Basic Concept
The Nisshinbo Group views diversity as a source of innovation and strives to enhance corporate value by leveraging its strengths in diversity of people and diversity of values. The Group promotes reforms in the way everyone works so that the Nisshinbo Group can respect diversity and utilize the individuality and abilities of each employee to improve productivity, make work rewarding, and enable employees to continue to play an active role, which will in turn lead to a strong competitive edge.
Promotion System
Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. reorganized its organizational structure in April 2025 to establish a Managing Officer system for each functional division with the aim of building and overseeing a structure that would lead to urgent change. Talent & D&I Development Department has been established with three groups (Human Resources Development Group, Diversity & Inclusion Promotion Group, and Human Resources and General Affairs Group) under its jurisdiction. In addition to monthly Human Resources Responsibility Officer (HRO) meetings, the company convenes two annual meetings bringing together human resources personnel from all group companies nationwide (Group Human Resources Policy Meeting and Group Human Resources Strategy Meeting) to discuss cross-functional human resources policies and challenges.
The president of the Nisshinbo Group, who is the chief executive officer of the Group, conducts management reviews at the Board of Directors or the annual Board of Management* and receives progress reports from the Managing Officers in charge of the Talent & D&I Development Department with regard to the group's initiatives. Based on these reports, the president issues instructions on the matters necessary for management. Special items are reported to the Board of Directors as appropriate.
* The Board of Management: The committee is composed of Managing Director and Managing Officer. Outside Director and Audit & Supervisory Board Member also participate as observers.
Please refer to "Promotion System for Sustainability Activity" for details regarding the organizational structure for promoting sustainability.
Specific Initiatives of the Nisshinbo Group
6th Sustainability Promotion Plan (to be achieved by FY2027)
Rate of male employees taking childcare leave, 100% of eligible male employees.
In the 6th Sustainability Promotion Plan, which targets FY2027, the Nisshinbo Group focuses on promoting diversity as a priority activity. To achieve the goal of creating a comfortable workplace environment for employees, Nisshinbo is promoting the creation of a more comfortable and rewarding work environment with the above goals.
The Nisshinbo Group uses its internal portal to publicize the various policies related to paternity leave, and the portal features interviews with men who have experience raising children while working for Nisshinbo. Additionally, the Group provides individual guidance on paternity leave and company policies to male employees expecting a child, working to foster a corporate culture where taking paternity leave is easy regardless of gender. In FY2025, Nisshinbo Holdings, Inc., achieved a 100% paternity leave uptake rate among male employees.
The Nisshinbo Group will continue to work as a group to promote awareness of the relevant policies within the company and foster understanding among supervisors and colleagues with the goal of maintaining a 100% participation rate.
Please refer to "Sustainability Promotion Plan and KPIs" for details regarding of the "Sustainability Promotion Plan."
Promoting Diverse Work Styles
Various systems for working styles suited to different stages of life
Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. has established various systems to enable employees with diverse backgrounds to work productively and energetically, we also have a teleworking system, staggered work hours, flextime system, and hourly paid annual leave.
In addition, the following systems are in place to support work styles suited to different life stages.
Promoting Male Employees to Take Childcare Leave
The Nisshinbo Group is working to foster a corporate culture that makes it easier for all employees, regardless of gender, to take parental leave. This includes conducting interviews with male employees who have taken parental leave and publishing their experiences, as well as providing individual guidance on parental leave and other company policies to male employees expecting a child.
In accordance with the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children, Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. formulated the General Business Owner Action Plan to create an environment in which employees can exercise their abilities and continue working while maintaining a good balance between work and private life and thus created an environment that facilitates male employees taking childcare leave.
Please refer to "Commitment to Initiatives" for details regarding of Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children-General Action Plan.
Assisting Workers in Balancing Work and Nursing Care
The Nisshinbo Group is focusing on supporting work-life balance for caregivers. In December 2024, the Nisshinbo Group sponsored a D&I seminar titled "Balancing Work and Caregiving," which was attended by approximately 4,000 participants, including those who viewed the recording through June 2025. The objectives of this seminar were (1) to encourage managers to consider balancing work and caregiving, a critical issue in modern society, from the perspective of diverse talent management and (2) to ensure that all employees understand the key points regarding balancing work and caregiving. To achieve these goals, attendance was mandatory for all managers at all domestic group companies, and the recorded seminar was distributed to all employees across the entire domestic group.
In the survey, more than 90% of respondents reported that they had gained new insights and knowledge and believed that they could apply what they learned to future work and their caregiving responsibilities. We also found that approximately 80% of participants indicated they might be providing care within the next five years. Consequently, the Nisshinbo Group will continue its efforts to provide information and improve working conditions to prevent employees from leaving their jobs because of caregiving responsibilities. Through such awareness-raising activities and the development of various support systems, Nisshinbo will continue to support employees in balancing work and caregiving responsibilities.
Nisshinbo aims to create an organization where diverse talents can fully utilize their skills and abilities and thrive. To achieve this, the Company will remove barriers one by one and work to create an environment where everyone can work comfortably. Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. and other group companies are promoting initiatives to support the balancing of work and nursing care.
Please refer to "Commitment to Initiatives" for details regarding of assisting workers in balancing work and nursing care.
Prevention of Long Working Hours and Overwork
To prevent long working hours, the Nisshinbo Group manages the status of overtime work through the department in charge of personnel affairs and the Health Committee. In order to improve operational efficiency, the Group is reviewing operations to eliminate unnecessary work and leveling operations to avoid concentration of work on specific persons.
In addition, in accordance with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Guidelines on Measures Employers Should Take to Ensure Proper Understanding of Working Hours, Nisshinbo strives to manage working hours properly by checking objective records, such as time cards, IC cards, and PC log data, to determine employee working hours.
Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. conducts periodic reviews of the labor management status at all group companies to support their efforts to comply with labor laws and to manage working hours appropriately.
Specific Activities of the Group Companies
Promoting Diverse Work Styles and Flexible Work Arrangements
Japan Radio Co., Ltd., promotes flexible work arrangements so that every employee can reach their potential in a way that suits their lifestyle.
Specifically, Japan Radio established a flexible work environment that allows employees to choose between staggered shifts and core hours with options for remote work from home or satellite offices, thereby providing flexibility in both working hours and locations. Additionally, to support a positive work-life balance, the company implemented measures to prevent excessive overtime, such as mandatory breaks between shifts, the opportunity to take paid leave in one-hour increments, and the designation of no-overtime days. (Japan Radio achieved an annual paid leave utilization rate of approximately 80% in FY2025.)
In addition, Japan Radio is strengthening its support for such life events as child-rearing and caregiving. The company offers options for working while on postnatal paternity leave, has established a dedicated consultation desk, and provides a reduced-hour work schedule. Furthermore, through such initiatives as allowing side jobs both inside and outside the company, a flexible summer vacation program offering up to nine consecutive days off between June and September, and a system for compensating for weekday time off, Japan Radio is supporting career development and helping employees recharge both physically and mentally. The company will continue to promote the creation of an environment where employees can experience both a comfortable work environment and a sense of fulfillment in their work.
Utilizing Green Areas (Relaxation Spaces)
At KOKUSAI DENKI Electric Linear S/A in Brazil, the company established a "Green Area (relaxation space)" where employees can unwind during lunch breaks and coffee breaks.
In addition to providing a daily respite, this area is used as a place to foster connections and communication among employees. The Green Area regularly hosts such seasonal events as Carnival, Easter, and the June Festival. During these events, employees deepen their relationships in a relaxed atmosphere while enjoying themed costumes and afternoon coffee.
This initiative is open to all employees and is being promoted as part of the efforts of the company to create a comfortable and highly engaging work environment.
Organizational Culture Transformation Initiatives
The Asahi Plant of Nisshinbo Chemical Inc. is conducting activities centered on the main theme of creating an open organizational culture. As part of the activities for FY2025, the plant implemented the following two initiatives.
In June 2025, the company held a three-day feedback session for all employees with the aim of deepening communication among staff and improving the workplace atmosphere; 98 employees participated. Participants were divided into groups based on workplace and age, and group discussions were held on three themes (such as "What motivates you?"). Following the initial session, several employees expressed the desire for a separate session focused on junior staff. Consequently, an additional session was held for junior employees with 28 participants. Group discussions were conducted on such themes as "What are the strengths and areas for improvement in your workplace?"
In addition, the plant sponsors a "Thank You Campaign" twice a year (in September and December) with the aim of encouraging employees to consciously express gratitude to others and make it a habit. This initiative is designed to foster a sense of gratitude and enhance well-being, which in turn helps reduce stress and improves interpersonal relationships.
Implementation of a Hot-Desking System
At Nisshinbo Holdings Inc., as part of its kaizen initiatives, the company began implementing an office layout redesign and a hot-desking system during the 2024-2025 period.
With the goal of breaking down departmental silos and transforming Nisshinbo Holdings into an open corporate culture that fosters productivity and harnesses the collective wisdom of a diverse workforce, the company focused on improving employee engagement. Nisshinbo Holdings envisioned three key elements: (1) an atmosphere where barriers between departments are eliminated and open dialogue flows freely, (2) a workplace environment that enables more efficient work, and (3) a corporate culture that drives innovation. Led by a cross-departmental project team, Nisshinbo Holdings worked to create a more comfortable working environment. In conjunction with the layout changes, all departments on the affected floors worked to reduce paperwork, successfully cutting the overall volume by approximately 50%.
Even after the layout changes, the company created an environment where employees could share observations and improvement ideas, and Nisshinbo Holdings continues their efforts to make the office an even better place.
Conducting Cross-Departmental Kaizen Workshops
As part of a kaizen initiative at its Head Office, Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. brought together employees on a voluntary basis to form the Inclusion NEXUS team, which analyzed the results of the engagement survey. The team then developed measures to address the issues identified in the analysis.
Improving operational efficiency through the use of digital technology and fostering better communication were identified as common challenges across the company. Based on these discussions, Nisshinbo Holdings held an IT Literacy Improvement Workshop. Covering three themes-"Shortcut Techniques," "Utilizing Teams," and "Generative AI Experience"-the Company held these workshops during lunch breaks over a three-day period with a total of 50 employees participating. The workshops attracted interest from a wide range of age groups across all departments, and many participants commented that they learned a lot and wanted to apply what they learned to their work.
