the regions where it has our sites around the world.
Community Cleanup Activities
At almost all Kuraray Group sites worldwide, our employees carry out cleanup activities in the area surrounding their workplaces. These initiatives extend beyond maintaining nearby areas and include rivers, coastlines, and walking trails, contributing to biodiversity conservation.
【Cleanup Activities】
Plants and R&D Base in Japan:
Kurashiki Plant, Kurashiki Research Center, Okayama Plant, Saijo Plant, Niigata Plant, Kashima Plant, Tsurumi Plant
Kuraray Group in Japan:
Kuraray Trading Co., Ltd.
Overseas Kuraray Group:
Kuraray Europe GmbH, EVAL Europe N.V., Kuraray America, Inc., MonoSol, LLC, Calgon Carbon Corporation, Kuraray Mexico
Environmental Awareness Activities
Through organizing and participating in environmental education and awareness-raising events, we aim to enhance environmental awareness and further develop our initiatives.
【Activities (Locations)】
・Aquaponics (Tsurumi)
・Sustainable September (Kuraray Europe)
・Participation in and support for Bike Around Bay (Kuraray America)
・Earth Day Project (Kuraray America)
Focus: Earth Day Project (Kuraray America)
The employees from Kuraray America’s Fayetteville Works site volunteered at Elizabethtown Middle School in North Carolina in celebration of Earth Day. Led by the Fayetteville Recycle Team, the group worked to enhance the school’s outdoor spaces through planting, landscaping, and creative campus art. Their efforts helped create a more welcoming environment for students and the surrounding community. The project highlights Kuraray’s commitment to sustainability, community engagement, and hands-on volunteerism.
Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration
The Kuraray Group contributes to biodiversity conservation through environmental preservation and protection activities for endangered species in the areas surrounding its sites.
【Activities (Locations)】
・"Kotori-no-Mori" (Bird Sanctuary) (Kurashiki)
・Release of juvenile ayu and eel (Okayama)
・Support for Kamisu Ciry's stork protection (Kashima)
・Urban green space maintenance activities (Kashima Plant)
・Deer Creek Trail Renovations (MonoSol)
・Earth Day 2025 (Calgon Carbon)
・Hollow Oak Volunteer Day (Calgon Carbon)
・Cleanup and reforestation in Xochimilco (Kuraray Mexico)
Focus: Xochimilco Cleaning and Reforestation (Kuraray Mexico)
As part of our social contribution activities, we conducted cleanup and reforestation efforts in Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its iconic canals and chinampas, a traditional agricultural system unique to Mexico, with the aim of preserving the local environment. We supported the cleaning and rehabilitation of the canals and collected 33 sacks of water hyacinth, totaling 386.40 kg. This amount is equivalent to approximately 552 days (about 1.5 years) of waste generated by a single person. The collected organic material will be reused as compost and applied to future planting activities. To help restore local biodiversity, we also planted 18 calla lilies. In addition, we visited the Axolotl Sanctuary to raise awareness of the conservation of the axolotl, an endangered species endemic to Mexico.
As well as the above-mentioned initiatives, the Kuraray Group will continue to carry out social contribution activities in the regions where it has our sites around the world.
Fureai Fund
Kuraray launched a matching gift program called the “Kuraray Fureai Fund” in July 1992. Under this fund, employee who support the initiative contribute the fractional amounts of their monthly salaries (less than 100 Japanese yen), and Kuraray matches these contributions with an equal amount. The funds collected are pooled as a foundation fund and used to support social welfare initiatives. We engage in community-based activities, such as donating nursing care supplies, books, and other items, mainly to welfare facilities, local governments and schools located near its sites. Kuraray will continue to utilize this fund to contribute to social welfare.
【Donations (Locations)】
・Support for single-parent families and donation of books (Tokyo Head Office, Tsukuba)
・Donations to social welfare corporations (Osaka)
・Donations of supplies to nursery schools and elementary schools (Kurashiki)
・Donations of supplies to nearby facilities and disaster relief donations to affected areas (Okayama)
・Donation of books and supplies to elementary schools and social welfare organizations (Saijo)
・Donation of books to elementary schools (Niigata, Kashima)
Charity & Donation
The Kuraray Group conducts fundraising and donation activities through other organizations and internal charity initiatives, in addition to the Fureai Fund.
| Location | Event Name | Donation Recipients |
|---|---|---|
| Kuraray Group | Supporting relief from major disasters | Support provided under the Kuraray Group’s large-scale disaster relief guidelines |
| Kuraray Foundation | Donations through Kuraray Foundation | |
| Kuraray Plastics | Autumn Festival | Supporting Social Welfare in Tarui Town: Presentation to the Mayor |
| Kuraray Europe | Golf Cup ― Cancer Aid Project | Schmetterling |
| Christmas Donations | Donations made to multiple organizations proposed by employees | |
| The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union of Germany | Donation to NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V.), | |
| EVAL Europe | Spaghettiparty & Easter Eggs | Support for "Kom op tegen Kanker Run" and Internal Teams Participating in Cancer Awareness Events |
| Kom op tegen Kanker Run (Stand Against Cancer) | Belgian Cancer Patient Support and Cancer Research Organization “Kom op tegen Kanker” | |
| KuraCare Donations | Details here: Focus | |
| Kuraray America | Festival of Trees | “United Way,” a nonprofit organization supporting health, education, and financial stability |
| Support for Nurses Week | Donation of examination lights and insulated coolers to school nurses in Robeson County | |
| Support for Falcon Children’s Home | Donation to a children’s welfare organization | |
| Calgon Carbon | Mary Brougher Memorial Golf Outing | Mary Brougher Mental Health Initiative (Promoting Mental Health Awareness and Social Participation of People with Disabilities) |
| United Way – Packing for Impact Event | Support Residents in Moon Township Lacking Access to Basic Necessities | |
| Holiday Giving Initiative | Gifts provided to residents of local assisted living and retirement facilities | |
| Stand Up To Cancer | Donation to support cancer research | |
| Angel Tree Project | Gifts donated to residents of the Apple Blossom Memory Care Facility | |
| Kuraray South America | Donation in partnership with the non-governmental organization Casa do Zezinho | |
| Kuraray India | Donation to support free kidney dialysis treatment | Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee |
| Donation to support free education for children from underprivileged communities | United Nations Women Association – Kindergarten | |
| Donation to support school meals and education for children from low-income backgrounds | Akshaya Patra Foundation | |
| Kuraray Korea | Support Children | Ulsan Nursery School |
Focus: KuraCare Donation Activities (EVAL Europe)
Every year, EVAL Europe organizes an internal charity event known as the “Okayama Marathon.” Through sports activities such as running, cycling, walking, and swimming, employees raise funds, which are then donated to charitable organizations. In 2025, a total of 500 euro was donated to organizations supporting Duchenne muscular dystrophy, day programs for people with physical and intellectual disabilities, a handball club for people with disabilities, a university foundation engaged in pancreatic cancer research, and an organization supporting bulldogs in need of protection.
Together with people with disabilities
Kuraray is committed to employing people with disabilities. From 1997, we established Kuraray workshops at Kuraray’s five plants in Japan, providing places for people with intellectual disabilities to work. In addition, the Kuraray Foundation supports the Ohara Memorial Institute for Science of Labour, a public interest incorporated foundation, to help promote the employment of people with disabilities in corporations. The institute conducts research using labor science methods on how to solve problems related to the employment of people with intellectual disabilities and their retention after employment, and provides research results to the public.
【Kuraray Workshops at Kuraray’s Plants】
・Kurashiki Plant
・Saijo Plant
・Okayama Plant
・Niigata Plant
・Kashima Plant
【Other】
・Wheelchair Road Race Volunteering (Tsurumi Plant)
Crime Prevention and Disaster Preparedness
Through disaster prevention drills, the Kuraray Group verifies procedures to facilitate effective communication among local authorities, communities, and businesses. We also engage in safety activities to help prevent traffic accidents as part of our commitment to supporting local communities.
【Activities (Locations)】
・Joint disaster prevention drill (Niigata)
・Community crime prevention, traffic safety, and fire prevention activities (Tsurumi)
・Traffic Safety Patrol (Kuraray Noritake Dental)
・Health and Safety Fair (Kuraray America)
Others
The Kuraray Group conducts disaster prevention drills to confirm procedures that facilitate smooth communication among local governments, communities, and companies. In addition, as part of its contributions to local communities, the Group carries out safety activities aimed at preventing traffic accidents.
【Activities (Locations)】
・Blood donation activities (Tsurumi)
・Social Day (Kuraray Europe)
・Pet Safe Project (Kuraray America)
・Baytown Animal Services & Adoption Center Volunteer (Kuraray America)
・Food Bank (Kuraray America)
・Kids’ Meal Juice Box Summer Challenge (Kuraray America)
・Stand Up 2 Cancer Campaign (Calgon Carbon)
・Participation in Yunnan Nujiang Prefecture Cooperation Project (Kuraray Shanghai)
As well as the above-mentioned initiatives, the Kuraray Group will continue to carry out social contribution activities in the regions where it has our sites around the world.
Further details on the Group initiatives can be found on the websites of each site. Interested readers are encouraged to visit them.
As well as the above-mentioned initiatives, the Kuraray Group will continue to carry out social contribution activities in the regions where it has our sites around the world.