"Michinoku Reconstruction Symposium" ~ Corporate Collaboration for Tohoku's Recovery! Hosted by 7 Companies and an NPO

Michinoku Reconstruction Project Partners and NPO ETIC. held the "Michinoku Reconstruction Project Symposium: Corporate Collaboration for Tohoku's Recovery!" at Dentsu Inc. Hall in Shiodome, Tokyo, on March 14. The Partners is a platform launched in June 2012 to enable corporate collaboration in supporting recovery leaders who will shape Tohoku's future. Currently, seven companies participate: Ajinomoto, Isuzu Motors, Kao, Sompo Japan Insurance, Dentsu Inc., Toshiba, and Benesse Holdings.

Part 1, "Voices from Corporate CSR Officers and Local Organizations," introduced ways to leverage corporate strength for disaster area recovery, based on the Partners' activities over the past year. First, an Ajinomoto representative stationed in Tohoku, working to support residents in temporary housing, reported on the current situation and challenges three years after the disaster. Next, representatives from four participating companies and local organizations introduced their respective initiatives: the "Employee Dispatch Program," "Michinoku Creative Camp," and "Michinoku Supporterz, Inc. Meeting."

They explained how experiences with disaster-affected organizations provide learning opportunities for corporate professionals, and how not only specialized knowledge but also the skills and work approaches corporate professionals use daily can be useful to local organizations. They emphasized the importance of more corporate professionals becoming involved in Tohoku's recovery. In summary, ETIC.'s Representative Director Haruo Miyagi stated, "We have no experience working alongside companies as 'comrades-in-arms' tackling something together, and we are challenging ourselves to create a new way of being.

Progress isn't instantaneous, but it is steady. While today's reported initiatives may seem like a single-day event, the discussions and trial-and-error leading up to them have likely formed the core of our activities. When something keeps rolling, there comes a point where it gains momentum. The future may be unclear, but I want to continue rolling forward with all of you in the corporate world, challenging ourselves to change the world."

Summary by Etic's Representative Miyagi

Part 2, "Messages for Corporate Professionals," featured moderator Masahiro Makiguchi of Dentsu Inc. Representative Hiroshi Tasaka of think tank Sophia Bank and journalist/media activist Daisuke Tsuda discussed the theme "How should corporate professionals engage with society (disaster-affected areas, local communities)?" Drawing from his ongoing involvement in Tohoku, Tsuda shared how he gains insights and energy from the powerful individuals actively working on the ground. Tasaka emphasized that companies should contribute to society through their core business and that CSR departments must serve as central hubs connecting various sections to drive social change.

From left: Makiguchi, Tasaka, Tsuda