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LGBT JAPAN 2020: The Path to Rainbow Companies [3/8]You don't have to be LGBT to do it. Nomura Securities shares its efforts to increase "Allies"
Yuki Higashi
Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.
Yusuke Kitamura
Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.
Shu Fangyi
Beijing Dentsu Inc. Advertising (Shanghai)
Have you ever heard the term "Ally"? Derived from the English word "Ally," meaning an ally or supporter, it refers to people who understand and support sexual minorities, including LGBT individuals. In Japan too, the activities of LGBT support groups have recently begun to attract attention. While LGBT support groups might seem like they're primarily run by LGBT individuals themselves, there are actually many ways for non-LGBT people to support and participate. People who join these support groups or attend events—whether they are LGBT or not—can all be called "Allies." To correct misconceptions about LGBT individuals and create a society where everyone can live without unfair treatment, it is necessary for the awareness of non-LGBT individuals to change, rather than just LGBT individuals themselves. Based on this idea, activities to increase the number of allies are spreading in various places.
Since the LGBT Unit of Dentsu Inc. Diversity Lab (DDL)'s Gender Team began its activities in 2012, we have encountered several companies and organizations that actively promote and engage in ally activities. For the third installment of LGBT JAPAN 2020, Julia Yoshiki of Dentsu Inc. Business Creation Center visited Yuki Higashi from Nomura Securities' Human Resources Development Department—a frequent speaker at LGBT-related seminars—and Yusuke Kitamura, who has been involved in promoting understanding of diversity and inclusion at the company since spring 2015.
Launching LGBT awareness activities following the Lehman Brothers business succession
Julia: 2015 saw a lot of LGBT-related news, and it really became common to see it in the media. However, I feel the concept of "ally" hasn't spread as widely yet. I believe for understanding of LGBT issues to progress, it's crucial for people who aren't LGBT to become allies. That's why I visited Nomura Securities, which is actively engaged in ally activities.
First, could you tell us how LGBT initiatives are positioned within Nomura Securities?
Higashi: It's part of our Diversity & Inclusion activities. Our initiatives have three pillars: "Women in Nomura," focused on women's career development; "Life & Family," supporting work-life balance for childcare and eldercare; and "Multicultural Values," respecting diverse cultures.
LGBT falls under this third pillar, right? Specifically, we add the "A" for Ally, referring to it as "LGBTA."
Shu: What prompted the start of the LGBT initiatives?
Higashi: The catalyst was our acquisition of Lehman Brothers' European and Asian business operations in 2008. We inherited not only the LGBT initiatives but also the Diversity & Inclusion concept, the three pillars, and the three employee networks mentioned earlier.
Shu: I see. Is the LGBT employee network primarily for individuals who identify as LGBT?
Higashi: Yes. Initially after the takeover, it was mainly members themselves who worked to spread understanding about LGBT issues and foster connections. However, the resumption of diversity activities, including the employee network, occurred one year after the business takeover.
The acquisition of Lehman Brothers' business led to a sudden increase in foreign transferees and international staff. Consequently, recognizing that diversity and inclusion initiatives were essential to our management strategy, activities resumed in 2009.
It's not that there are no members of the community; it's that they can't speak up.
Shu: What is the current operational scale of these activities?
Higashi: Operationally, it's about 1.5 people. Since I also handle tasks like talent development and performance evaluations, I contribute about 0.5 person-years or less. However, each of the three pillars mentioned earlier has around 10 volunteer members. They plan internal events through biweekly lunch meetings and similar gatherings. Kitamura manages the administrative offices for all three activities as part of her duties.
Shu: Kitamura-san joined in spring 2015, right? How did each of you come to be doing your current roles?
Kitamura: I previously worked in sales and as a project manager at a general corporation. Personally, I was interested in diversity themes, and I was involved, for example, as a sponsorship sales staff member for an LGBT film festival. There, I met diversity officers from various companies and learned that this kind of work existed. That's when I started considering a career change, and through a fortunate connection, I landed my current position.
Higashi: I was originally an employee at Lehman Brothers, so I joined Nomura in 2008. I was working in the research department when HR approached me, saying, "Higashi, would you like to become the leader of the LGBT network?"
I had LGBT friends and colleagues, but I had no idea what running a network or raising awareness entailed, so I was initially bewildered. However, HR told me there were no openly LGBT employees at Nomura. With 15,000 employees across the entire domestic group, it was inconceivable that not a single person was openly LGBT.
That made me realize the environment must be one where people couldn't speak up. So I accepted the role, thinking I'd do it until someone came forward. I only learned about the concept of an ally after starting these activities and began incorporating that term.
Later, in 2013, I transferred to the Human Resources Development Department through an internal recruitment program. While handling talent development, I also began working on diversity as part of my duties.
The "Shuriken Tactics" of Weaving LGBT into Diversity Training
Shu: You mentioned learning about allies after starting network activities. How did you initially proceed?
Higashi: It was pure trial and error. I researched support organizations, made countless phone calls, and met with people who could advise me. One of them was Gon Matsunaka, who works at Dentsu Inc. while also serving as the representative of the certified NPO "Good Aging Yellows." Gon taught me the term "ally" and that there are things you can do even if you're not directly affected. That's when I thought I could use the concept of allyship as a starting point.
Shu: I see. How does Nomura Securities define an ally?
Higashi: We define it as someone who is trying to understand LGBT issues and takes some kind of "action" to spread that understanding. We feel that just thinking about it won't bring change, so we want people to take that first step. Conversely, even a small step, like simply putting one of the stickers we distribute on their computer, is enough to be a great ally in our view.
Shu: The "I am an LGBT Ally" sticker, right? What activities do you run internally to increase allies?
Higashi: Primarily, we have three initiatives: revising our ethics code, conducting diversity training, and awareness campaigns. Before I joined, in 2012, we added the terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the "Respect for Human Rights" clause in Nomura Holdings' ethics code. I believe this was quite early for a Japanese company.
The second is our diversity training, offered to new graduates, mid-career hires, newly appointed managers, and new department store managers. For headquarters employees, there's also an optional program. These trainings fundamentally convey the core concept of Diversity & Inclusion: "Understanding diverse values is crucial when people work together." Since 2013, we've added slides specifically about LGBT issues. Swish, swish, swish—we sneak LGBT into every diversity training session. I call this the "shuriken tactic" (laughs).
Shu: Shuriken tactic! That's great! Respecting the values of diverse people, including LGBT individuals, is indeed the essence of diversity, right?
Higashi: Exactly, which makes it easy to slip in (laughs). Honestly, launching a standalone LGBT training program from scratch is tough. Plus, content about understanding LGBT issues doesn't really stick with a single session; you have to keep reinforcing it consistently for it to take root. So, we're throwing shuriken everywhere, treating it as one theme within diversity.
Could your business partner be LGBT? Business risks you should consider
Shu: What kind of content do you cover in your LGBT lectures?
Higashi: The premise is that LGBT is "orientation, not preference." There are still many misconceptions—like it being a hobby, a disease, or something temporary that will "go away." So we start by clarifying it's about sexual orientation. But just presenting facts gets lost, so we use role-playing exercises.
For example, imagine joking during a business meeting about a subordinate: "He's 30 and still doesn't have a girlfriend. If this keeps up, he might end up 'over there'!" Only to discover the client sitting right there is actually LGBT. Not only would this cause offense, but it could also damage the company's credibility – making it seem like Nomura talks about diversity while doing the exact opposite.
Shu: I see, that makes sense. It's clear how this impacts not just workplace comfort but actual business outcomes.
Kitamura: Recent surveys (※Dentsu Inc. Diversity Lab / April 2015) show 7.6% of the Japanese population identifies as LGBT, so the likelihood of having someone close to you is actually quite high. Even straight people who aren't LGBT individuals, if they're allies, probably wouldn't want to work with someone who makes these kinds of remarks, even as a joke. Thinking about it that way, it's not just about LGBT people; it could also lead to the loss of ally talent who understand diversity and have the potential to generate new ideas.
Higashi: Rather than just promoting understanding, it's fair to say the business risk of not understanding LGBT issues is now significant. When executives observe training sessions, they're often surprised to see how many younger employees respond, "I know about it" or "I know someone like that," which can change their perspective.
Also, in training, we try not to focus on "don'ts" – telling people what not to say. That kind of "don'ts training" makes people feel uncomfortable and inhibited about discussing LGBT topics, which is counterproductive.
Kitamura: The third activity is awareness-raising led primarily by the volunteer members I mentioned earlier, a group of about ten people. This includes regularly holding "LGBT Week" events in the employee cafeteria, organizing events after working hours, and creating the "Become an Ally!!" pamphlet. Also, those ally stickers I mentioned earlier? We make them all by hand. Additionally, we introduce our ally initiatives on the Nomura Group website.
Shu: Were there any barriers to holding events like these?
Higashi: When we first explained the plan to the responsible department to get approval, they were definitely very surprised (laughs). They weren't used to hearing terms like "gay" or "lesbian" in the workplace, so they were surprised by those words being used and by using the cafeteria for these activities. But we assured them we'd pack up immediately if anything happened! We started that way, and nothing has happened so far. At the headquarters building, we're also seeing more stickers on computers, and we've heard reports that even the Chairman and executives have put them on.
Thirteen financial institutions sponsor as "LGBT Finance"
Shu: What activities do you undertake outside the company?
Higashi: We mainly have three areas. First, 13 financial companies form a support group called "LGBT Finance." We sponsor events like the "Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival" and "Tokyo Rainbow Pride," and hold seminars for students. At the film festival, we sponsor one documentary each year, introducing our philosophy and member companies at the beginning of the film.
Second, together with the previously mentioned support group Good Aging Yellows, we host "Ally Meetings." These serve as both study sessions and networking events for allies, and we've held them twice since 2014.
And then there are lectures at external companies, organizations, universities, and so on. We've also been getting more requests to talk about our company's activities. However, while we engage in external activities, we are simultaneously mindful of our internal environment.
Shu: So you mean a positive cycle where we learn about our own activities from external perspectives, including societal reactions, and deepen our understanding?
Higashi: Yes. Also, while our internal network is active now and some volunteer members are out, fundamentally, those who prefer not to disclose their status will never get involved with our activities. Whether to disclose is a personal choice, so we don't aim to increase the number of people coming out. However, we believe this external outreach is effective for communicating "Nomura holds these views" even to those within the company who keep their distance from the activities.
Kitamura: As someone who is personally affected, I value communication with those around me at work, so I'm glad I'm open about it in my current role. It's also strengthened my desire to work at this company long-term. That said, I agree with Higashi that it varies from person to person. Even if someone isn't open now, their intentions might change with age or life stage, so we want to maintain an environment where they can speak up anytime.
You can build an ally network even if you're not an LGBT person yourself
Shu: Many companies are positive about LGBT initiatives but unsure how to proceed, and we're getting more requests for advice. Higashi's story is very helpful for those companies, right?
Higashi: I'm glad it's helpful. Like I was in the beginning, many people aren't sure what they can do if they aren't part of the community themselves. So, I started by reading books and articles, listening to people's stories, and learning before figuring out what I could do. I worked hard to design training programs that even HR personnel—who might not have LGBT+ individuals nearby and struggle to imagine the issues or what's needed—could understand. I aimed to make progress without internal conflict. Now, the concept of allies and our training approach seem to resonate. I hope companies will adopt our methods.
Shu: I've also heard that even when there are enthusiastic staff members, they struggle to gain their superiors' understanding. Are there any key points for advancing these activities?
Higashi: Yes, the way you explain it might matter. That 7.6% figure might seem higher than expected, but pushing it can lead to reactions like, "Well, then our female employees, who make up 40% of the company, should still be the higher priority."
Conversely, focusing on the 92.4% highlights a significant majority. Our campaign slogan is: "For the 7.6% of LGBT individuals to thrive, the 92.4% must become allies." From a business perspective, especially for global companies, issues like how to handle same-sex couples married in their home country when they come to the Japan office are unavoidable.
Another point is that both women's advancement and LGBT inclusion are part of diversity promotion. Emphasizing the importance of understanding diverse values, not just women's perspectives, often drives progress.
Shu: As mentioned earlier, even executives are wearing stickers, suggesting considerable internal understanding has already been achieved. Finally, could you share what you aim to tackle next?
Kitamura: While we've made progress in terms of "awareness," there are still many challenges in "deepening understanding." Post-training anonymous surveys showed no negative feedback, indicating participants grasped the importance. However, it's still at the level of "Oh, the company is putting effort into this." Our mission now is to translate this into action to deepen individual understanding. Having people wear ally stickers is one example of such action. Expanding this understanding among more people is our next mission.
Higashi: Specifically, I'd like to develop training for allies. Allies also serve as advocates for LGBT individuals when others lack understanding. For instance, I want to explore what non-LGBT individuals can do more effectively—like skillfully countering discriminatory remarks to raise awareness.
Culturally, Japan tends to prioritize unity over individual differences. But now, as the market shifts, we must understand the needs of diverse customers. Listening to each employee's perspective and developing skills to work with diverse people will undoubtedly enhance corporate value.
●Dentsu Inc. Diversity Lab (DDL)
To realize a diverse and prosperous future, it focuses on four main themes: "Disability," "Gender," "Multicultural Coexistence," and "Generation." It provides companies and organizations with knowledge and concrete solutions related to diversity.
Contact:
URL: http://www.dentsu.co.jp/ddl/
E-mail: diversity@dentsu.co.jp
●About the Diversity Web Magazine "cococolor"
cococolor is a web magazine operated by Dentsu Inc. Diversity Lab, founded on the belief that respecting people's differences as rich "individuality" is key to building a diverse society where everyone can live happily.It covers themes related to human diversity from various perspectives—disability, gender, age, nationality, race, and more—aiming to make diversity feel more accessible and relatable.
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Author
Yuki Higashi
Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.
Human Resources Development Department / Human Resources Department Head of Talent Management Japan Diversity & Inclusion
Executive Director
After working at a foreign-affiliated financial information and communications company and a U.S.-based investment bank, joined Nomura Securities in 2008. While serving as a manager for global projects in the research division, responsible for planning, development, and operations, also served as an "Ally" and leader of the LGBT employee network. In 2013, transferred to the Human Resources Development Department through an internal recruitment program. Currently serves as Head of Talent Management Japan, focusing on HR strategy for the Global Business Division and promoting understanding of Diversity ＆ Inclusion.
Yusuke Kitamura
Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.
Human Resources Development Department and Diversity & Inclusion Promotion Office
After working as a project manager at an advertising production company and an industrial science and technology translation firm, I joined Nomura Securities in March 2015. Alongside my primary role, I have volunteered pro bono for over five years at LGBT-related events, primarily the Tokyo International Lesbian ＆ Gay Film Festival. Currently, I serve concurrently in the Human Resources Development Department and the Diversity ＆ Inclusion Promotion Office, working to foster understanding in the workplace.
Shu Fangyi
Beijing Dentsu Inc. Advertising (Shanghai)
Chief Communications Planner
Joined Dentsu Inc. in 2009. Born and raised in Taiwan, came to Japan in 2006. Works under the English name "Julia." As a Strategic/Communication Planner, she handles companies in beverages, cosmetics, food, and inbound business. She has worked on numerous brand revitalization projects and product development initiatives. She excels at strategic planning leveraging her broad insights into women's perspectives and cross-cultural background. Currently active as a planner for the cross-departmental projects "Gal Lab" and "Diversity Lab."
