Stakeholder dialog

The 3rd Takenaka Biodiversity Symposium

The 3rd Takenaka Biodiversity Symposium was held on June 19, 2023. An online connection joined the Takenaka Training Center (Seiwadai Forest) with business locations across Japan.

In 2017, Seiwadai Forest began to develop a field center and nature observation paths to serve as a base for reforestation activities. In 2018, hands-on reforestation training formally began. Though last year, approximately 200 executives and employees had participated in the program. Then the target group was expanded from this fiscal year. The facility is expected to be used as a place for research and developing demonstration experiments on natural symbiosis, and to resolve social issues related to biodiversity with customers and other stakeholders.

<Program and speakers>

<Local participants>

Mr. Shuji Ishikawa, General Manager, Wooden Architecture Promotion Department, Engineering Division. Mr. Kentaro Hayashi, General Manager, CSR Corporate Strategic Planning Division; forestation training course participants, Mr. Kenji Suzuki from the Project Development Division, and Mr. Takahiro Fujiwara, from the Facility Management Division.

<Online participants>

390 persons from nine Takenaka Group companies

The keynote speaker explained the international agreement to set targets for biodiversity conservation and restoration, and the trend toward mandatory information disclosure for companies in Japan. As with decarbonization measures, it was indicated that steady efforts must be made throughout the entire value chain, both upstream and downstream, in addition to the scope of the company's own operations.

The Ibaraki City New Civic Center presentation introduced activities aimed at revitalizing ‘a town full of smiles’ by using green infrastructure to draw both people and other living creatures back. The idea posited transplanting vegetation from nearby satoyama to supplement a gray, concrete infrastructure-laden town center that has gradually been losing its vitality. Mr. Yamagishi introduced project activities to revitalize the town as a joy-filled area, noting the proposal’s uniqueness in being expanded from a building construction concept to a more sweeping urban revitalization plan.

A subsequent presentation by Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University introduced a semi-fireproof (fire retardant layer) wood-frame school building that uses local Kyushu timber as a living teaching tool. Mr. Yamagishi also praised the school for its forest and biodiversity conservation activities through FSC timber certification.

The Biodiversity Navigation Sheet was introduced as a tool to respond to the expected demand for solutions from future customers. As an integrated engineering firm for urban creation, the Takenaka Group will continue to make high-quality proposals for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in order to turn customer dreams into reality for a sustainable future.

Review of activities related to respect for human rights.

In September 2018, based on the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we established a human rights policy in accordance with our Corporate Philosophy and Corporate Code of Conduct, and we have been promoting initiatives for the respect of human rights in our business activities. As for due diligence, upon establishing our Human Rights Policy in 2018, we identified and evaluated risks, based on advice from experts and others, and addressed five specific issues. Every year, we invite specialists to review the activities we have implemented and reflect them in our initiatives for the following year and beyond.

In 2022, we invited Hidemi Tomita, Representative Director of the Sustainable Management Institute, to review our activities. He suggested that despite steady implementation of initiatives throughout the year, we need to clarify our aims and take steps to link our future efforts to our business goals. He included general comments about the merits of information disclosure on the initiatives. Regarding long employee working hours, he advised that although aggregate working hours are decreasing overall, it is important that individual workers not work excessively. He added that while rules regarding working hours are being steadily implemented as planned, verifying the effects of workplace closures on the decrease in overtime hours worked would be useful.

With regard to "harassment," conducting a workplace environment survey would be an effective approach for ascertaining an overall understanding of the current situation, as well as for gleaning detailed information. This could be made even more useful if the effectiveness of standard policy measures could be grasped.

In the area of “global procurement,” we took a step forward from the previous interview survey by conducting an inspection of an actual sites for the status of respect for the rights of workers at a steel frame fabrication plant in South Korea. Experts evaluated the steady progress of our initiatives, and said that they expect the further expansion of ‘traceability,’ adding that it would be good to be able to visualize improvement in the status of foreign workers as the years pass.

The committee also commented that a risk assessment of overseas development projects, in addition to specific risk issues currently being addressed, is an important step for the company.

Expert dialog

On Monday, June 27, 2022, we invited Professor Takashi Nawa of Hitotsubashi University Graduate School to hold an "expert dialog" with the director in charge and the Corporate Strategic Planning Division. Then 2022 was the final year of the 2020-2022 Action Plan for a Sustainable Society, so we pledged to review our existing major objectives (materiality).

Starting here, we have revised the framework of the most recent three-year business plan and target setting, reassessed social and environmental issues from medium- and long-term perspectives, incorporated new group and global perspectives, and expanded the number of participating divisions within the company from 10 to 17.

"I think the phrase 'stimulating the senses' is a good expression of Takenaka's individuality,” Dr. Nawa commented, adding that, "The addition of the phrase 'respect for human rights,' which accurately captures trends in the social environment, is a good program addition.” He pointed out that it would be better to focus more on the digital field, where Takenaka is making advanced efforts, and that focusing on human assets will be important in the future. He also expressed his hope that Takenaka would continue to be a leading company as it leverages its individuality.

Taking advantage of the valuable advice obtained through this dialog, we will proceed with a review of the Takenaka Group's major objectives (materiality) with the aim of also resolving social issues and achieving sustainable growth for our own group, while remaining conscious of the traditions we have cultivated and our own corporate culture.

Expert dialog

On April 13, 2022, we welcomed E-Square Inc. President Hiro Motoki for an "expert dialog" with the managing officer in charge of our Corporate Strategic Planning Division. Mr. Motoki had advised us when we first considered the concept of major items (materiality) in 2019, and on this occasion, he provided an introduction to his latest materiality recognition along with the following information.

(1) Climate change is now ranked at the top of the corporate risk list.
(2) Listed companies are strongly required by investors to address and disclose information on their respective climate-change-related risks.
(3) CO2 emission reduction targets and the adequacy of their processes are among the most important issues upon which the survival of each industry depends.
(4) Following climate change, topics such as biodiversity and human rights are socially trending as essential emerging items for future information disclosure.

The Takenaka Group has set CO2 reduction targets and is working to obtain SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) certification. This was a good opportunity to further strengthen our own recognition that we can continue to grow to become a group favored by society for utilizing such valuable advice, so that we can accurately grasp social trends and further accelerate our efforts to resolve social issues.

Human rights activities review

On December 17, 2021, we invited Hidemi Tomita, Representative Director of Lloyd's Register Japan, to continue this year's online review of our human rights activities. After establishing the Company’s Human Rights Policy in 2018, we identified and assessed risks and addressed five high-risk issues, taking into account advice from experts and other factors.

After reporting on the year's activities, we suggested that more detailed checking is needed to ascertain actual working conditions for long working hours, based on examples from other industries. It was also determined that closing the gap between the offender and the victim is the main challenge regarding harassment in the workplace. With the issues of global procurement and foreign workers, the committee praised us on our approach of gradually expanding the scope of the survey, and for considering measures via information exchange with two organizations involved with foreign workers. In terms of "universal design," we are proceeding with studies based on the results of a customer satisfaction survey. We will further bolster our efforts based on the findings of experts.

Expert dialog on Chochikukyo

On December 6, 2021, a dialog was held on the future use of Chochikukyo in Oyamazaki, a town in Kyoto Prefecture. This house is a representative wooden modernist building of the early 20th Century Showa era (1926-1989). We acquired it in 2016 and the following year it was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The project earned the Mécénat Grand Prize at the 2019 Mécénat Awards.

Participants included Mr. Taneo Kato, Vice President of leading mécénat activist Shizuoka Culture Foundation, and Mr. Hitoshi Tanabe, a Takenaka employee and former executive director of the Chochikukyo Club representing local residents. Osaka University Associate Professor Chieko Kinoshita, who is involved in projects to resolve social issues with various organizations, moderated the session.

One participant commented that the Chochikukyo project could be a new form of future CSR activity because of local residents’ familiarity with it as well as the ease of participation. Unlike conventional mécénat activities, moreover, it is directly related to our business. "There are many historical heritage sites in the neighborhood, each with its own interesting background,” said another participant. “We should try new and creative projects based on these sites.” Based on the feedback from this dialog, we will continue to work together with local residents to ensure that Chochikukyo will continue to be loved by the community for a long time.

The 2nd Takenaka Biodiversity Symposium

The 2nd Takenaka Biodiversity Symposium was held on Thursday, November 18, 2021, joining Hall A of the Tokyo Main Office and the entire country via an online connection.

<Program>

<Speakers>

Mr. Hayashi, General Manager of CSR Department, Corporate Strategic Planning Division
Mr. Miwa, Technology Development Department (concurrent duties in the Corporate Strategic Planning Division)
Mr. Mukoyama, Design Division
Mr. Sugawara, Design Department (Shin Kashiwa Clinic), Tokyo Main Office
Ms. Ino, Design Department (Toyota Technical Center Shimoyama), Nagoya Branch
Mr. Kunimoto, Design Department (Ibaraki City New Civic Hall), Osaka Main Office

<Online participants>

120 people

The symposium began with an introduction of global trends and our company's efforts to date in promoting biodiversity initiatives for realizing “a society in harmony with nature" by 2050. A follow-up discussion was held with Takenaka front-line designers who were intimate with customer needs and our proposals to them.

The designers shared their experiences, commenting, "We were able to share values with the customer that could not be converted into cost. Further, by working together with them through workshops and other means from the planning stage, we were able to move forward with the project with a greater sense of attachment to it. The participants shared their experiences and the importance of talking about biodiversity and green infrastructure in their own words for the sake of their customers and their customers' customers.”

"I strongly felt our company's environmental DNA, which began with our "Green in Design" policy in 1971,” one participant said. “I hope that our employees will have opportunities to think about the biodiversity required by the times through training programs such as the Seiwadai Forestation Training Program.”

Dialog on climate change and biodiversity

The Dialog on Climate Change and Biodiversity was held on April 21, 2021 (Wednesday) at our Tokyo Main Office. Mr. Naoyuki Yamagishi, Director of Climate Energy and Marine Fisheries Office, WWF Japan, an international environmental NGO, was invited to give a lecture on "Climate change and biodiversity in the construction industry." This was followed by an exchange of opinions with the members of our Global Environment Special Committee (comprised of an Executive Vice President, and the Managing Officer & General Manager of the Head Office). Mr. Yamagishi gave a presentation entitled, "Climate change and biodiversity initiatives in the construction industry.” He introduced the latest international trends and provided a wide range of suggestions on the actions required of the construction industry and our company in the future. Based on this dialog, we will further promote our efforts to strengthen our response to climate change and biodiversity.

Initiatives for respecting human rights

We established our Human Rights Policy on September 1, 2018, and have been promoting initiatives to respect human rights in our business activities in accordance with our Corporate Philosophy and Corporate Code of Conduct, based on the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

In 2020, we continued to address the previous year’s high-risk issues. With regard to the issue of long working hours, we focused on further improving productivity and ascertaining actual conditions through dialog. In response to the enforcement of the revised Construction Business Act, we will ensure that all employees are fully aware of the new law and work with customers and suppliers to optimize construction schedules. With regard to harassment, we conducted an e-learning program for all employees in conjunction with the enforcement of the Revised Act on Comprehensive Promotion of Labor Policies in order to raise awareness of the revised law. We also used Human Rights Week as an opportunity to inform all employees about government activities, educational materials and videos, and our company's initiatives to deepen their understanding. In December of the same year, we invited Hidemi Tomita of Lloyd's Register Japan to review our activities. He tendered suggestions from various perspectives, including the importance of dialog with stakeholders and recent local risks, for which we will apply to future measures as we continue our activities.

Takenaka Biodiversity Symposium

The Takenaka Biodiversity Symposium was held on November 26, 2020 at our Osaka Main Office under the theme, "Takenaka's Biodiversity: From Seiwadai forestation activities.” Three experts were invited to speak and hold discussions on “a society where people and nature coexist": Naoki Adachi, Representative Director of Response Ability Inc., Yoshinobu Hashimoto, Chief Researcher at the Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo, and Rumi Sato, Executive Director of NPObirth. Some 120 employees from all over Japan attended the symposium online. The speakers engaged in a lively exchange of opinions on how architecture and urban creation will change in a society that is in harmony with nature, and how we can get involved in this transformation.

The 14th Stakeholder Communication on a Healthy, Long-lived Society, and Urban Creation

In collaboration with the Center for Preventive Medicine Sciences at Chiba University, a national university, we have been holding stakeholder communications to discuss the roles that cities and buildings can play and the future of cities in order to realize a society of longevity and health that will help resolve issues such as an aging society and rising social security costs. The 14th meeting was held on August 20, 2020 with Professor Tetsuya Ohira of the Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University as the invited speaker and Associate Professor Masamichi Hanazato of the Chiba University Center for Preventive Medicine as a facilitator. The men exchanged opinions on the theme of the “health effects of communication: the possibility of healthy spaces and urban creation by utilizing laughter.” An exchange of opinions was conducted online. We will continue to deepen discussions on urban creation in order to realize a healthy, long-lived society through communication with various experts and professionals who are active in communities and cities.

Expert dialog

On Thursday, January 9, 2020, we invited Professor Takashi Nawa of Hitotsubashi University Graduate School to hold "expert dialog" with division leaders at our Head Office. Focusing on discussions regarding “major objectives (materiality)" as identified by Professor Nawa, talks were held on a wide range of topics. Dr. Nawa expressed his expectation for Takenaka to be a company that leads society with its "Takenaka identity.” Valuable insights gained from the dialog will be reflected in our future business plans.

Expert dialog on human rights

On September 1, 2018, we established our human rights policy, based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. In accordance with our Corporate Philosophy and Code of Conduct, we are actualizing our efforts with respect to human rights and promoting them in our business activities.

In 2019, we worked to develop and implement steps based on risks and countermeasures that were identified and assessed from the previous year. In October, we visited group companies that also function as business partners to investigate the actual situations of foreign technical interns, and spoke with the staff of the host institution in Japan and with the interns themselves. In December, we received various suggestions from Hidemi Tomita of Lloyd's Register Japan regarding what steps to take, including dialogs with key stakeholders and various analyses. The suggestions will be reflected in future activities as we continue our efforts.

The 13th Stakeholder Communication on a Healthy, Long-lived Society, and Urban Creation

In collaboration with the Center for Preventive Medicine Sciences at Chiba University, a national university, we have been holding stakeholder communications to discuss the roles that cities and buildings can play, as well as the future of cities in realizing a society of longevity and health that will help resolve issues such as aging and rising social security costs.

The 13th meeting was held on December 12, 2019 at the Tokyo Main Office with Ms. Hiroko Kai, Senior Researcher of Meiji Yasuda Health and Welfare Foundation, as the invited speaker and Mr. Masamichi Hanasaki, Associate Professor of Chiba University Preventive Medicine Center serving as facilitator. The theme of the meeting was "Introducing effective workplace exercises for lively workers.” Ms. Kai introduced her research on the major health issues for office workers, such as excessive sitting and the lack of exercise at the workplace, as well as examples of both hardware and software measures she has taken with companies. Such steps that would be effective for improved work engagement were discussed. We will continue to deepen the discussion on urban creation in order to realize a healthy and long-lived society through communication with various experts and professionals working in towns and communities

Report on Health and Space, and Urban creation Symposium

On July 1, 2019, the Health and Space, and Urban Creation Symposium was held at Iino Hall & Conference Center (in Tokyo), in collaboration with Chiba University Center for Preventive Medicine. Some 270 people attended. The wide-ranging discussions touched on topics regarding healthy society and spaces, and urban creation from various perspectives under the theme, "Creating mechanisms and environments where healthy behavior naturally occurs.” Speakers engaged in a lively exchange of opinions on such issues as the need to provide accurate feedback to individuals and the need to create an environment for the emergence of value in different industries and fields.

For event details, please refer to the Program Report below.