Making societal contributions a part of our corporate culture
The JATCO Group’s aim is to become a “good corporate citizen” that is loved by local communities. Corporate activities are conducted through our involvement with local communities. JATCO considers it an important responsibility to be actively involved with society as a member of the community, and to contribute to the local community in a variety of ways. We promote societal contributions with this approach in mind.
Our three key categories
Based on our desire to be a presence that local communities are glad to have, the JATCO Group has established the environment, education, and welfare as our three key categories for societal contributions. We are engaging in activities around the world in these three categories, and undertake activities that meet the needs of local communities.
Social contribution activities
Contribution activities for education
Kids Engineer
The Kids Engineer event is organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan. JATCO agrees with the spirit of this event, which is targeted at elementary school students and seeks to communicate the joy of monozukuri, and has participated in it since its inaugural event in 2008.
While the FY2021 onsite event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we devised new methods and content and held the car building program remotely.
Hands-on learning for middle and high school students
For local middle and high school students we host hands-on learning courses in a wide variety of work environments, from development to production. We provide participants with experience to help children consider what type of work they want to do and what career paths to take in the future. The activities include CAD software operation, tours of testing facilities, experiencing next generation technologies at the Future Technology Center, factory tours, and factory work experience.
Contribution activities for the environment
Hana-saku JATCO-MAE Station Project
The nearest train station to JATCO Fuji Area 1 is the JATCO-MAE station on the Gakunan Line in Fuji City. It is one of the very few stations in Japan that are named after a company. This project at the station began when a JATCO employee expressed their wish to “turn the local train station named after JATCO into a popular flower-viewing spot,” and it has run continuously since FY2015. In addition, we are contributing to a brighter, more cheerful town by running a train decorated with a wrapping of moss phlox blossoms. The flowers that we planted are being maintained daily together with the local community.
Note: Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, some activities were suspended in FY2021. Some photographs shown are from earlier years.
Contribution activities for the environment
Hana-saku JATCO-MAE Station Project
The nearest train station to JATCO Fuji Area 1 is the JATCO-MAE station on the Gakunan Line in Fuji City. It is one of the very few stations in Japan that are named after a company. This project at the station began when a JATCO employee expressed their wish to “turn the local train station named after JATCO into a popular flower-viewing spot” and ran continuously from FY2015. While this initiative was scaled back in FY2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we contributed to a brighter, more cheerful town by running a wrapped train decorated with moss phlox blossoms. The flowers that we planted are being maintained daily together with the local community.
Contribution activities for education
Kids Engineer
The Kids Engineer event is organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan. JATCO agrees with the spirit of this event, which is targeted at elementary school students and seeks to communicate the joy of monozukuri, and has continued to participate in it since its inaugural event in 2008. In FY2019, the event was held in Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), Sendai (Miyagi Prefecture), and Fukushima (Fukushima Prefecture) where we hosted the “Let’s Build a Car that Uses Rubber Bands to Change Speeds” program to explain to students, in an easy-to-understand manner, how transmissions work.
Hands-on learning for middle and high school students
For local middle and high school students we host hands-on learning courses in a wide variety of work environments, from development to production. We provide participants with experience to help children consider what type of work they want to do and what career paths to take in the future. The activities include CAD software operation, tours of testing facilities, experiencing next generation technologies at the Future Technology Center, factory tours, and factory work experience. In addition, since FY2018 they have also visited our production lines at JATCO Thailand, and we have provided opportunities for them to broaden their horizons globally.
Contribution activities for the environment
Hana-saku JATCO-MAE Station Project
The nearest train station to JATCO Fuji Area 1 is the JATCO-MAE station on the Gakunan Line in Fuji City. It is one of the very few stations in Japan that are named after a company. This project at the station began when a JATCO employee expressed their wish to “turn the local train station named after JATCO into a popular flower-viewing spot.” During FY2019, the fifth year of the project, we installed a photo panel of shibazakura cherry blossoms in full bloom at the station. We also renewed the station signboards with a color illustration of Mt. Fuji and shibazakura cherry blossoms, so as to delight and entertain visitors. The flowers that we planted are being maintained daily together with the local community.
Supporting the traditional tea-grass integrated system in Shizuoka
The tea plantations in Higashiyama in the city of Kakegawa use the traditional tea-grass integrated system, which is certified as a World Agricultural Heritage System. The tea-grass integrated system is a traditional method that nurtures rich biodiversity and works in harmony with nature. Every year in January, JATCO cooperates with the Kakegawa Tea Promotion Association and Kakegawa City Hall as volunteer help for the tea-grass integrated system to help clear the silver grass and bamboo grass and lay them between the tea trees.
Contribution activities for welfare
Soccer matches for athletes with intellectual disabilities
Soccer players with intellectual disabilities have only limited opportunities to demonstrate the results of their training. Accordingly, JATCO organizes the “JATCO × Yokohama F. Marinos Futuro Cup” together with the Yokohama F. Marinos soccer club. In FY2019, the event’s fifth year, a total of five teams and approximately 100 athletes participated. We continue to support many athletes with intellectual disabilities, along with their teams, with the goal of them participating in this tournament and having an opportunity to once again know the joy of soccer.
Powerchair soccer tournament
Powerchair soccer is soccer for players with severe disabilities who cannot walk on their own due to muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy, and the players ride in power wheelchairs during matches. Powerchair soccer players use foot guards instead of their feet, and in FY2019, at a Yokohama F. Marinos sponsored tournament, JATCO installed a pit for attaching and removing these foot guards to lighten the burden on athletes and related individuals. We will continue to provide support that leverages JATCO’s technical capabilities.
