One of the seven material issues identified by the Group is “diverse human resources.” To realize a company that grows together with colleagues of diverse individuality, we position the promotion of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) as an important element. DE&I is not only one of the key elements of human capital management that supports our long-term corporate strategy, but also a foundation for our efforts to respect human rights.
We believe that creating an organization and corporate culture in which each individual can work with peace of mind and fully demonstrate their abilities and strengths will lead to higher employee engagement and productivity, and ultimately to the realization of the kind of Group we aspire to be.
Through our efforts to provide equitable opportunities, we will strive to create a workplace environment in which the diversity of each individual, including their attributes and backgrounds, is mutually recognized and valued. At the same time, by emphasizing the practice of inclusion that transforms diversity into organizational strength, we will enhance corporate value.
We, the DUNLOP Group, will advance initiatives that respect the diversity of every individual in order to embody Our Philosophy.
We position the integration of diverse strengths and continued growth as a key management priority, and hereby declare the following:
<DE&I Promotion Declaration>
We will create a workplace where diverse attributes and ways of thinking are respected and every individual can fully demonstrate their abilities.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
Yasuaki Kuniyasu
Representative Director, President and CEO
The Company recognizes DE&I as one of the essential elements of human capital management that supports its long-term corporate strategy and has formulated DE&I Top Commitments by all Directors. Each Director recognizes the importance of DE&I and declares how DE&I will be incorporated into management strategy and leveraged to realize the desired state within his or her area of responsibility. Including senior management, we will continue to strengthen the Company’s talent and organizational foundation on a company-wide basis.
Approximately 2,000 years ago, a new form of art known as Gandhara emerged, integrating and elevating characteristics of various artistic traditions from Greece, Syria, Persia, and India. The businesses and departments under my responsibility encompass a diverse range of product offerings and business models, and bring together a wide array of professionals with different areas of expertise, including human capital management and organization, sustainability, research, and legal affairs. This means that we have the foundation to create new value—our own modern-day Gandhara art—by integrating and elevating the distinctive strengths of each of these areas.
Under our Long-term Corporate Strategy “R.I.S.E. 2035,” “Innovation Driven by Rubber-based Technologies,” “Strengthening Brand Management,” and “Building a Resilient Management Foundation” serve as growth drivers. Needless to say, it is people who will make this possible.
Each member must fully demonstrate their performance and skills, and turn their ideas and aspirations into reality with strong motivation. They should share diverse opinions, understand one another, engage in frank and thorough discussions, and, ultimately, reach a unified conclusion. I believe that teams like this are the ones that create new value.
To make this happen, we will thoroughly build the necessary conditions: a workforce composition that encourages a constant flow of diverse opinions, and an organizational culture that recognizes and respects differing views. By doing so, we will become a group united by a strong desire to create our own modern-day Gandhara art, which will naturally lead to the growth of individuals and the growth of the Company.
The Group aims to continue delivering joy and well-being to society through its products and services. I believe the driving force behind this is an environment in which each person working here can respect one another, grow together, and fully demonstrate their abilities.
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, sustained corporate growth requires an organization where people with diverse perspectives and strengths can demonstrate their abilities in their respective roles, rather than relying on uniform ways of thinking. We have valued an approach that goes beyond simply recognizing diversity, connecting differences through constructive dialogue and collaboration, and turning them into organizational strength. By embedding this mindset in our day-to-day activities, we will create a virtuous cycle in which both the Company and its employees can grow.
Through baseball, golf, travel, and overseas assignments, I have personally met many different people. These experiences have repeatedly shown me that when people trust one another and make the most of each other’s strengths, they can achieve results that go beyond what any individual could accomplish alone. These experiences form the foundation of my approach to work.
I will continue to foster a corporate culture in which people support one another with a positive mindset, take on the challenge of transformation, and build relationships based on mutual respect and trust. By creating an environment where each person can confidently exchange opinions, take on challenges, and fully demonstrate their strengths, we will achieve business growth and deliver value to society.
We exist to fulfill our Purpose: “Through innovation we will create a future of joy and well-being for all.” With safety and quality as the foundation of our business activities, the Group’s Tyre Business has worked together with business sites around the world to support people’s lives and mobility from the ground up, delivering joy and well-being to customers worldwide.
Today, the environment around us is changing rapidly, and we face a growing number of issues and challenges with no single correct answer. Against this backdrop, we are boldly taking on the challenge of continuing to drive innovation so that we can advance our business with a sense of unity as One DUNLOP and continue providing value on an ongoing basis. To achieve this, in addition to technology and experience, it is essential to foster a culture in which diverse talent can fully demonstrate their abilities.
The development of Active Tread technology symbolizes a major innovation that created new value, with diverse members sharing their knowledge across roles and areas of expertise. Returning to our Vision—“Uniting our diverse strengths, growing together, driving and thriving on change”—we will continue to promote DE&I as an initiative that supports business management. We are committed to taking on challenges so that we can continue creating value that earns the trust of customers and society and exceeds their expectations.
One of the issues that must be addressed in order to create an environment in which diverse human resources can demonstrate their abilities is the correction of gender gaps. For example, women have had fewer opportunities for career development than men, while men have had fewer opportunities than women to pursue diverse working styles. These and other gender gaps have arisen within social structures and corporate culture. The Group recognizes these gaps and will continue to promote initiatives aimed at realizing a society in which people can demonstrate their abilities regardless of gender.
A strong commitment from top management is essential for advancing DE&I, including the promotion of women’s participation and advancement in the workplace. Satoru Yamamoto, Representative Director and Chairperson of the Board of Directors, participates in the “Male Leaders Coalition for Empowerment of Women” (Secretariat: the Cabinet Office) and communicates internally and externally his determination to accelerate efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment at the Company.
We aspire to be a company that continues to create new value. To achieve this, we believe it is essential that diverse talent be able to leverage their strengths and thrive as themselves. I am convinced that advancing women’s participation and advancement will lead directly to the realization of the future we aspire to create.
The Company believes that men’s participation in childcare plays an important role in enabling diverse workstyles for men, advancing women’s participation and advancement, and creating a workplace and corporate culture in which diverse employees can work comfortably. With this in mind, the Chairperson has personally expressed how he will act to become a leader who can manage in a way that enables both his team members and himself to achieve work-life balance.
I will lead by example as an Ikuboss.
I will take the lead in promoting better work-life balance for the colleagues I work with.
I will strongly support men’s participation in childcare.
I will lead efforts to improve work-life balance.
In addition to establishing a foundation that enables each individual to work with peace of mind and in a way that is true to themselves, we believe it is important to create an environment in which employees can demonstrate their abilities and strengths and translate them into growth and new challenges. The Company will continue to promote initiatives to correct gender gaps while also fostering an organizational culture in which employees with diverse backgrounds recognize and elevate one another, thereby developing an environment that supports the sustainable growth of the organization.
In 2022, a dedicated organization for promoting D&I was established within the Human Resources Department of the Human Resources & General Affairs Headquarters, and it has played a company-wide role in promoting D&I. In April 2024, the D&I Group was transferred from the Human Resources & General Affairs Headquarters to the Sustainability Management Promotion Headquarters, and its name was changed to the DE&I Group. As a department that plays a role in sustainability management, it promotes DE&I across the Sumitomo Rubber Group.
In 2025, we established the DE&I Subcommittee as a company-wide cross-functional body under the Sustainability Promotion Committee. Each headquarters participates in the subcommittee, and through discussions and the sharing of progress on initiatives, we have established a framework for management-level monitoring and management review of DE&I initiatives.
The Company is promoting the “Future Factory Project for Better Workplaces” to build manufacturing sites where diverse talent can work comfortably and thrive by strengthening human capital at manufacturing sites. This project was established under the Sustainability Promotion Committee, and the factories, the head office HR function, and the manufacturing function are working together on a company-wide basis to address issues common to domestic factories. In addition to developing an environment in which diverse talent can work comfortably and thrive, we are advancing the project from a variety of perspectives, including reviews of organizational culture, organizational structures, and various systems.
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Certifications
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Details
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Objects
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Year of certification
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“L-boshi” (third level) certification A system established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to certify companies working to create an environment where women can play an active role |
Non-consolidated base | 2020〜 |
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Awarded “Best Workplace” in the D&I Award Japan’s most significant award recognizing companies committed to diversity and inclusion. |
Non-consolidated base | 2023〜 |
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PRIDE Index “Gold” certification An index that evaluates efforts to support LGBTQ and other sexual minorities. |
Non-consolidated base | 2023〜 |
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Certified as a “Hyogo Kobe Women’s Empowerment Business (Mimosa Company)” Hyogo Prefecture and Kobe City jointly certify companies in Hyogo Prefecture that are promoting the participation and advancement of women in the workplace |
Non-consolidated base | 2023〜 |
| Received “Hyogo Work-Life Balance Company Award” Companies and organizations implementing advanced initiatives to promote work-life balance receive awards |
Non-consolidated base | 2022〜 | |
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Acquired “Kurumin” mark Certified as a child-rearing support company by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare |
Dunlop Golf Club Corp | 2021〜 |
A female general manager who participated in the “Next-Generation Female Executive Development Program” in fiscal 2023 was appointed in March 2025 as the Company’s first internally promoted female executive officer. This marks the first step toward advancing decision-making informed by diverse experience and perspectives. We will continue to further strengthen the development and promotion of female leaders.
With the aim of increasing the ratio of women in management positions to 12% by 2030, we established the company-wide cross-functional DE&I Subcommittee in 2025 and are evolving our initiatives into more effective measures. To support women’s career development, we are strengthening individualized development by linking career development sheets prepared by employees themselves with development plans prepared by their supervisors, while expanding opportunities for capability development and diverse experiences. Going forward, we will further promote the visualization of talent, strengthen cross-functional development, and encourage richer career development by enabling women to take on a broader range of responsibilities. Through these efforts, we aim to maximize the value of human capital and increase the ratio of women in management positions.
As we have promoted measures related to ease of working and job satisfaction, workstyle options have increased and diversified not only for women but also for men. Going forward, regardless of gender, we will strengthen individualized development and create an environment in which everyone can fully demonstrate their abilities.
In 2024, supported in part by the introduction of the “Paid Leave for Childcare” system, which was designed to encourage the taking of childcare leave, the rate of childcare leave taken by male employees reached 100%.* In 2025, the rate continued to rise, reaching 115.3%. We will continue to develop and firmly establish an environment in which all employees, regardless of gender, can more easily balance work and childcare, thereby aiming to become a company where diverse talent can fully demonstrate their abilities.
* Includes the Company’s own leave program. Up 15% from 2023.
The examples of initiatives presented below currently apply to the non-consolidated domestic operations only.
We continue to provide training for executives and managers, including the President, inviting external experts and female Outside Directors to keep them updated on the latest DE&I developments. We also encourage them to link what they have learned through the training to their own roles and reflect it in departmental policies and managers’ action declarations so that they can take initiative in their day-to-day management.
Senior Executive Officers and above have engaged in repeated frank and open discussions on correcting gender gaps. Based on our vision for what DE&I should be at the Company, we have continued discussions on such matters as the ongoing development of women, the review of KPIs for women in management positions, diverse workstyles for men, and the appropriate approach to management-level monitoring and management review of initiatives undertaken by each division.
To promote the development of women who can contribute at the top management level, we have participated as a corporate member in the Kyoto University Women Executive Leadership Program since 2023. With a view to future participation in decision-making roles, we select women managers to attend the program and support them with learning opportunities that help them engage more deeply with career development, including acquiring management knowledge and a management perspective.
The ratio of women in management positions at the Company remains low, and from the perspective of human capital, further strengthening talent development is necessary. Conventional uniform development measures and the provision of opportunities alone have not been sufficient to address diverse circumstances such as life events.
Accordingly, we are shifting to a more flexible development approach tailored to each individual’s circumstances and aspirations and will more strongly promote the development of female talent who can become leaders and managers by drawing out each person’s capabilities more fully.
Specifically, from 2025, as a measure to support each individual’s career development, we have been using career development sheets prepared by employees themselves and development plan sheets prepared by supervisors for their female subordinates to expand opportunities for capability development and diverse experiences.
In addition, we are further promoting the visualization of talent and encouraging broader perspectives by providing opportunities to gain experience across a wider range of work on a cross-functional basis.
By continuously optimizing and advancing these measures, we aim to maximize human capital and increase the ratio of women in management positions.
In recent years, men’s workstyles have also become more diverse. Going forward, regardless of gender, we will strengthen individualized development and create an environment in which everyone can fully demonstrate their abilities.
We provide a setting in which experienced senior employees (mentors) listen attentively to mentees, offer advice as needed, and support them in resolving issues and achieving growth.Since its introduction in 2022, the program has supported a cumulative total of around 100 mentor-mentee pairs, providing opportunities to address a wide range of concerns, including work-related issues, career worries, and sometimes even personal matters, helping participants clarify their career vision.The program began as support for women, but it is now available to employees regardless of gender.In-house mentors are selected employees who have received mentoring and training from external professionals, providing an environment in which mentees can seek advice with confidence. At the same time, serving as a mentor helps them strengthen their skills in developing subordinates in the workplace and enhance their leadership capabilities.
As a member company of Kyohokai,* we have participated since 2024 in Tsunagaru no Hi, an exhibition of improvement activities led mainly by women responsible for practical operations (hosted annually in September by Toyota Motor Corporation).This participation led, from the same year, to exchange meetings with Kyohokai member companies and participation in networking events hosted by those companies by teams at our Shirakawa and Nagoya factories that promote women’s empowerment and DE&I.We are deepening exchange through meetings with Kyohokai member companies and participation in events hosted by individual companies.In exchanges of views with women in practical and skilled roles at member companies, we heard comments such as “we want improvements to break rooms and restrooms,” “we need a working environment that is easy for women and older employees,” and “we want consultation channels where concerns from a woman’s perspective can be raised more easily.”These are common issues for the Company as well, and these exchange meetings provide a valuable opportunity to learn from one another’s initiatives.We will continue to actively participate in intercompany exchange through Kyohokai and contribute to promoting DE&I across the industry.
*Kyohokai: A voluntary association composed of suppliers that deliver automotive parts, bodies, and other products to Toyota Motor Corporation.
Together with three manufacturing companies based in Kobe, like the Group, we have continuously held the Kobe Manufacturing Companies Networking Event for Women in Technical Roles since 2023.As we had been sharing information on DE&I activities, women engineers at each company voiced a common concern that there were insufficient opportunities for information sharing and networking to enrich both work and private life, which led us to jointly organize this networking event.We provide an empowering opportunity for exchange with women employees from other companies—something difficult to achieve through a single company’s initiatives alone—and share insights that help balance work and private life, career self-direction, and career development.In Hyogo and Kobe, where many manufacturers are based, we are also contributing to promoting DE&I in the local community through co-creation among manufacturing companies.
In recent years, men’s participation in childcare has become not something special but an important theme that is changing the nature of organizations. The Company regards men’s participation in childcare as indispensable to both improving productivity and creating workplaces where diverse employees can work comfortably, and has promoted the taking of childcare leave. Through lectures and training for all levels of employees, we are deepening understanding of the relationship between childcare leave for men, DE&I, and productivity improvement, while continuing to promote a culture in which leave is easy to take. Institutionally, we piloted the Paid Leave for Childcare system in 2024 and connected it to full-scale introduction in 2025. Through the accumulation of these initiatives, we achieved a 100% rate of childcare leave taken by male employees in 2024.In addition, through our internal information-sharing site, we introduce Ikuboss initiatives and are fostering a corporate culture that values men’s participation in childcare and diverse workstyles. By expanding management that supports the growth of subordinates while balancing organizational performance with one’s own work-life balance, we are advancing the creation of workplaces where both men and women can more easily balance work and childcare and where diverse talent can demonstrate their abilities.
To realize manufacturing sites where everyone can work with peace of mind, we are prioritizing the improvement of welfare facilities. Until now, manufacturing sites faced issues such as insufficient facilities for female workers and anxiety about the environment when using them during night shifts. We have taken these concerns seriously as real voices from the workplace and have been expanding welfare facilities such as women’s restrooms and lockers, as well as renovating restrooms to be bright and safe to use even during night shifts.
We are also improving break areas and other spaces with input from employees themselves, focusing not only on ease of use but also on creating spaces that encourage communication and allow employees to refresh themselves both mentally and physically. These improvements are not merely facility upgrades; they form an important foundation for enhancing employees’ sense of security, raising day-to-day ease of working, and transforming sites into places where people want to work. Through the “Future Factory Project for Better Workplaces,” we are steadily creating factories where each employee can feel change and work with pride and joy.
We are making improvements to reduce the burden of work involving physically demanding tasks, such as handling heavy objects. Taking into account differences in strength and physique, we are working to create environments in which everyone—including women and senior employees—can demonstrate their abilities without strain. We also actively incorporate workplace patrols and improvement proposals by female employees to uncover issues that have previously been overlooked and connect them to improvements in equipment and devices so that even workers whose tasks are constrained by strength or height can work without strain. Improving issues identified from women’s perspectives ultimately leads to workplaces that are easier for everyone to work in, regardless of gender or age. Through the accumulation of improvements that reflect these diverse perspectives, we are advancing both ease of working and productivity.
To address issues at each factory, we have established cross-functional working groups at each site and are advancing initiatives proactively. They are autonomously promoting improvements on themes directly linked to ease of working, such as activating communication and improving welfare facilities including break areas.We have established regular opportunities for dialogue to carefully gather feedback from employees and share issues, thereby building a cycle in which initiatives are driven by on-site leadership. We also believe that when each employee voices opinions and becomes involved in the process of improvement, they can feel the changes and improvements themselves, which in turn leads to a greater sense of fulfillment and higher engagement.
Aiming to create an environment in which global talent can work with peace of mind and grow, we have developed a system for accepting foreign technical intern trainees. The Company mainly accepts trainees from the Group’s bases in Indonesia and is improving acceptance and guidance systems and consultation channels so that they can adapt smoothly in both their daily lives and the workplace. We also provide training and opportunities for exchange to foster mutual understanding of differences in culture and customs and have built a system under which the entire workplace provides support. An environment in which trainees can learn skills with peace of mind also raises awareness among existing employees of the importance of respecting diversity and contributes to fostering an inclusive culture.
We believe that becoming aware of unconscious bias and consciously changing our behavior leads to workplaces that are easier to work in and to greater opportunities for growth.We began this training in 2020, and from 2024 it was also introduced for employees at manufacturing sites. Because unconscious bias can affect safety in the workplace, the training uses situations that can actually occur on site and emphasizes “noticing” and “talking things through.” We are continuing the training in 2025, and by steadily building efforts to eliminate small assumptions, we are connecting these initiatives to the creation of organizations in which people respect one another.
To create an environment in which each individual can demonstrate their abilities and to fully mobilize the capabilities of all employees, it is important to evolve the management practices of senior leadership and managers.In addition to being mindful of diverse attributes and values, managers are expected to review their own management practices and put inclusive managerial behavior into practice in order to fully mobilize all employees and generate results as an organization. Based on this way of thinking, executives took the lead in issuing the “Inclusive Manager Declaration.” It expresses the resolve of managers to promote inclusion and create workplaces where everyone can demonstrate their abilities.
The Company participates in the Kyoto University Consortium for Communication Design and DE&I, launched by the Kyoto University Graduate School of Management. The Consortium promotes the development of communication design talent through study groups and practical opportunities aimed at realizing a society that respects and harnesses diversity.Through participation in symposiums, the Company is promoting dialogue and the sharing of knowledge beyond the boundaries of individual companies. We will continue to help realize a society in which everyone can live in their own way by creating workplace environments in which all employees can demonstrate their strengths.
To eliminate discrimination related to sexuality in the workplace and create an environment in which all employees can work as themselves, we are promoting an increase in Allies through a range of initiatives that foster understanding and awareness among each individual.
| Awareness-Raising and Educational Activities |
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| Creating an Enabling Environment |
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| Creating an Environment for LGBTQ+ Individuals |
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We aim to create workplace environments in which people with disabilities can work with peace of mind and demonstrate their abilities. For people with mental health-related disabilities, we work with related organizations to assign them to duties suited to their aptitudes. For people with physical disabilities, we are improving workplace environments by installing wheelchair-accessible restrooms and elevators and adjusting the height of card readers. Our employment rate of people with disabilities was 2.61% in fiscal 2024, meeting the statutory employment rate, and we will further promote both the development of environments in which employees can maximize their abilities and lead fulfilling working lives regardless of disability and the proactive hiring of people with disabilities.
※ The Group has SRI Business Associates Co., Ltd., a special subsidiary company that promotes employment of people with disabilities.
Since fiscal 2022, the Group has introduced job-based elements and developed systems that clarify accountability for results and provide treatment aligned with actual duties. By assigning senior employees to work that makes use of their abundant experience, knowledge, and skills and by providing evaluations and compensation commensurate with those roles, we are promoting workplaces where they can continue working with a sense of fulfillment.
We recognize that foreign workers face a range of human rights risks, including unfair fees associated with employment, forced labor after hiring, long working hours, discrimination in working conditions, and harassment in the workplace. The Company works with supervising organizations, centered on the HR departments at the sites that accept trainees, to create environments in which trainees can work and live with peace of mind.
In accepting trainees, we place emphasis on understanding the risks faced by foreign workers, understanding the culture and customs of the countries from which they come, and providing development that will contribute to their careers after returning home. In addition, we provide support from both work and daily-life perspectives, including Indonesian-language notices in workplaces and dormitories, orientations on safety and disaster prevention, fire extinguisher training, regular interviews once every two to three months, and halal food.
To create an environment in which all employees can work with peace of mind and fully demonstrate their abilities, we are continuously advancing initiatives through regular training, the establishment of consultation channels, and the development of environments that are easy to work in.In addition, we are creating workplaces in which diverse talent can demonstrate their abilities regardless of disability, age, employment status, nationality, or other attributes. We are developing a diverse employment environment through initiatives such as hiring foreign nationals, mid-career recruitment, reemployment of retired employees, employment of people with disabilities, appointing local employees of overseas affiliates to executive positions, and promoting non-regular employees to regular employee status.Furthermore, while taking into account the need to balance work with childcare and caregiving, we are also working to reduce overtime, encourage the use of paid leave, and improve workplace environments to promote more active communication.
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| Systems and Initiatives that Support Diverse Workstyles |
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We have set up an internal information page on DE&I and are actively disseminating information within the Company and promoting understanding. In addition, to strengthen the dissemination of DE&I-related information and promote the use of HR systems, we introduced a chatbot on the internal intranet as a means of searching for information and have continued to improve information dissemination. To promote the use of this chatbot, we created “Chabo,” a character for internal information dissemination. Because Chabo grows as employees use the chatbot, employees continue to use and nurture it with affection. Chabo also won the Grand Prize in the IC (Internal Communication) Character Grand Prix at the In-house Newsletter Awards 2021.* As a character used in disseminating DE&I- and HR-related information, Chabo has become widely recognized within the Company and has helped raise awareness of DE&I and HR-system-related information.
* Hosted by Wis Works Inc.
