Together with Our Local Communities

To coexist with our local communities as a corporate citizen and ensure our sustainable development, at the Nippon Soda Group we proactively participate in community activities, exchange opinions with community stakeholders, and engage in an array of social contribution activities. In addition, through dialogue with local communities, we share transparent information regarding the impacts of chemical substances on the environment, health, and safety, and aim to deepen our understanding of their needs and values, thereby building and solidifying relationships of trust.

Harmonious Relationship with Local Communities

Social Dialogue with local communities

Nippon Soda holds local gatherings and regularly hosts tours of plants and research centers for residents near its worksites in order to share information on CSR activities and exchange views and comments.

Dialogue with local communities at worksites (Frequency)

• * We aim to host more than 25 local gatherings per year.

Participation in local activities

Nippon Soda endeavors to build positive relationships with local residents at each of its business sites by engaging in a wide range of activities tailored to community needs. These include such thing as cleanup activities, participation in local festivals, hosting plant tours, and supporting regional events, all aimed at fostering coexistence with the community.

Participation in local activities

Volunteer support program
(Chiba Plant and R&I Center (Chiba), June 12, 2024)

Environmental maintenance for plant surroundings
(Takaoka Plant, June 19, 2024)

Plant tour for second graders at Nakago Junior High School
(Nihongi Plant, July 9, 2024)）

Waku Waku Land Arai Science Festival
(Nihongi Plant, July 15, 2024)

Eco-walk
(Nihongi Plant, October 23, 2024)

Nippon Soda “Thanking Local Residents” event
(Takaoka Plant, November 9, 2024)

Holding of local cleaning activities

In order to fulfill our role and responsibility as a corporate citizen, we regularly carry out local cleaning activities around our worksites.

Number of community cleanup activities

Dissemination of information on CSR activities

The Nippon Soda Group disseminates information on its CSR activities in its Integrated Report and ESG Data Book, both of which are available on its corporate website. Also, we submit an implementation report and plan to the Japan Chemical Industry Association, and announce the report and plan in dialogue with local communities and other forums.

Environmental monitoring in collaboration with local residents

The Nihongi Plant and the Takaoka Plant conduct environmental monitoring in cooperation with residents living nearby (five residents in the case of the Nihongi Plant and twelve in the case of the Takaoka Plant). This helps us build trust with local communities and properly manage our environmental impact.
In FY 2025/3, we were provided with information on one environmental matter, dealt with the situations properly, explained our response, and gained their understanding.

Community connections through the Echigo TOKImeki Railway

In February 2020, Nippon Soda celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Company’s founding. As one of our commemorative projects, in 2016 we teamed up with the Echigo TOKImeki Railway in Niigata Prefecture to decorate trains running along the Myoko-Haneuma Line between Naoetsu Station and Myoko Kogen Station.
The trains are wrapped using designs from students at Nakago Junior High School. Moreover, in July 2024, we acquired the naming rights for Nihongi Station (Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture) on the Myoko-Haneuma Line, giving it the alternative name Nippon Soda Mae. While aiming to build even closer relations with locals for the next 100 years, we will contribute to the development of our local communities and develop alongside them.

Nippon Soda Mae

Wrapped trains

Employee volunteering

At Nippon Soda, in support of employees’ social contribution activities, and to promote their participation in volunteer activities, we have introduced a new volunteer leave system in which employees can use up to five days of their expired accumulated paid annual leave for volunteer activities. Through this system, employees can receive a normal wage when volunteering and take up to five days of special paid leave to contribute to society and take advantage of opportunities for self-development. Our aim is to improve employees’ social awareness and reinforce our collaboration with local communities.
In FY 2025/3, four employees used this system to take paid leave.

Contribution to Regional Development

Contribution to local economies and local employment

At our nationwide manufacturing plants, we purchase packaging materials and reagents from local companies to contribute to the regional economy. Furthermore, through the provision of stable employment at our nationwide worksites, we are contributing to the creation of employment opportunities in our local communities.
Moreover, to ensure healthy work-life balance and enhance job satisfaction for our employees, we regularly communicate with labor unions to ensure working conditions are in line with current trends. Based on this policy, our standard minimum wage continues to be above the legal minimum wage in all areas we conduct business, and we are contributing to raising income levels in the regions in which we operate.

Comparison of the standard minimum wage to the local minimum wage in FY 2025/3

• * Standard minimum wages for the Company were calculated based on the starting salary (same for men and women) for those joining the Company at the age of 18 in the manufacturing and non-manufacturing groups. Wages have been rounded down to the nearest yen.