Download CSR Report
Corporate Citizenship Activities Unique to Mizuno
Mizuno's corporate policy for social contribution is completely based on our corporate philosophy. Sports and sport-related activities play an important role in further promoting the well-being and affluent life of humans. In this regard, Mizuno will continue to work on initiatives to tackle challenges relating to human rights, labor-management relationships, environment and many other issues to better serve society as a corporate citizen.
Mizuno organizes a program called Mizuno Victory Clinic. This program comprises various events such as sports training, clinics, workshops, lectures, autograph sessions, and talk shows. For these events, we invite leading athletes, like Shingo Suetsugu and Kenji Narisako, who are employees of Mizuno, along with other contracted athletes from a wide range of sports. The events are usually held jointly with our customers (retailers of sporting goods) as part of the fairs held by the retailers. In addition to increasing the number of end-users loyal to the Mizuno brand, the events of the Mizuno Victory Clinic are effective in promoting sports in local communities. Instructors of the Mizuno Victory Clinic are selected from among 290 total athletes (18 athletic event) on the list, all having participated in world-class events such as the Olympic Games and IAAF World Championships. During fiscal 2008, 350 Mizuno Victory Clinic events were organized. During fiscal 2009, we plan to hold 470 such events nationwide. We will further improve the contents of these events by developing original programs that only Mizuno can offer.
Victory Clinics (swimming) , Victory Clinics (athletics)
In September 2008 Mizuno organized a special training program in response to children's requests to learn how to run faster. Mizuno asked Dr. Kiyonobu Kigoshi, a lecturer at Aichi University of Education, to be the instructor. In addition, Mizuno showed parents how best to select shoes for their children. After the training, about 70% of the 40 participants marked their best records in the 50-meter dash. We plan on holding this program annually since it can help promote community sports, as well as impart the fun of sports to children.
Imparting the fun of sports (left) Training of basic movements (right)
At the end of April 2008, Mizuno participated in a tree-planting event organized by the Acorn Society (NPO) in a forest in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture. There, participants planted seedlings of Fraxinus lanuginosa (aodamo, Japanese ash), whose timber is used for baseball bats. In addition to seedlings, a 30- to 40-year old aodamo tree was planted as a symbol of the 4th event. Mizuno donates to this campaign of fostering aodamo forests a portion (2%) of sales of key holders, cell phone ornaments and other items using timber that cannot be used for making baseball bats. Mizuno has been involved in manufacturing such items since 2005 together with Oak Village, a timber processing company.
Planting Fraxinus lanuginose (aodamo, Japanese ash) seedlings, used to make baseball bats
AEDs, devices to provide electric shocks to treat hearts suffering spasm and enable blood to be pumped to the rest of the body, are now an indispensable item in sport activities and events. Since 2007, Mizuno has promoted cardiopulmonary resuscitation using automated external defibrillators (AEDs). In March 2009 we sponsored a symposium at our Osaka Head Office on the theme of easy ways of preventing sudden death. This symposium, organized by the Osaka Life Support Association, was designed to promote the use of AEDs, devices that provide electric shocks to stimulate hearts suffering from spasms. On the day of the event, we also exhibited chest pads for baseball and softball players. Between November and March, Mizuno also co-organized AED seminars for about 160 members of the Osaka Prefecture Softball Baseball Association. In fiscal 2008, more than 400 people participated inthese AED seminars.
Chest pads for baseball and softball players (left) and AED seminar (right)
Mizuno Group companies in China and all their employees expressed their deep condolences for all those who suffered, and earnest hope for speedy recovery of the affected region. To support the survivors, Mizuno so far has donated 500,000 RMB and relief supplies (T-shirts and windbreakers worth about 4.5 million RMB) through the Red Cross in Shanghai.
As a member of the Ikoma-no-Mori Forest Consortium, Mizuno is promoting forest conservation activities in the Ikoma mountain range. The Consortium, comprising Osaka Prefecture, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Sangyo University and 20 enterprises, including Mizuno, is conserving and fostering forests in the Ikoma mountain range with the aim of reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. During fiscal 2008, Mizuno employees participated in one tree-thinning program.
Mizuno is operating the Mizuno Sports Promotion Foundation, established in accordance with the wishes of the late Rihachi Mizuno, our founder; and Mizuno International Sports Exchange Foundation, established by Kenjiro Mizuno, our former Chairman. These two foundations grant subsidies based on their respective purposes. In addition, these foundations also provide the Mizuno Sports Mentor Award and the Mizuno Sportswriter Award. The total amount of subsidies granted by the foundations is 5.7 billion yen as of 2008.
