Based on the Sumitomo Business Spirit, which has a 400-year history, the DUNLOP Group promotes various social contribution activities as a responsible corporate citizen.
In particular, the “GENKI Activities”—a volunteer program initiated by employees as “activities to make everyone GENKI (energetic)”—have been ongoing for over 30 years, primarily at our business locations nationwide. Through these “GENKI Activities,” we collaborate with local communities to carry out social contribution initiatives tailored to their specific needs. Through social contribution activities such as the “GENKI Activities,” as well as biodiversity conservation and greening initiatives, our Group will continue to actively promote these efforts to achieve our Sustainability Vision and become a company trusted by society.
The Sumitomo Rubber CSR Fund was established to support local communities where our business operations are located and to foster coexistence with them. It provides financial support to NPOs and other organizations engaged in activities aimed at solving global environmental and social issues.
Established in 2009, the fund began providing grants in 2010 to organizations working on “environmental conservation,” “traffic safety,” “disaster relief,” and “solving local social issues” in the regions where we operate.
In fiscal year 2025, we provided grants totaling 14.62 million yen to 54 organizations, bringing the total amount of grants provided to 621 organizations to approximately 152 million yen.
The selection of grant recipients is based on whether their activities align with the Sumitomo Rubber Industries CSR Fund’s fundamental principles, which are rooted in our Sustainability Vision. To appropriately address the severity of the social issues being tackled and the specific needs of each local community, we primarily select organizations recommended by our business sites. We also evaluate the organization’s continuity, as the activities must allow for voluntary participation by our employees, and the support is intended for sound and sustainable initiatives.
We support organizations involved with various activities, including conducting volunteer thinning of abandoned forests in the mountainous areas of Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, a society which works to protect rare species in Tamba City and an organization which runs activities in Kobe City to get children interested in the environment through science experiments.
Additionally, the Sumitomo Rubber Industries CSR Fund is utilized for donations to NGOs and NPOs engaged in disaster relief efforts and activities aimed at achieving the SDGs.
The Sumitomo Rubber Group values collaboration with diverse stakeholders. It implements social contribution initiatives that emphasize building strong, trusting relationships with the communities where we operate. By carrying out flexible social contribution activities tailored to the unique characteristics of each region, we not only fulfill our corporate social responsibility but also help create a work environment where employees feel secure and supported, leading to greater ease in their daily work and improved employee satisfaction. This also supports our growth as a company trusted by our communities.
We promote interaction and dialogue with diverse stakeholders by, for example, working in partnership with NGOs and NPOs. Through collaborative environmental activities such as cleaning nearby rivers and preserving satoyama (working forests that are maintained and managed by humans), we not only engage in social contribution efforts but also gain opportunities to better understand local social issues closely connected to the community. In addition, we encourage employee participation in volunteer activities by receiving information from local NPOs in the regions where our business bases are located.
Looking ahead, we will continue to create a place for both NPOs and our employees to encounter and learn from each other as part of efforts to expand the scope of partnerships.
At the Sumitomo Rubber Group, a dedicated contact in place at each business base, along with the General Affairs Department, is proactively playing a principal role in promoting communication and collaboration with local community residents and citizen organizations. We also endeavor to deepen relationships with local communities and, to this end, promote dialogue by, for example, inviting a diverse range of stakeholders to join factory tours and attend information exchange meetings so that they can understand our approach to manufacturing and appreciate our technologies. Through these dialogue initiatives, we strive to assess the impact of our business activities on neighboring communities and identify issues to be addressed while using the stakeholder perspective.
Stakeholder opinions and other inputs gleaned via dialogue are relayed to relevant departments as necessary and examined by the Management Meeting. We then provide each contact with feedback and otherwise utilize these inputs to improve our services and inform activities aimed at creating societal and economic value.
Promoting social contribution activities not only enhances our corporate image and strengthens support from consumers, investors, and business partners, but also boosts employee motivation, improves our evaluation among investors and suppliers, and helps build trust with local communities. Conversely, failing to promote such activities may pose risks in these areas.
We formulate annual plans and budgets to ensure the steady promotion of social contribution activities. In addition to deepening employee understanding and encouraging their active participation, we work to raise awareness of our initiatives and have established mechanisms to reflect employee input. These efforts also help secure personnel who can take an active role in implementing our social contribution activities.
The targets and results are as follows.
| 2025 target | Implementing social contribution activities that are tailored to local needs and emphasize engagement and dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders |
|---|---|
| 2025 result | Implemented community-based social contribution initiatives centered on the GENKI Activities (see the examples below for details) |
| 2026 target | Promoted next-generation development and educational support, along with social contribution activities tailored to local community needs |
| Medium- to long-term target | Supporting corporate growth by contributing to the realization of a sustainable society and earning the trust of society |
We have consistently maintained our community-focused social contribution initiatives, centered on GENKI activities, and have built strong relationships between our various locations and local residents. Our support for the next generation—centered on educational assistance for elementary and high schools—not only enhances the educational capabilities of schools but also strengthens the local community. We believe that nurturing the future leaders of our region and Japan is essential to realizing a sustainable society. We will continue to actively engage in supporting the next generation and strive to be a company trusted by the local community.
In the course of promoting social contribution activities, the Sumitomo Rubber Group takes an approach that develops deep root in local communities surrounding its factories and other business bases. To this end, employees take the initiative to host events aimed at interacting with residents of these communities in order to create an environment conducive to mutual understanding and develop robust relationship of trust with them. Building on this relationship, we strive to resolve issues confronting each community.
The Nagoya Factory, which is based in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, cooperates with the municipality-led traffic safety campaigns that are held quarterly. Specifically, these campaigns involve factory staff who serve as volunteer patrol members standing in position with signs and banners along city roads, including in front of the factory gates and at major crossings within Toyota City, in order to encourage drivers passing by to observe safe driving practices. Meanwhile, employees at the Izumiotsu Factory formed a street observation team in 2010 to protect local children from traffic accidents. These employees take turns monthly to stand guard at three nearby crossings that children use when walking to school.
The Shirakawa Factory strives to contribute to the development of a safe environment in which children can play with an ease of mind. To that end, in 2013 staff at this factory began placing wasp traps at neighborhood kindergartens and childcare facilities. In 2022, the factory received a growing number of requests for the placement of such equipment from childcare facilities outside Shirakawa City. In response, factory staff placed wasp traps at a total of 12 such facilities. In this way, the factory cherishes relationships with neighboring community residents while continuously endeavoring to help create a safe and secure environment for them.
In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, we are supporting efforts to raise awareness about early detection and treatment of breast cancer by changing the DUNLOP logo used at the circuit from yellow to pink. We have created tire logos, banners at the venue, staff masks and wristbands, and stickers, and are promoting this initiative at major races and events held in October.
The motorsports world is dominated by male fans and industry professionals. Through this campaign, we believe it is crucial for men to gain knowledge about breast cancer and take action to encourage their families, partners, and relatives to undergo early screening, detection, and treatment.
In 2025, continuing from 2024, we held a kickoff event at the “All-Japan Karting Championship EV Division,” where we supply DUNLOP tires made with 43% sustainable materials. In kart racing—considered the gateway to motorsports, where the number of female racing drivers has been increasing in recent years—we conducted breast cancer awareness activities through stage events and a DUNLOP booth exhibition.
Since 2009, we have been sponsoring the “Dunlop Manufacturing Workshop” organized by the NPO CoreNet. This program is designed to help fourth- through sixth-grade elementary school students experience the fun and sense of accomplishment that comes from making things, as well as foster teamwork, through hands-on activities involving the assembly of the “Scroller II” craft kit.
As of 2025, we have held 86 sessions, with approximately 6,400 participants.
These activities provide local children with opportunities to learn about the joys and challenges of making things, and seeing the children earnestly striving to learn serves as the driving force for our group to continue these activities year after year.
At the Ichijima Factory, which manufactures golf balls, we collaborate with a local greening group called "Kadono de Morimori Club" to support initiatives such as the "10th Birthday Commemorative Tree Planting" for fourth-grade elementary school students and "Ancient Rice Planting and Harvesting Experiences." We also invite children from nearby nursery schools to participate in events like "Great Purple Emperor Butterfly Viewing" and "Acorn Gathering," providing fun opportunities for them to develop an interest in environmental conservation and the protection of rare flora and fauna. The Ichijima Factory's Greening Team has expertise in cultivating Japanese hackberry trees—essential for raising the Great Purple Emperor butterfly—as well as maintaining turf indispensable for golf. The team actively supports greening activities at other factory locations and opens its test field so that children from nearby nursery schools can play on the well-maintained lawn.
Additionally, since 2022, the Kakogawa Factory has been donating the endangered plant Fujibakama (Eupatorium japonicum) to nearby elementary schools and conducting outreach classes.
We also carry out initiatives with the local community to promote understanding of our activities and greening efforts, such as presenting saplings—grown from acorns planted when the children first entered kindergarten—as graduation gifts.
We support career education for the next generation of students through a variety of initiatives, including a “Job Experience Program” for middle school students in Settsu City, Osaka; the “Dunlop Corporate Training Program” for students in the Global Science Course at Kobe Ryukoku High School; and the “KATANA Project,” an inquiry-based learning program at Kansai University Hokuyo High School.
As we aim to give back to society, we proactively make donations to and co-sponsor local events in regions where we have bases. In Japan, we have sponsored the “STOP! DRUNK DRIVING PROJECT” to eliminate drunk driving. We have also sponsored the KOBE MARATHON since its inaugural event as we align with its concept of communicating the appeal of Hyogo Prefecture and Kobe City and, as an area that experienced a disaster, the recovery process and lessons learned from the earthquake. Overseas, we donated uniforms to sports facilities for people with disabilities in Turkey and made donations to homes for elderly people in the Philippines. In China, we donated funds to support beautification projects. As these and other examples show, we strive to contribute to society through donations and co-sponsorship in regions across the globe.
As sports for people with disabilities gain increasing social attention, our group sponsors various sporting events to help promote this field. In particular, we participate as volunteers in wheelchair tennis tournaments held in Aichi and Hyogo Prefectures, and since fiscal year 2009, we have served as the title sponsor and provided special support for the “DUNLOP KOBE OPEN International Wheelchair Tennis Tournament.”
Team ENASAVE is an environmental conservation initiative that goes beyond the development of fuel-efficient tires, bringing DUNLOP and its customers together through a shared commitment to sustainability.
By promoting products that reduce environmental impact and engaging in community-based initiatives to protect local natural heritage and cultural assets, we aim to help build a more sustainable future.
For more details, please visit the website below. (Site only in Japanese)
For information on other dialogues, collaborations, and activities with regional communities, please check the following:
