People
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.
＜Activities in Each Community＞
| Site | Examples of Activities | |
|---|---|---|
| ▽Japan | Kurashiki, Saijo. Okayama, Niigata, Kashima, Tsurumi, Tsukuba, Osaka, Tokyo, Kuraray Trading, Kuraray Plastics, Kuraray Noritake Dental |
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| ▽Overseas | Kuraray Europe, Kuraray America, MonoSol, Calgon Carbon, Kuraray South America, Kuraray Colombia, Kuraray India, Kuraray Korea, Plantic Technologies |
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| Kuraray Foundation >Kuraray Foundation HP |
| |
Japan
In 2024, the Kuraray Cup Children’s Association Ball Game Tournament (softball and foot baseball) was held, filling the Kurashiki Plant ground with the cheers of children. The summer festival was also held in the same format as before the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an opportunity for employees and local residents to mingle. During the Christmas Fantasy event, we decorated two Himalayan cedars with 50,000 LED lights at the plant entrance. In addition to local residents, visitors from outside the prefecture also came to enjoy the spectacle, with approximately 5,000 people attending. We also continued to carry out volunteer activities, such as cleaning local parks, rivers, and Certified Children’s Kindergartens, as well as mowing lawns. In the Chemistry Classes for Boys and Girls program, the Fun Chemistry House, a course of chemistry classes that allowed schoolchildren at an elementary school near the plant to enjoy chemistry experiments. As a fundraising activity, we continued our donation matching program, the Kuraray Fureai Fund, through which we donate playground equipment to local elementary schools and children's gardens.
Furthermore, the “Kotori-no-Mori (little birds’ forest)” established within the Kurashiki Plant has received the highest rank (AAA) in the JHEP* certification, which evaluates initiatives contributing to the biodiversity conservation and restoration, conducted by Ecosystem Conservation Society-Japan (ECSJ). Kurashiki Plant is located in the Mizushima Coastal Industrial Zone, which was reclaimed during the Edo period, the " Kotori-no-Mori" has been maintained as green space since its establishment (believed to be between 1964 and 1966) despite renovations and reconstructions of production facilities within the plant. There are walking paths and information panels for the birds that fly to the site. As part of green space management, maintenance activities such as underbrush cutting on the east side of the site and pruning of trees overhanging the walkways are carried out and will continue in the future. This initiative has been highly evaluated for securing an environment that can function as a habitat for living organisms and a stopover for migratory birds in an industrial area with limited green space. We will continue to maintain the surrounding natural environment to become a part of the ecosystem network, aiming to create a green space that contributes to biodiversity conservation.
*JHEP (Japan Habitat Evaluation and Certification Program): The only certification system in Japan that can objectively and quantitatively evaluate, certify, and visualize contributions to biodiversity conservation, conducted by the Japan Ecosystem Conservation Society. Projects that achieve a "future 50-year natural value" exceeding the "evaluation criteria" through their implementation are certified as contributing to biodiversity enhancement or as having no impact on biodiversity. Certified projects are ranked in six levels (excluding future projection types : AAA, AA+, AA, A+, A, and B+)
The Saijo Plant emphasizes contributing to and coexisting with the local community, aiming to develop sustainability. The annual Cherry Blossom Viewing Party, held every spring, has become a well-known event in Saijo City, attracting visitors from both nearby and distant areas. For individuals who are unable to attend, we stream drone footage of the event on YouTube. We also engage with the local community through events such as the Exciting Chemistry Class, our program of chemistry classes for elementary school students in Saijo City, and the Summer Festival, which includes participation from employees, their families, and local stakeholders. In addition, our employees participate in social contribution activities such as the Plant Area Cleanup and the Kuraray Fureai Fund gift matching program. We also continue to support the Ehime Folk Art Museum in the cultural area of Saijo City.
The Okayama Plant focuses on educational support and environmental conservation activities. We call for submissions of paintings and works of calligraphy from nearby elementary schools and regularly hold painting and calligraphy contests at commercial facilities. We also continue to offer work experience opportunities for junior high school students and, through the Kuraray Fureai Fund, donate books to elementary schools.
In environmental conservation activities, as well as cleaning the Asahigawa riverbed and roads around our site, we took part in a cleanup of Lake Kojima. We also value interaction with the community. The Summer Festival, which was held at our facility open to the public, was a great success with many local residents participating. The Fureai Volleyball Class was also very popular, where we invited children from nearby sports youth clubs to the plant’s gymnasium and had professional players provide coaching. We also support local communities by donating part of the cost of rebuilding or renovating local community houses.
The Niigata Plant aims to contribute to the natural and living environment so that our plant can earn trust from the community. We expanded the scale of the annual spring Cherry Blossom Viewing Party in 2024 and held the Kuraray Cherry Blossom Festival to enhance our interactions with local residents. In September, about 70 employees participated in the Minyo Nagashi folk dance pre-festival event of the Nakajo Taisai Festival held in the local area. We danced the Nakajo Ondo and interacted with the local people. We also resumed the information exchange meetings with neighboring community associations, which had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and explained our latest business activities. In the fall, we held the 31st Junior High School Soft Tennis Tournament, which was an exciting event aimed at promoting academic and sports activities for local students. We encouraged participation not only from schools but also from local clubs, and about 120 junior high school students from 15 teams participated. Additionally, in October, we held the Chemistry Classes for Boys and Girls program called the Wondrous Laboratory at two nearby elementary schools, conveying the fun of chemistry. Furthermore, we continued our environmental conservation activities such as the MIRABAKESSO Forest Creating Activity and the Tainai Clean Team litter-picking activities, as well as community welfare activities through the Fureai Fundraising.
The Kashima Plant held the Chemistry Classes for Boys and Girls program, the Fun Chemistry Class for elementary schoolchildren, returning to the lesson format used before the COVID-19 pandemic. This allowed our employees to engage closely with the children, introducing them to the fun of chemistry. The Kashima Plant Friendship Volleyball Tournament was also held, reaching the milestone of the 51st tournament. About 120 local residents took part in what proved to be an exciting event. Through the Kuraray Fureai Fund, we continue donating books to local elementary schools. In recognition of our achievements through the program over the years, we received an award for good deeds from Kamisu City, where the Kashima Plant is located.
We also revived the Fureai Recreation event in 2024, which had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This event allows our employees to enjoy interacting with the users and staff of local facilities for people with disabilities.
Among our new initiatives in 2024, we became the main sponsor of the Kuraray Cup Citizens Soccer Tournament for local elementary school students. Approximately 300 students participated, and the total number of attendees, including their parents, was around 900. Moreover, starting in 2025, we plan to hold the Elementary School Student Painting and Calligraphy Contest.
As part of its efforts to conserve biodiversity, the Kashima Plant supports Kamisu City’s stork protection activities through donations. The stork is an endangered species and a special natural treasure of Japan. It has been confirmed that storks fly into Kamisu City, which has been conducting protection activities such as installing nesting towers to ensure safe nesting and hatching. The fourth artificial nesting tower was constructed, and a ceremony was held in January to unveil the tower and present a letter of appreciation for the donation. In addition to the construction costs of the towers, the donation was also used for the Gonoike Ryokuchi Park Sakura Mori (Cherry Blossom Protection) Project, which is dedicated to the maintenance of cherry trees. We will continue to promote initiatives that contribute to the local community, including the preservation of biodiversity.
With a slogan of protecting the richness of the sea and land and creating a city where we can continue living, the Tsurumi Plant newly began a biodiversity conservation initiative from 2023. In 2024, as a Chemical Class & Biodiversity Learning Event for employees and their families, we requested a cleanup of a nearby beach and a special lecture by associate professor Yamamoto of Okayama University of Science. As for community welfare activities, we held three blood donation campaigns at our business sites, in which a total of 84 people participated. In 2024, the Japanese Red Cross Society awarded us the Silver Medal of Merit as an organization that has been conducting blood donation activities for more than 15 years. As part of the Fureai Funding, we donated one-touch tents to a total of 11 certified childcare centers and small-scale childcare facilities in Bizen City. The prefectural road cleanups were held twice a year, in spring and fall, with around 80 employees participating each time as neighborhood cleanup activities.
In 2025, we will continue to engage in biodiversity conservation activities aligned with the SDGs goals. Our activities including learning events on the necessity of biodiversity preservation, the restoration of eelgrass, which is said to be the cradle of the sea, and the actual state of marine debris near the plant. We are also holding an open chemistry class in collaboration with the local tourism association, which has been held annually since 2019, to encourage children to become interested in chemistry by conducting experiments with their own hands and to let the local residents know about our businesses.
The Tsukuba Research Center sponsors vision-impaired futsal for partially sighted people. This initiative has allowed the center’s futsal club to expand its interactions with the local community through friendly matches and other events. In 2024, we invited students from Ibaraki Prefectural Namiki Secondary School, which promotes advanced science and mathematics education, to visit the Tsukuba Research Center and participate in a roundtable discussion. We will continue to deepen our collaboration with the local community and contribute to the development of future science and technology.
The Osaka Office makes use of its location in the largest office district in western Japan, helping to foster exchange and engagement among people working in the area. Among the events it sponsors are the Umeda Yukata Festival, which aims to bring workers together, and Umeda Meets Heart, an event for rediscovering all that is good about Umeda. It also takes part in events hosted by the company that owns the office building where it is based. The Osaka Plant also serves as a member of the council of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Osaka, helping to showcase outstanding technology in traditional crafts. Through the Kuraray Fureai Fund, we are working to contribute widely to the local community through donations to worthy causes in the Kansai region such as social welfare organizations.
Although, given its location in an office area, the Tokyo Head Office has limited direct contact with the local community, we do engage with other companies working in the same building. For example, we participate in tenant exchange events hosted by the building owner company and donate emergency stockpiles for disasters. Through the Fureai Funding, we donated books to elementary schools in Chuo-ku and Katsushika-ku. We also promote the “Sending School Backpacks Across the Sea” campaign, which has been ongoing for more than 20 years, manage the Kuraray Foundation, and provide support for disaster-stricken areas.
Kuraray Group companies
In 2024, Kuraray Trading received permission from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to launch a new road beautification activity called the Tokyo Fureai Road Program, which is a collaborative effort between the city, residents, and companies. In May 2024, before the rainy season, employees used their after-work hours to engage in cleaning activities while walking, promoting both health and cleanliness. To make the cleaning activities enjoyable, a team competition was introduced, where points were awarded based on the amount of trash collected and the number of steps walked. This initiative also provided an opportunity for employees to interact with each other across different departments.
Since 2016, Kuraray Plastics has been the sole sponsor of the Tarui Town Ekiden Relay Marathon. In 2024, the 58th edition of the event was blessed with warm weather and no wind. Our company fielded two teams, which performed admirably, finishing 7th and 11th out of 17 teams in the general category. The cheers of the townspeople and employees who came to support echoed along the roadside.
Kuraray Noritake Dental’s Miyoshi Plant has participated in traffic safety patrols to prevent traffic accidents as part of its contribution to the local community. The Miyoshi Plant is located in Aichi Prefecture, one of the areas with the highest number of traffic accident fatalities in Japan, and traffic on nearby highways is heavy both day and night, making traffic safety increasingly important. For this reason, once a month, companies with offices in Miyoshi City take turns standing at major intersections to watch over the safety of pedestrians and vehicles on their way to work or school. Miyoshi Plant employees also participate in this program to raise traffic safety awareness. We will continue to strengthen cooperation with local communities and contribute to the creation of a safe and secure city.
Overseas Affiliates
Kuraray Europe supports projects and initiatives that address social, cultural, biological conservation, and other issues. Employees who actively contribute to society take part in various donation and social activities. Their participation is key to the activities of the Kuraray Group.
In social activities, as in previous year, many employees worked on the renovation of schools and childcare facilities during the Malteser Social Day, which is a volunteer event organized by an NGO in cooperation with educational institutions. Troisdorf employees built Wendy houses, small houses for children to play inside, wooden horses, and Montessori teaching aids, educational toys that foster self-education skills, for local childcare facilities.
In employees’ donation activities, they contributed a total of EUR 20,000 to 22 organizations and institutions through Christmas Donations, where they recommend the organizations they would like to support.
Kuraray Europe in Spain donated food worth EUR 555 and also EUR 500 to the Red Cross to support the Valencia region, which was affected by severe flooding caused by a major storm at the end of October 2024.
Kuraray America is taking concrete actions to uphold its social responsibilities through initiatives focused on revitalizing local communities, advancing education, and fostering sustainability in the environment. To strengthen the adaptability of local communities to social challenges, Kuraray America collaborates with the food banks in Texas, North Carolina, Delaware, and other states, providing and supporting local food banks with groceries and meals. In addition, Kuraray America has participated in the Japan Festival Houston for over 10 years. This event promotes community strengthening, respect for diversity, cultural understanding and enhancing the bond between Japan and the U.S.
In terms of environmental efforts, Kuraray America emphasizes promoting biodiversity and sustainable activities. Since 2012, we have partnered with organizations such as the Galveston Bay Foundation in Texas, participating in the annual Trash Bash aimed at protecting natural resources and raising environmental awareness. Many of these initiatives are carried out through the Kuraray Foundation of America (KFA), established in 2020. KFA collaborates with Kuraray employees, engaging in volunteer activities, donations, and sponsorships to strengthen local communities.
MonoSol is engaged in various initiatives related to community and environment efforts. In volunteer activities, they prepared and distributed pantry packs filled with nutritious food to support the elderly and children.
We also actively participated in an environmental project, supporting the Shirley Heinze Land Trust, which is dedicated to protecting the natural environment. Additionally, we contributed to the community and the environment by supporting animal welfare associations, participating in holiday donation drives, and cleaning highways.
Calgon Carbon values its engagement with local communities and undertakes various initiatives. In 2024, we hosted an event at our Pennsylvania office, inviting approximately 50 children of employees. The attendees ranged from kindergarten to high school age, along with their parents. The Japanese Society of Pennsylvania (JASP) organized a variety of activities related to Japanese culture for the children. The children also enjoyed hands-on science experiments using activated carbon, a product of Calgon Carbon, and participated in an escape room challenge. In September, Calgon Carbon sponsored and participated in the Fall for Your Library event held at Celebrations in Imperial, Pennsylvania, in support of the Western Allegheny Community Library.
As part of breast cancer awareness activities in October, several Calgon Carbon employees wore pink to support breast cancer survivors and fighters. In addition, we donated to Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel, a local support group dedicated to empowering breast cancer survivors of all ages in the Pittsburgh area. To further spread awareness and support, breast cancer-themed cookies were mailed to all Calgon Carbon Corporation sites.
Since 2017, Kuraray South America has partnered with the Brazilian NGO Casa do Zezinho. The organization opens its doors to low-income children and young people, aiming to provide education and food, helping them overcome social and economic barriers and develop independent thinking skills to pursue their goals in life. In addition to donating to this organization, we also promote the sharing of Japanese culture by holding Japanese cooking and origami workshops.
In the Japanese Cooking Workshop, participants learn about the history and significance of bento in Japanese food and culture, and they get to experience cooking and preparing their own bento boxes. In the Origami Workshop, participants learn about the origins of origami and techniques used in NASA satellites, and they create various items such as frogs and flowers.
Kuraray Colombia works with and donates to the United Way, an NGO foundation, supporting the development of educational programs, primarily in unstable areas. One initiative is the Laboratorio Vivo (Live Laboratory), the first in the Caribbean dedicated to innovation in learning methods, encouraging the creation and experimentation of new educational ideas.
Starting in 2023, Kuraray India began donating to the United Nations Women’s Association Kindergarten to promote women’s social advancement and provide a place of learning for economically disadvantaged children. These donations are used for children’s stationery, books, and other school supplies for children from impoverished backgrounds. As part of the kindergarten’s activities, the Green Bazaar event was held in 2024, showcasing crafts made by the children.
Additionally, Kuraray India continues to donate to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara, an organization that provides free kidney dialysis to patients in need. Starting in 2024, Kuraray India also began donating to Akshaya Patra, an NGO named after the "inexhaustible vessel" from Hindu mythology. This organization delivers free meals to public schools attended by children from impoverished backgrounds.
As a local welfare support initiative, Kuraray Korea donates to Mool-Pu-Rae, a single mother facility established in 2006 in Ulsan, where our plant is located. Donations are also collected from supportive Kuraray Korea employees, and a donation ceremony is held. As a token of appreciation for the donations, Mool-Pu-Rae invites us to their Christmas event.
Plantic Technologies is in the industrial area of Altona, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Every month, employees clean not only their own site but also the surrounding areas and roads. To ensure the activities are safe and efficient, the company provides employees with protective gloves and tools, and collects the gathered trash.
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.
Working to overcome difficult times
Although each base normally carries out its own activities, the Kuraray Group, as a company headquartered in Japan -a country prone to natural disasters- provides humanitarian aid to regions affected by natural disasters and wars worldwide through donations to multiple NGOs. Within Japan, Kuraray Group has also provided reconstruction assistance following the Noto Peninsula earthquake and heavy rain disasters in 2024.
Furthermore, Kuraray has been carrying out its “Sending School Backpacks Across the Sea” campaign for many years in Japan. This initiative involves collecting used school backpacks, filling them with stationery and letters, and sending them to Afghan children. Recognizing the difficult situation faced by local children and mothers, the Kuraray Foundation is now providing support for specialized mother and child medical care through the NGO JOICFP.
Supporting relief from major disasters
Kuraray has a large-scale disaster support policy and provides assistance to areas that have been severely affected. Although the focus is on the Group’s base regions, as mentioned above, when a disaster is judged to be of global scale, we aim to select qualified targets for donations so that we can quickly support relief efforts. While Kuraray focuses on the initial response, the Kuraray Foundation, which operates with a longer-term perspective, responds to new needs that arise as efforts transition to the recovery phase.
A company steeped in culture
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.
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.
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 21st anniversary of the campaign that was launched in 2004, 6,863 school backpacks donated in 2024 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 163,408 school backpacks have been sent as presents. Kuraray hopes to continue to deliver more school bags to Afghan children in the future.
