There are 30 foreign national employees actively working at the Company. We are promoting various measures to enable them to securely engage in their work. For example, we have formed the Global Nakama Initiative (GNI) as a place for foreign national employees to interact and share information. We are rolling out the GNI as a system to enable them to freely exchange opinions and foster conversation. Currently, there are many differences between the ideas and customs of foreign national employees working at Japanese companies and those of Japanese employees. Through this activity, we aim to foster an environment where each foreign national employee can work easily while supporting their life and work in Japan.

To create a place for foreign national employees to network and exchange information, we have been running the GNI since May 2018. The initiative also acts as a consultation desk where foreign national employees can easily seek guidance to ensure they can work with greater peace of mind. We have created guidelines for newly hired foreign national employees to help them in their work and personal life in Japan, and we distribute these guidelines when making job offers as well. We convened meetings for the GNI three times in fiscal 2018 and twice in fiscal 2019, holding discussions on methods and techniques (lifehacks) for more efficiently and comfortably working in Japan.

In fiscal 2020, with the new HR system coming into effect, we provided guidance on the career consultation desk and information to deepen understanding of the system. In addition, to support more active participation by foreign national employees, we conducted a survey in April 2021 to identify issues and tips.

• * lifehack : methods and techniques to manage time and daily activities in a more efficient way which lead to more comfortable life.

1. Daily Life
   1. (1) Effective use of local public facilities

      Municipal and ward offices provide free Japanese language lesson. Not only that, they also provide opportunities to obtain more knowledge about Japanese culture through lectures and workshops. Foreign employees can enjoy the services provided by these facilities with their families and at the same time deepening understanding about Japanese customs.

   2. (2) Foreign nationals communities on social media

      There have been several groups and communities on social media for foreigners in Japan to exchange information and establish network. Some of those groups also provide serve as platform where foreign nationals can give and receive various unused goods for free.

2. Work
   1. (1) Effective use of the company’s IT tools

      Various work-related applications, such as Box (cloud storage) and Microsoft Teams (communication tool) enable employees to perform their work efficiently.

   2. (2) Changing habit

      Using time more effectively, for example listing up today’s work and duties while commuting on public transport.