CSR Communication Book 2017 - Casio
Transcript of CSR Communication Book 2017 - Casio
CSR Communication Book 2017Welcoming the Challenge of Helping to Build a Sustainable Global Society
Casio’s creativity goes deeper
than the surface of things. New
realizations and discoveries
abound, if you just look from a
different angle. View the binary
digit “0” from the side, and
you see a “1.” This illustrates
how Casio leverages multiple
perspectives to create new value.
Cover story
02 Message from the President
04 Social Trends and CSR Progress
06 Recent Social Trends and Casio Initiatives
08 Case Study: How Casio Achieves “Creativity and Contribution”
12 “Creativity and Contribution,” Taken Personally
14 Environmental Executive Message
16 CSR ConversationLearning from Model CSR Companies: Fujitsu’s Global Approach to Social Responsibility
20 A Visit to a Stakeholder
21 Launch of the CSR Leader System
In June 2017, Casio Computer Co., Ltd. celebrated its 60th anniversary. For six decades, Casio has
lived up to its corporate creed of “Creativity and Contribution” by giving the world products that
offer entirely new uses and features that no has ever seen before. Simply put, Casio’s approach to
product creation is “creating something from nothing.”
Each year, Casio issues this CSR Communication Book to share about its unique efforts to
fulfill social responsibilities in a way that embodies “Creativity and Contribution.” This fiscal 2018
edition takes a multi-angled look at the exciting new challenges Casio is embracing and is full of
fresh new content.
In the “Message from the President,” Kazuhiro Kashio describes how Casio continues to
differentiate itself by finding original ways to meet the changing needs of society, thereby ensuring
that its businesses always make a social contribution. “Creativity and Contribution” is the guidepost
for everything Casio does. This creed has been practiced for as long as Casio has been in business,
and it is the foundation for the company’s CSR efforts. The sections entitled “Social Trends and
CSR Progress” and “Recent Social Trends and Casio Initiatives” look back on how Casio’s social
responsibility initiatives have evolved with the times.
Everyone at Casio practices the corporate creed of “Creativity and Contribution” in their own
daily work. The Casio EX-Word electronic dictionary is used to illustrate how Casio people fulfill
the creed. Next, the section entitled “‘Creativity and Contribution,’ Taken Personally” features
employees sharing about how they each interpret and practice the corporate creed.
Of course, it is also vital to respond to public expectations regarding social responsibility. In the
“Environmental Executive Message,” Makoto Kobayashi, Executive Officer, General Manager, CSR
Promotion Department, discusses Casio’s response to the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable
Development Goals. Then, a special section summarizes a conversation with the head of Fujitsu’s
CSR department. Fujitsu is an exemplary Japanese company that has maintained outstanding
performance on international CSR norms. The conversation addresses the latest developments in
expectations regarding social responsibility for large corporations. Finally, sections entitled “A Visit
to a Stakeholder” and “Launch of the CSR Leader System” demonstrate how Casio is sharing about
its approach to CSR with external stakeholders.
We hope this book will give you even better insight into the corporate DNA that keeps Casio
“creating something from nothing.”
Please also visit the Casio website for comprehensive information on the company’s CSR
activities, provided based on guidelines from the Global Reporting Initiative.
http://world.casio.com/csr/
Contents
01CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
“Creativity for Contribution” has become more
important to us than ever before. We seek to build
“co-creator” relationships with end users by directly
connecting with them to create new social value.
Revising the Charter of Creativity for Casio
As we celebrate our 60-year milestone, we are seriously
returning to Casio’s unique origins in “Creativity and
Contribution” and transforming our business structure
for even greater advancement.
Casio originality lies in our ability to discover
hidden needs, to bring people amazement and joy,
and to create new cultural phenomena. We are also
taking this chance to revise the Charter of Creativity for
Casio to better share Casio’s heritage company-wide
and pass it down to the next generation. The revised
charter will redefine our reason for being and where
we are heading. It will clarify Casio’s vision, desired
Creating Businesses Focused on Being Useful to People
Casio Computer Co., Ltd. celebrated its 60th anniversary
in June 2017. Based on our corporate creed of
“Creativity and Contribution,” we have achieved
growth by developing many innovative products using
the approach of “creating something from nothing.”
Over the years, Casio has made people’s lives more
comfortable and convenient.
In recent years, the environment has changed
dramatically. New value no longer stems from mere digi-
talization or advanced functions. The era of “dominating
the market by making superior products” is over.
Today, our goals are not just about developing
products. Instead, we set goals by asking how we can
help people and contribute to the world through our
products and services. We call this kotozukuri, a term
that refers to the craftsmanship of systems for delivering
new experiences and intangible value. Consequently,
Implementing “Creativity and Contribution”— Meeting Social Expectations by Creating Unique Casio Businesses
Message from the President
Kazuhiro KashioPresident & COO
02 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
by issuing integrated reports. After clarifying the com-
munication objectives and target audiences, we will carry
out effective disclosure of the appropriate information.
I am always asking that all employees heighten their
awareness that Casio’s future depends on them. Each
department has a role to play to fulfill the company’s
vision and policies. With a shared vision of what we
want Casio to be 10 or 20 years from now, we are
aiming to become a company that provides even more
value, through the full participation of our employees.
Casio is facing the future as a unified team.
direction, and business domains. By digging even
deeper into “Creativity and Contribution,” we will
prepare to fully promote the spirit of Casio in and
outside of the company.
Aligning Business Execution with Solving Social Issues
When considering our future direction, we will
participate in efforts to solve global issues, such as the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted at
the United Nations. We will use the 17 SDGs to make
our contribution targets even clearer from a global
perspective. For example, our education business, which
helps optimize education systems, contributes to SDG 4
(quality education) and is also related to SDG 1 (no pov-
erty) and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth).
The current objective of our education business is:
“Improving the academic ability of students in regions
where our business is operating.” In the case of scientific
calculators, the goal is to enhance mathematical skills
by having educational sites adopt Casio scientific calcu-
lators. If we can fulfill these objectives and contribute
in the target markets, Casio sales will naturally increase
as a result. As the world population continues to
grow, the potential market is vast. While applying the
lessons learned from our successes, we will support the
academic development of the leaders of tomorrow.
In businesses other than education, as well, we will
practice “Creativity for Contribution” with the SDGs in
mind to simultaneously accomplish our business plan
and help solve social issues.
Emphasizing a Group-Wide Mission and Transforming the Business Structure
We will be working hard to transform our business
structure to create new value that is useful to people.
For many years, Casio was like a collection of
independent divisions. The reality was that each
division operated its own business separately without a
sufficient understanding of where Casio was heading
as a whole. In order to reinvent this silo organization, in
February 2017 we created the Consumer Development
Headquarters, putting it over the camera, signage and
musical instrument businesses. By combining our various
technologies and know-how, we can now generate
synergies, even in new genres.
We are also revising our evaluation system. While
the performance of departments and individual teams
and employees is important, there must first be a group-
wide mission, so the growth of individual organizations
can contribute to the growth of the entire group.
The same thing applies to CSR initiatives, which
also require a group-wide perspective. We will continue
to focus on increasing awareness of the material issues
(significant CSR issues) we identified in fiscal 2017,
throughout the Group.
Aiming to Create More Value
Casio values communication with stakeholders and is
now looking at ways to further improve its corporate
communications. We want to enhance ESG information
03CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
Casio’s CSR activities have evolved with social trends over the years. This section reviews that history, showing the increasing importance of management focused on social responsibility.
Social Trends in the 1990sThe 1990s was a decade of growing public criticism of corporate practices, with repeated corporate scandals in Japan. As a result, the Japan Business Federation established the Keidanren Charter for Good Corporate Behavior, and more and more large companies created their own codes of conduct. As part of legal compliance efforts, Japanese corporations also began to use CSR terminology. Until this point, environmental efforts in Japan were mainly limited to controlling industrial pollution. In the 1990s, however, other issues emerged, such as depletion of the ozone layer, rainforest destruction, and global warming. This was also an age when global environmental problems became apparent. Also, with the creation of the ISO 14001 standard, many companies adopted environmental management practices, hoping to help foster a sustainable global environment.
Social Trends in the 2000sIn the 2000s, the CSR practices of Europe and North America gradually took root in Japan. Discussion grew on themes such as human rights, labor relations, society, and product liability, adding to the environmental efforts that Japanese companies were already engaged in. In addition, companies started to recognize the full range of stakeholders, and in the early 2000s, CSR reports began to be released as part of stakeholder communication efforts. Around 2003, a growing number of companies shifted to CSR management. More companies began to create CSR offices and appoint officers in charge of CSR. These efforts took place in the context of management strategy, as an indispensable element for sustainable development of the company.
Casio Initiatives in the 1990sRecognizing that the manufacturing industry had a major role to play in environmental conservation, Casio established its Environmental Conservation Committee in 1991 and began to pursue environmental management. In 1993, the Casio Environmental Charter was established. This led to environmental activities across the Casio Group relating to both products and production/business sites. When the ISO 14001 standard was created in 1996, Casio also moved to obtain certification for its business sites. As a company with a global presence, Casio understands that it is vital to comply with international norms as well as the applicable laws and regulations in each country and region. In 1998, the Casio Code of Ethics was created to ensure that all officers and employees act based on high ethical standards and sound judgement.
1991 Casio Environmental Conservation Committee launched1993 Casio Environmental Charter and Environmental
Fundamental Policies established1997 Environmental activities reported on the Casio website ISO 14001 certification acquired by Aichi Casio and
Yamagata Casio1998 Casio Group Code of Conduct established ISO 14001 certification acquired by Kofu Casio, Kochi
Casio, Casio Korea, and Casio Electromex (Mexico)1999 Green Procurement Guidelines established Environmental Report first published First exhibit at Eco-Products ISO 14001 certification acquired by Casio Electronics
s
1990 Action Program to Arrest Global Warming established1991 Act for Promoting the Utilization of Recycled Resources
takes effect Keidanren Global Environment Charter established1993 Basic Environment Act takes effect1994 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
takes effect 1996 ISO 14001 international environmental standard created1997 Kyoto Protocol adopted by the third session of the
Conference of the Parties (COP3)1998 Act on Rationalizing Energy Use revised Act on Promotion of Global Warming established
2000 United Nations Global Compact initiated Sustainability Reporting Guidelines issued by the Global
Reporting Initiative (GRI) Containers and Packaging Recycling Act established2001 Green Purchasing Act established Act on the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources,
the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act, and the Basic Act on Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society established
2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg
Act concerning Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR Act) established
2003 WEEE and RoHS Directives take effect2005 Kyoto Protocol takes effect2006 JEITA issues Supply Chain CSR Deployment Guidebook
Social Trends and CSR Progress
CSR management reinforcement Environmental initiative Information disclosure
Social TrendsCasio Initiatives
1990s: Establishing Environmental Management 2000s: Shifting to CSR Management
Social Trends
04 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
Social Trends in the 2010sIn the 2010s, the attitude of external stakeholders towards companies began to change dramatically. Movements boycotted the products of companies that were not meeting their social responsibilities. Companies are now being judged not just on the impact of their own activities, but on the impact of activities across their entire supply chain. In addition, there is renewed interest in socially responsible investment, as investors look at social benefits while pursuing investment returns. The trend is to evaluate CSR activities in terms of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, and then utilize this information for investment decisions. Companies now must pursue CSR activities at a level that matches the impact of their business activities on society. More and more companies are identifying their materiality (significant CSR issues), and emphasizing CSR in their management strategies.
Casio Initiatives in the 2010sCasio’s CSR management has also evolved in response to society’s grow-ing expectations. In 2011, the company signed on to the United Nations Global Compact, a framework for realizing sustainable growth, and started sharing information, exchanging opinions and collaborating with other signatories. Casio re-analyzed its CSR management and strength-ened efforts to address the issues of human rights and fair business practices, utilizing the ISO 26000 social responsibility guidance standard. In 2012, Casio issued its first CSR Communication Book. This book raises the awareness of employees and highlights points of contact with stake-holders, and it is being used to accelerate CSR management emphasizing communication with stakeholders. In 2016, Casio established a process for identifying materiality in dialogue with various stakeholders and incorporating public expectations into its CSR management.
2000 ISO 14001 certification acquired for production sites in Japan and four Casio Computer business sites
Environmental accounting introduced Green Procurement Standards issued and business partner
briefing sessions begin2001 Casio Taiwan and Casio Software acquire ISO 14001 certification2002 Casio Electronics (Shenzhen), Casio Electronics (Zhongshan),
and Casio Techno headquarters acquire ISO 14001 certification2003 The Charter of Creativity for Casio established2004 CSR Promotion Office and CSR Committee launched Environmental Report becomes Environmental Management Report2005 Environmental Management Report becomes the CSR Report RoHS compliance achieved for all products sold in Europe2006 CSR Report and Corporate Profile combined to create
Corporate Report2009 Casio Environmental Charter becomes the Casio
Environmental Vision, and the Basic Environmental Policy becomes the Casio Environmental Declaration
2010 Corporate Report becomes Sustainability Report Joined the United Nations Global Compact2011 Casio Group Biodiversity Guidelines established2012 Analyzed current status for ISO 26000 CSR Communication Book issued Replaced the Casio Environmental Vision with the Casio
Environmental Vision 2050, and the Casio Environmental Declaration with the Casio Environmental Declaration 2020
2014 Casio Group Basic Policy on Respect for Human Rights established
Joined the Consortium for Sustainable Paper Use2015 Casio Group Paper Procurement Policy established CSR materiality studied CSR Leader system established at Casio Computer2016 Material issues identified 2017 CSR Leader system expanded to group companies in Japan
ss
2010 ISO 26000 standard created2013 G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines released International Integrated Reporting Framework announced
by the IIRC2014 Fifth Assessment Report released by the United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted at the UN Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) signs
the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) ISO 14001 standard revised Paris Agreement adopted2016 GRI Standards released
Casio Initiatives in the 2000sCasio’s CSR management began with the establishment of the Charter of Creativity for Casio in 2003. While considering three key CSR aspects—economic, environmental, and social performance—and thinking about the type of management necessary to grow sustainably with society, Casio reviewed its corporate creed, “Creativity and Contribution,” in light of the times. The result was summarized as the Charter of Creativity for Casio. In 2004, Casio established its CSR Promotion Office and CSR Committee. It started to analyze the current CSR situation and identify problems before working to raise awareness within the company. In 2005, Casio identified its key stakeholder groups, and started issuing the CSR Report, which clearly described the group’s responsibilities to each stakeholder segment.
Social Trends
2010s: Integrating CSR into Management Strategy
Casio Initiatives Casio Initiatives
05CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
BackgroundLately, it has become vital for companies to determine
which social issues are important for their management,
and what kind of future risks and opportunities they
present. Companies must also determine what kind of
business models and governance systems are required to
respond to these issues and how to create economic and
social value over the medium to long term. This is called
the integrated approach, and it has been emphasized in
corporate information disclosure in recent years.
As part of this worldwide trend, in September 2015,
Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF),
which has 140 trillion yen in investment assets, signed
BackgroundThe Paris Agreement, an international framework to take
effect in 2020, was adopted at the 21st Conference of the
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (COP 21), held in Paris in December 2015.
This is a legally binding international agreement like the
Kyoto Protocol. It clearly sets out a long-term worldwide
goal of achieving zero net greenhouse gas emissions from
human activities by the second half of this century.
Just prior to this, ISO 14001, an international
environmental management standard, was revised
in September 2015. The major revisions included
a new emphasis on improving the performance of
environmental activities, and a requirement to steadily
Recent Social Trends and Casio InitiativesSocial expectations of corporate activities are
continually changing along with societies
themselves. In recent years, the focus has been
on the integrated approach, strengthening
environmental management systems (EMS), and
contributing to the achievement of the SDGs.
Here is some background information on these
trends and Casio initiatives.
the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI).
This is a worldwide platform for investment based on
environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information
and was launched under an initiative of the United
Nations in 2006. In addition to traditional financial infor-
mation, signatory organizations are required to consider
ESG factors in the investment process. As a result, even
institutional investors who are entrusted with pension
investments by the GPIF are required to undertake ESG
investment initiatives. Furthermore, companies that
disclose information to investors also need to report their
corporate strategies, including ESG factors, along with
their corporate value.
reduce environmental impact via proper use of plan-do-
check-act cycles.
Thus, it is now essential for companies to formulate
appropriate plans and reliably achieve them in
accordance with international agreements such as the
Paris Agreement.
Casio Initiatives Casio will contribute to the fulfillment of the Paris
Agreement by aligning its greenhouse gas reduction tar-
gets with the medium and long-term goals of the Japanese
government. Specifically, based on its long-term environ-
mental management policy, the Casio Environmental Vision
2050, the company has revised its long-term greenhouse
1
2
Integrated Approach
Strengthening Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
Initiative
Initiative
06 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
What Are the SDGs?The UN Sustainable Development Summit was held at
United Nations headquarters in September 2015. With
the participation of the leaders of over 150 Member
States, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
was unanimously adopted. This worldwide agenda sets
out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including
169 specific targets.
The SDGs set out the global objectives and priorities
to be achieved by the year 2030. They highlight specific
opportunities to put the world on a sustainable track, in
areas including poverty, hunger, energy, climate change,
and peaceful societies. Companies in particular are also
expected to actively strive for sustainability as part of
corporate strategy.
Corporate embrace of the SDGs is moving forward
rapidly, and more companies are checking their business
activities against the 169 targets while prioritizing issues.
There are high hopes for the SDGs as a tool to form a
relationship between social issues and business objectives,
as part of the integrated approach mentioned above.
Casio Initiatives The SDGs are helping Casio to clarify targets for
its social contribution activities. For example, the
company’s educational business goals can be linked
with the international movement to solve educational
problems. Going forward, Casio will look at how its
specific business activities relate to the SDGs, in order
to tie them in with its business plans. The company will
clarify the opportunities and responsibilities that the
SDGs represent, and all employees will take the needed
next steps. Casio intends to head towards integrated
management that can achieve business plans while also
helping to resolve social issues. The aim is to further
improve corporate value.
3 Contributing to the Achievement of the SDGs
Strengthening Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
Initiative
Casio InitiativesLike other companies, Casio has received a growing
number of inquiries for the disclosure of ESG information
from institutional investors in recent years. In response
to this, Casio is revising its corporate communications
and is working to clarify economic and social value in its
medium to long-term growth scenarios.
Looking to issue integrated reports in the future,
Casio intends to further enhance its disclosure of ESG
information. After clarifying the objectives and audiences
for its various communications, the company will
promote effective information disclosure in response to
public expectations.
gas reduction target. Casio’s new target calls for an 80%
emissions reduction by fiscal 2050 compared with fiscal
2014. Instead of comparing results with fiscal 2006 levels,
the company has decided to set significantly higher targets
by changing the base year to fiscal 2014, when emissions
were lower than in fiscal 2005.
In compliance with the new revised ISO 14001 stan-
dard, Casio also promoted substantial reform of its EMS.
In order to carry out environmental activities based on
materiality, the company has established three committees,
each to address one of its material issues: realizing a
low-carbon society, building a recycling society, and living
in harmony with nature. The aim is to strengthen company
efforts to improve performance in these areas.
07CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
Case Study: How Casio Achieves “Creativity and Contribution”
Educational products are now a mainstay business for Casio.
What value is Casio trying to offer to society in areas such as
electronic dictionaries and language learning devices? Last year,
the EX-word line of electronic dictionaries celebrated its 20th
anniversary. Here, we reflect on its history and envision the
future of its contributions to education.
Sharing the joy of learning by
providing opportunities to acquire
knowledge and enjoy learning:
New creativity from Casio’s
electronic dictionary business
08 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
Helping People Worldwide to Acquire Knowledge and Enjoy Learning
In 1996, Casio released the EX-word, its first electronic
dictionary. Over the last 20 years, Jun Oshima has over-
seen the launch of EX-word products as a member of the
Product Planning Department, Consumer & Educational
Solution (CES) Product Division. We talked with him about
the history of customer development for this product.
“At that time, many other manufacturers had
released electronic dictionaries, so the EX-word was a
latecomer to the market. On the other hand, no one
had really clarified the key questions: who was using
words; and (3) have more chances to study thanks to the
better portability.”
Of course, the ability to promote the product with
confidence came from the team’s conviction that it
would truly be useful in helping students to learn. In
order to choose the paper dictionary to provide the
content for the device, the developers conducted a
survey to find out which schools used dictionaries by
which publishers and how often they were used. Even
after the initial product launch, the team continued to
utilize classroom feedback gathered by sales staff in
product development.
“For example, during our third year serving the
high school market, we received feedback that the
device broke too often. This was because many high
school students did not carefully handle the electronic
dictionary as a precision instrument, for example, or they
handled it more roughly than we had assumed. In order
to regain customer trust, we quickly developed a more
robust electronic dictionary, and since then resistance to
electronic dictionaries, how were they being used, and
for what purposes?”
High school students need something that makes
it easy to study for exams. University students want
something that is easy to carry to lectures, whereas
elementary school students are interested in something
that makes learning fun. We had to get clear about each
target customer segment, and then modify each product
and sales approach to fit it. Casio’s electronic dictionaries
really began to move when the development and sales
teams joined forces to drive the business.
It was especially hard to develop products for high
school students, who were the largest market for paper
dictionaries. Oshima explained, “Even if we targeted our
promotions directly to high school students, the effect
would be minimal if the product could not also be used
at school. We realized we should first inform teachers
about the benefits of the product, so that they could rec-
ommend it to their students.” One by one, Casio sales
staff visited about 5,000 high schools all over Japan. This
was the start of a steadfast effort to carefully explain the
features of the electronic dictionary.
“At that time, teachers thought looking English
words up in a paper dictionary helped students to learn
new vocabulary. So, it was not convincing enough to
simply tell teachers that the entire content of a paper
dictionary was contained in the device. We needed to
thoroughly communicate the three advantages of the
digital format, which allowed users to: (1) find words
more quickly; (2) listen to native pronunciation of English
Jun OshimaManager, Product Planning Section-2, Product Planning Department, Consumer & Education Solution Product Division
EX-word RISE, a specialized digital device for learning English conversation
09CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
breakage even if dropped from a desk has become the
standard specification for a Casio electronic dictionary.”
The developers listened carefully to the voice of the
customer and improved the product in ways that resolved
the concerns and dissatisfaction. By repeating this
process, understanding of the convenience of electronic
dictionaries gradually grew, even among high school
teachers, who had been strongly attached to paper dic-
tionaries. Today, it is estimated that about 60% of high
school students across Japan use electronic dictionaries.
Oshima explained, “I believe that this popularization
is a direct result of our team getting out there and
pounding the pavement. In addition to developing
speaking, the likes of which has never been seen before.
Yoshifumi Yasuda, who is in charge of sales of products
such as electronic dictionaries, explained its purpose.
“Due to the increase in foreign visitors to Japan, the
need for English conversation skills is rapidly increasing
among those involved in customer service, but not all
of these jobs require a high score on a global test like
TOEIC. Still, there was no alternative testing system to
help service industry employees with their English learn-
ing goals. That’s why I thought we should create our
own test.”
The first exam was held in March 2017.
Approximately 50 companies agreed to lend their names
to the project, showing approval and support. Yasuda
said he feels strongly that there is a real emerging need
for this kind of testing.
“Regarding EX-word RISE, other companies are
beginning to develop competing products. However,
we are about more than just fighting for market share;
sometimes we like to cooperate with other enterprises to
expand the market for English conversation products.”
Through his work, Yasuda has come to realize
that learning is one of the basic motivations of human
beings. By helping to create an electronic dictionary or
an English conversation learning device that can be kept
handy all the time, Yasuda knows that he is providing
people with daily opportunities to enjoy learning.
“I also want to provide total support for efficient
learning by helping to create new learning styles based
on audio and visual information, going beyond the
dictionaries for elementary and junior high school stu-
dents, as well as for senior citizens, we went on to create
products including dictionaries not only for English, but
for various other languages such as Chinese, German,
and French. We even made specialist dictionaries for
medical, nursing, and other terminology. In everything
we have done, our goal has been to provide opportuni-
ties to acquire knowledge and enjoy learning to as many
people as possible.”
Creating a New Way of Learning a Foreign Language
Casio facilitates the joy of learning. This goes beyond
the enjoyment of acquiring knowledge with an
electronic dictionary.
The palm-sized English conversation learning device,
EX-word RISE, was released in 2016. It makes the most
of Casio expertise in electronic dictionary development.
Oshima recalled, “It was developed for customers who
want to actually converse in English, especially business
people. With the ability to speak English becoming more
and more important in Japan, we wanted to help business
people with their quest to master English conversation.”
In 2017, Casio initiated an English Proficiency
Testing Service in collaboration with a publisher and a
newspaper company. The test is designed to determine
the ability of people to provide customer service to
foreign visitors in Japan. It is a unique English proficiency
test with practical content that focuses on listening and
Casio aims to help eliminate disparities in education worldwide by exercising creativity in its educational products business.
This coincides with UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, which calls for ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
Relationship with SDGs
Yoshifumi YasudaManager, Planning Section 1, Consumer & Educational Solution Products Marketing Dept.Global Strategic Marketing Division, Global Marketing Headquarters
10 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
into a school, or landing a job with a certain company.
To do so, we will carefully consider the socioeconomic
conditions in each country and capitalize on Japan’s pos-
itive image around the world to promote our products.”
Oshima, the creator of EX-word, added, “Educational
inequality is a major cause of poverty worldwide. This
problem cannot be solved in one quick step, but we
want to start doing what we can.”
Casio’s corporate creed, “Creativity and Contribution,”
means providing diverse kinds of value to the world by cre-
ating products that never existed before. Education is the
key to the future, and Casio aims to provide new products
that move the world forward.
Tomoaki SatohGeneral Manager, Product Planning Department, Consumer & Education Solution Product Division
conventional reading and writing methods for learning
English. In addition to providing hardware and content
such as electronic dictionaries and learning devices, we
are thinking about how we can suggest new ways to use
these products—in other words, whole new methods of
learning and teaching.”
Yasuda clearly has his sights set on the future.
Helping to Make Dreams Come True for Those Who Want to Learn Japanese
Aiming to create opportunities for people everywhere
to enjoy learning every day, Casio is working to increase
sales of electronic dictionaries outside Japan.
“Sales of electronic dictionaries outside Japan currently
account for only around 10% of our total,” said Tomoaki
Satoh, General Manager, Product Planning Department,
CES Product Division. “The way I see it, that means there is
great potential for sales growth outside Japan.”
Outside Japan, Casio has been focused mainly on
China in its electronic dictionary business. Going forward,
however, the plan is to expand the target market to learners
of Japanese not only in China, but also in Southeast Asia.
“The Japanese language is an important strength for
Japanese companies in the global market. More and more
people in other parts of the world covet jobs in Japan
related to healthcare, such as a nurse or caregiver. Their
stepping stone is acquiring Japanese proficiency. Casio
wants to help them learn Japanese by making Japanese
learning devices available in their local markets.”
There is work to do to ascertain market needs.
Products, sales channels, and markets all need to be built
from scratch. These are considerable obstacles, but the
team is determined to see it through.
Satoh explained, “In certain countries, there are
many people who would like to learn Japanese but can-
not afford to go to school. We want to provide products
that help make their dreams come true—like getting
Case Study: How Casio Achieves “Creativity and Contribution”
Past electronic dictionaries and language learning devices
11CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
The driving force of the Casio Group is our team of 12,000 employees worldwide. Casio employees practice social responsibility
by applying the corporate creed, “Creativity and Contribution,” to the work they do every day. Here are the stories of employees
from different departments who strive to fulfill the corporate creed from their vantage point, through their own work.
“Creativity and Contribution,” Taken Personally
Protecting Casio’s Intellectual Property and Supporting Secure Business Activities
Prioritizing Creativity and Promoting Product Appeal to Consumers
Tintin MenIP Licensing SectionIP Legal and Licensing DepartmentLegal & Intellectual Property Division
Mika TachibanaManager, Advertising Planning GroupAdvertising DepartmentCorporate Communication Division
In the field of legal affairs and intellectual property, it is my job to protect
Casio’s business activities in terms of patent rights. A patent is a powerful
right that enables a firm to seek compensation for damages and a production
injunction against anyone who infringes the patent. Even today there is a lot of
patent litigation in countries around the world. When Casio has to take steps
to protect its rights, we work to resolve the case promptly so as to minimize
any effects on the business. We also support Casio’s business by licensing
patents to other companies and effectively utilizing patents to resolve issues
with other companies.
The key is responding promptly when problems occur. By continually
gathering information, I constantly monitor trends concerning patent litigation
As leader of the timepiece team in the Publicity Production Group, I devise com-
munication strategies, while planning and implementing promotional activities
for all Casio watch brands. The scope of my projects varies from new product
exhibits and TV commercial production, to management of the company’s offi-
cial social media accounts. By using expressions that maximize product appeal,
I aim to create publicity that will grab the attention of consumers and ignite a
passion to buy the product or share information about it. It is very rewarding
when my efforts trigger consumer activity—when the sales of a publicized
product go up, or when discussion is generated in the media or on social media.
In fiscal 2017, the G-SHOCK gorilla promotional video generated
shockwaves in the market. In order to convey the toughness of the product
in each country, as well as law revisions and cases related to patents. While
a wide range of knowledge is required, sometimes the best solution does not
involve a textbook response based on past cases. “Creativity and Contribution”
is the guide for me to determine the essence of a problem, and then to make
the proper use of my knowledge and experience, in order to find the best
solution for each particular case.
My goal is to become a specialist in the legal affairs and intellectual
property field by acquiring even more technical knowledge and studying
interpretations of patent rights. In addition to passively protecting Casio’s
products and brands from business risks, I would like to take on the challenge of
contributing more proactively to the security of Casio’s business activities.
in a simple and direct way, we set out to create a thoroughly realistic-looking
gorilla. It was really difficult to choose the best gorilla representation, but
the promotion was really well received, and we won the top prize at the 61st
President’s Awards.
In my own work, I see the “creativity” described in the first chapter of the
Charter of Creativity for Casio as the foundation of Casio. All of our corporate
values arise from this creativity. I think this leads to ensuring that our products
meet universal needs, and providing customers with delight, happiness, and
pleasure. I always strive to be original in my daily work, and I intend to keep
practicing “Creativity and Contribution.”
12 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
Creating Environments That Allow Casio to Continue Innovating in the Industry
Creating New Value for Casio by Effectively Using IT
Aki MakishimaProject Manager, Management Division Casio France S. A.
Momoko ChokaStrategic Accounting Group, Information Technology & Engineering Department
Since joining Casio, I have been involved in various operations such as
organizational personnel, recruitment, and system planning as a member of the
Human Resources Department. In order to maintain an awareness of what Casio
Group employees are thinking, both in Japan and abroad, we emphasize open
communication and seek to listen to everyone equally. Currently I am seconded
to Casio France. I happen to be the first member of the Human Resources
Department to be posted outside Japan. My current job involves a pan-European
personnel project and administration in France. When I first arrived here, I worried
about my position—how I should communicate with the local staff. Now, though,
I find it very rewarding to serve as a bridge between the local staff in France,
the European headquarters, and the Japanese headquarters. My role is to share
The Information Technology & Engineering Department is responsible for
discovering operational problems faced by development, production, sales,
service, and back office departments, etc., and solving and improving them
through the effective use of IT. Currently, I am mainly in charge of building
accounting-related business systems, and I am working on projects in planning,
requirement definition, system development, and introduction. Since Casio’s
business environment is continually changing, we are striving to create opportu-
nities to rethink the way operations are currently done. While considering things
with the user department, such as whether the original purpose of an operation
is being fulfilled properly, or whether an administrative task is taking too much
time, we are utilizing IT to make improvements.
European cases with the Human Resources Department at the head office in
Japan, and I am facilitating discussions to help resolve various personnel issues.
I think the universal goal for human resources staff at the Casio Group is
to build a framework that enables employees to demonstrate their creativity
and to be able to fulfill “Creativity and Contribution” with professionalism and
enjoyment. We want to expand employee discretion and support the creation of
environments that will allow Casio to continue freely innovating in the industry
with bold ideas. I strive to fully understand the motivations for group employees
everywhere, while acquiring human resource knowledge and expertise from all
over the world. I believe this will help us to create human resource systems that
leverage Casio uniqueness.
The demand for data utilization will increase further in the future. Our
operational systems create huge amounts of data every day. But the data has
no value if it is not utilized. Our important missions include transforming data
into very useful information, and providing mechanisms for information sharing,
analysis, planning and decision making. In this way, we can contribute to the
development of new markets and the expansion of existing business.
I am delighted when I get feedback from users of a system that I have
been involved with. I am gratified when they say that the operational speed has
improved or they have been able to get the data they need. By cooperating with
user departments, I will continue to promote “Creativity and Contribution” as I
create systems that make new methods and value possible.
13CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
a real challenge by incorporating strategic environmental efforts
into business management.
Promoting Environmental Activities Linked to Internationally Agreed Goals
Since Casio is a company actively pursuing global growth,
we consider how our environmental efforts are related to
international agreements: the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. One of the major aims of the
2015 Paris Agreement is keeping a global temperature rise this
century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
In light of this, the Japanese government adjusted its goal for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 26% by fiscal 2031
compared with fiscal 2014. Casio decided to align its targets
with this national goal.
We know that it is crucial to link Casio’s material issues
with the 17 SDGs. Casio’s three material environmental goals
are realizing a low-carbon society, building a recycling society,
and living in harmony with nature. These objectives are closely
related to SDGs 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 and 15, namely, clean water
and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, responsible
consumption and production, climate action, life below water,
and life on land, respectively. It is vital that we always stay
Reviewing Greenhouse Gas Reduction Efforts and Setting Even Higher Targets
In February 2017, we reviewed our long-term greenhouse
gas reduction targets based on the long-term environmental
management policy, Casio Environmental Vision 2050. A new
target was set for an 80% emissions reduction by fiscal 2051,
compared with fiscal 2014. By changing the base year from fis-
cal 2006 to fiscal 2014 (when emissions were below the fiscal
2006 level), in effect we have set significantly higher targets.
We also updated our medium-term targets in accordance
with this change. By fiscal 2017, we had already mostly
achieved our goals of a 30% emissions reduction by fiscal
2021 compared with fiscal 2006, as set out in the Casio
Environmental Declaration 2020. So we set a much higher
emissions reduction target of 26% by fiscal 2031 compared
with fiscal 2014.
The new targets are challenging ones that cannot be
attained merely by extending our previous efforts. In addition
to manufacturing processes, we have to revise the distribution
of products, the way business sites work, and how employees
work. We have basically pledged ourselves to dramatic changes.
This latest target revision is a demonstration of Casio’s
determination as a leading environmental company to take on
Fulfilling Social Responsibilities as a Leading Environmental Company
Environmental Executive Message
Makoto KobayashiExecutive Officer, General Manager, CSR Promotion Department
14 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
meet our standards as Casio Green Star Products and Casio
Super Green Star Products, we are strengthen connections with
customers in order to show users the value they can expect
from these Casio-certified products.
Under living in harmony with nature, we are taking into
consideration direct and indirect impacts throughout the value
chain, based on our biodiversity guidelines. We are now doing
environmental impact assessments for each business site,
starting in Japan, and we are accelerating our efforts in areas
where our response has been delayed.
Helping to Build a Sustainable World by Raising the Awareness of Every Employee
Based on our restructured EMS, we are now pressing forward
together as a group to tackle our material issues and produce
results. The key to success is that each employee understands
why these issues are important and the course of action Casio
needs to take.
While serving as a roadmap for the entire world, the 17
SDGs can also be used to foster new awareness within Casio.
We must ensure that every employee sees the SDGs related to
worldwide energy and environmental issues as issues vitally
connected to their own work, and fully understands that their
efforts to address our material issues will also contribute to
the SDGs.
Casio’s new efforts under this new framework have only
just begun. Our future activities will depend on our ability to
make the new system function properly and drive performance.
By taking strategic action from a group-wide perspective, we
will steadily work to help build a sustainable world.
aware of the global environmental challenges that Casio needs
to help solve.
Strengthening Group-Wide Initiatives under a New Environmental Management System
In fiscal 2017, Casio carried out a substantial reform of its envi-
ronmental management system (EMS) in order to focus on three
material environmental issues within a group-wide framework.
We had been using the ISO 14001 environmental
management system as a tool for environmental management
for some time. Now, Casio has reorganized its system to enable
joint acquisition of ISO 14001 certification by our three main
sites: the head office, Hamura R&D Center, and Hachioji R&D
Center, which had each been separately certified before. In
addition, we have established three issue-specific committees,
tasked with realizing a low-carbon society, building a recycling
society, and living in harmony with nature, respectively, by taking
environmental action based on these material issues. We link the
ISO 14001 system directly to the activities of these committees.
In these reforms, we also reviewed department-based
initiatives, which tend to focus on a micro level, and established
a system that effectively manages initiatives across the entire
Casio Group. In September 2015, ISO 14001:2015 came
out. To meet its standards, which place greater emphasis
on performance, Casio is working to raise its environmental
management to a completely new level. With our new EMS, put
into operation in fiscal 2017, the entire Group is working as one
to improve performance.
Working Steadily on Material Issues
We are now making steady progress by setting long-term
objectives for each of the three issues that are material to Casio:
realizing a low-carbon society, building a recycling society, and
living in harmony with nature. We are formulating goals and key
performance indicators (KPIs) with a clear timeline.
As part of our goal to help realize a low-carbon society,
Casio will further enhance its strengths in making products with
energy-saving performance, aiming to further differentiate Casio
from other companies. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions in
manufacturing and logistics processes, we have introduced an
energy conservation diagnosis process at sites in Japan.
As we work to build a recycling society, we are targeting
resource conservation and recycling across the entire product
lifecycle, not just at Casio, but also at suppliers. This is especially
important for Casio, which has minimal involvement in resource
input into the manufacturing process due to the characteristics
of its business. While continuing to develop eco-products that
Building a recycling society
Realizing a low- carbon society
Living in harmony with nature
Material environmental goals
15CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
Establishing the Fujitsu Way and Fostering Employee Understanding
Kimura: Please tell us how the Fujitsu Way was established.
Fujisaki: The first edition of the Fujitsu Way was
established in 2002, when the term “CSR” was just
becoming popular. Prior to that, we had a company
policy, “Reliability and Creativity,” that stood for
offering outstanding technology to customers who put
their trust in us. We decided to take the opportunity to
integrate documents such as our Corporate Vision and
Corporate Values, since we wanted to preserve these
original concepts.
Kimura: I feel that the key phrase, “contribute to the
creation of a networked society that is rewarding and
secure,” in your Corporate Vision is unique to Fujitsu.
Fujisaki: I agree. Of course, the core purpose of our
business is to provide value to our customers through
networks using ICT. Many of our customers are social
infrastructure administrators such as government
agencies, hospitals, and financial institutions, so we have
a strong commitment to providing ever-better products
to them.
Kimura: I know the Fujitsu Way has been translated into
multiple languages. I’m wondering what other methods
you have used to ensure employee understanding.
Fujisaki: There are several levels of employee understand-
ing. In the initial stage of introducing the Fujitsu Way,
Learning from Model CSR CompaniesFujitsu’s Global Approach to Social Responsibility
Sogo Fujisaki Senior Director, CSR Division, Fujitsu Limited (right)
Noriaki Kimura Manager, CSR Promotion Office, CSR Promotion Department, Casio Computer Co., Ltd. (left)
In June 2017, Sogo Fujisaki, Senior Director, CSR Division, Fujitsu Limited, visited Casio
Computer Co., Ltd., to talk with us about CSR. With 160,000 employees worldwide, Fujitsu is
one of Japan’s leading electronics companies and ICT vendors, and it is known for its advanced
CSR activities. Noriaki Kimura, Manager, CSR Promotion Office, talked with Mr. Fujisaki about
Fujitsu’s initiatives. He asked about the Fujitsu Way, the corporate philosophy that supports
Fujitsu’s global approach to social responsibility, and about what Fujitsu is doing to help achieve
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
CSR Conversation
16 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
Learning from Model CSR Companies: Fujitsu’s Global Approach to Social Responsibility
governance, as required to satisfy global norms, such
as ISO 26000 and the Electronic Industry Citizenship
Coalition (EICC) Code of Conduct, are gradually growing
in importance. On the other hand, while the younger
generation’s CSR awareness is very high, we are still
figuring out how to foster bottom-up activities and
encourage their participation. Combining both top-
down and bottom-up activities is a serious challenge. We
would like to learn from Casio’s efforts in this respect.
Understanding the SDGs
Kimura: I’d like to talk about the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Since being adopted at
the United Nations in 2015, they have rapidly become
a common reference point worldwide. How is Fujitsu
tackling the SDGs?
Fujisaki: We are promoting both top-down and
bottom-up efforts related to the SDGs. One example
is our executive-level round-table discussions and
forums on how Fujitsu should position the SDGs as key
management objectives. The other day we invited guests
from the United Nations Development Programme and
the World Economic Forum to our Fujitsu symposium to
discuss the topic of how companies should help achieve
the SDGs by 2030. One key point raised was the need to
scale up problem-solving efforts. Rather than just being
the main measures involved preparing posters and small
cards, and conducting e-learning. However, in terms of
employee understanding on the practical level, we are still
trying out various approaches. The suitable approaches
vary by country, and sometimes there are challenges.
Kimura: On the executive level, was a consensus
quickly reached on establishing the Fujitsu Way as the
foundation of Fujitsu’s management?
Fujisaki: Yes, that went quite smoothly. I think the
top management quickly understood that the values
represented by the Fujitsu Way were very important and
needed to be properly shared.
Kimura: Did your CSR Division play a central role during
its establishment?
Fujisaki: Because the CSR Division did not exist at the
time, this work was done across divisions with the
involvement of the human resources and legal depart-
ments. So, nobody felt that it was a decision made in
just one part of the company.
Kimura: That probably made value sharing a smooth
process at Fujitsu. Which department was put in charge
of promotional activities, such as material translation and
poster creation?
Fujisaki: That was performed by the Fujitsu Way Unit,
which was created at the same time. However, the Fujitsu
Way contains so many elements that it cannot be pro-
moted by one department alone. For example, the legal
and compliance departments are largely responsible for
the Code of Conduct, and our CSR Division is in charge
of areas related to the Corporate Values. The allocation
of roles fell into place naturally. In addition, there is a
Fujitsu Way Promotion Committee, in which managing
directors and above participate. This committee reviews
the content of the philosophy three times a year.
Kimura: You also have an organization called the CSR
Global Community, right?
Fujisaki: We renamed the CSR Promotion Leaders, who
had been appointed at sites in and outside Japan, as part
of an effort to give them a more practical role. One leader
from each site or department and persons at a general
manager level position participate in the Community,
which aims to promote individual measures in collabora-
tion among relevant departments. In the Community, they
share best practices within their organizations.
Kimura: I see. As a global initiative, Casio has been
holding CSR Leader Meetings for about a year and a
half, and we would like to extend this measure to group
companies in and outside Japan as well. The meetings
provide intensive training for CSR Leaders, who then
return and share new insights with their respective
organizations. What do you think about this kind of
bottom-up approach?
Fujisaki: I think it is very important, and this is a focus
for us, too. So far we have been promoting awareness
of the Fujitsu Way through efforts such as posters and
workshops. However, measures relating to vertical
17CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
satisfied that the company is performing some beneficial
activities, we should identify critical global problems
that need to be addressed, in accordance with the
scale of the company and the expectations of society.
Especially in the case of Fujitsu, we are transitioning
from a business that creates and provides products, to a
business that helps solve problems by providing services.
When thinking about what issues to address, I felt that
a “common reference point” like that provided by the
SDGs is very important.
Kimura: How about your bottom-up efforts?
Fujisaki: At present, we are working together with
our environmental headquarters and others. As part of
the environmental management system, we are asking
each division to list initiatives that can contribute to
the SDGs, and we are advancing internal promotional
activities with the marketing headquarters. Workshops
are also being held for sales, system engineering, and
other departments.
Kimura: There are 17 SDGs, as you know. Are any of
them a particular priority for Fujitsu?
Fujisaki: The goals we should be aiming for are the
ones that best match our interests and capacities as
well as society’s expectations of us. So, an example with
immediacy for us is the food-related goals. Currently
our Akisai Food and Agriculture Cloud service is used
by about 350 agricultural providers, and there may be
other contributions we can make on the distribution
side to eliminate food waste. Based on this, we want
to contribute to SDG 2 (zero hunger), as well as SDG 3
(good health and well-being). We now have a network
with about 7,000 medical institutions and nursing
caregivers, so I think that there is something we can do
using that. Then there is SDG 9 (industry, innovation
and infrastructure), which is the work we are doing
in our main business. SDG 11 (sustainable cities and
communities) is also related to our work on disaster
prevention, transportation optimization, and smart city
development. Those are probably the main priorities for
us. We’d like to issue a clear statement about this in the
very near future.
Kimura: Is this a statement of how your company will
promote SDG initiatives?
Fujisaki: It will be a definition of how Fujitsu under-
stands the SDGs and embraces their importance. Within
the company, more and more departments are starting
to talk about the SDGs by linking them with their busi-
nesses. This is the first step, recognizing that issues we
thought were other people’s problems are actually also
our own. In some cases, however, the process gets stuck
at this stage, and the SDGs become just a PR tool. If you
just utilize the SDG wording, but do not connect it with
the organization’s self-transformation, then it becomes a
meaningless arrangement of the latest jargon. I think a
statement is necessary to call attention to this point.
Kimura: It seems that recognition of the SDGs is still low.
Have you made any efforts to improve that at Fujitsu?
Fujisaki: We address the SDGs at workshops and
in-house lectures, in addition to the executive-level
round-table discussions I mentioned earlier. Various
elements need to come together for employees to
thoroughly understand that the SDGs will actually
become a part of their business activities; otherwise it is
impossible to generate momentum. This is why we want
CSR Conversation
18 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
to incorporate SDG elements into our management pol-
icy. Even at the round-table discussion with our outside
directors held last year, one of them made a very critical
comment, saying he could not see the overall strategic
picture concerning the SDG initiative. With that in mind,
I think awareness among top management is increasing
regarding the need to explain our objectives properly.
Translating Global Norms for Internal Stakeholders
Kimura: You have been preparing integrated reports
since 2015. Did you experience any internal difficulties in
the transition to integrated reporting?
Fujisaki: Four or five years ago when we first started
talking about adopting integrated reports, the IR team
remarked that it wasn’t necessary as investors never ask
about non-financial information.
Kimura: How did you persuade them?
Fujisaki: The opportunity for me to press for integrated
reporting at Fujitsu was the International Integrated
Reporting Council (IIRC); we are a member of its busi-
ness network. It was not an idea that I came up with on
my own. I initially told others at Fujitsu that integrated
reporting was becoming commonplace internationally,
and if we didn’t do it, external stakeholders would criti-
cize us, and there would be risks involved. So I convinced
them that we had better consider it.
Kimura: Is it the role of the CSR department to
“translate” and convey such external norms to those
inside the company?
Fujisaki: You may be right. After all, when faced with
something they do not understand or they cannot do,
people tend to not want to do it or look at it again,
especially when there is both lack of understanding
and capacity. I think it is important to first help people
understand the need for change and then increase what
they can do about it. It took quite a while for us to get
integrated reporting going, but it seems the turning
point came when the IR team realized that integrating
CSR elements into the annual report was also useful for
their own work.
Kimura: That is a very helpful story, since we are now con-
sidering integrated reporting at Casio. Finally, as someone
looking at Casio’s CSR activities from the outside, could
you share with us your opinions and expectations?
Fujisaki: I think it goes without saying that Casio has
a very strong track-record in terms of activities that
link its products with society based on “Creativity and
Contribution.” I’d like to hear more detail about this. If I
had to say something, I’d say that, since the Casio brand
is known worldwide and you have a core strength in
devices, I think Casio could collaborate more with com-
panies from different industries and with UN agencies
to widely publicize the various activities that you already
do. A host of new possibilities could be opened up by
combining your strengths with the different strengths of
other companies and organizations.
Kimura: Thank you for taking time to talk with me
today. This was a very valuable experience.
Learning from Model CSR Companies: Fujitsu’s Global Approach to Social Responsibility
19CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
ROHM Co., Ltd. supplies low-power LSIs and dis-
crete circuits to Casio. A dedicated sales section
in ROHM’s West Tokyo Sales Division handles
all the business with Casio. Kenji Muramatsu
leads this section, and Tsuyoshi Kouda of the
Purchase Planning Section in Casio’s Purchasing
Department went to have a chat with him.
Stakeholder Voice A Visit to a Stakeholder
watch market, you adopted our technically advanced CMOS LSIs
for the Casiotron watch, and this circuit is now used in most of
your products.
Kouda: What’s your impression of Casio?
Muramatsu: Casio is a company that really values its business
partners. We are grateful that your employees always appreciate
our point of view as a supplier and act accordingly.
Kouda: Casio strives to take care of its business partners, and we
are equal partners.
Muramatsu: Also, I think Casio is a company that works well
as an organization. Sometimes important work will be given to
a young employee in the development or materials departments
early on. Your corporate culture allows younger team members
to experience failures and successes, and I think this helps you
develop professional employees.
Kouda: I agree. Even G-SHOCK went through a lot of trial and
error in development. Casio has a very healthy appreciation of the
usefulness of failure.
Taking on Difficult Challenges and Growing TogetherKouda: I imagine that it can sometimes be hard for you to meet
Casio’s needs.
Muramatsu: As a company competing in the consumer market,
Casio always brings us extremely difficult challenges. Almost every
time someone in our development team says, “It can’t be done.” It
is very rewarding for me, though, to persuade our employees that
Impressions of CasioKouda: I think Casio began to work with ROHM in the early 1970s.
Muramatsu: Initially, you purchased our reed switches for your
calculator input keys at the time when we were Oki Semiconductor,
the predecessor of Lapis Semiconductor.* After Casio entered the
we need to take on the challenge as a company, as it will surely
benefit us in the future.
A now-retired Casio employee once told me about a time
when a new LSI needed to be developed. After other suppliers
refused to develop it, our employees at the time said that it was
difficult, but they would give it a try. Unfortunately however, they
were not successful. Even though their attempt failed that time,
ROHM eventually achieved the requested specs. The retiree told me
his opinion of ROHM was greatly enhanced by that approach.
Kouda: It is truly a relationship where our companies grow
together. ROHM is now in the top tier of low-power LSI makers.
Muramatsu: This is the result of our relationship with Casio.
The president of Lapis Semiconductor always says that ROHM was
raised by Casio.
Expectations for CasioMuramatsu: Casio has produced many hit products over the
years, so I would like you to continue making hit products.
Kouda: That is our No. 1 priority.
Muramatsu: ROHM has a 40-year history with Casio, and we
hope to continue working with you to create new technologies
and electronic components.
Kouda: By fostering mutual prosperity, we want to keep working
together to create great products.
* This ROHM group company provides logic, memory, and driver LSIs. It has unique technologies such as low power consumption, high-frequency, and mixed analog/digital IC technologies.
Right: Kenji Muramatsu, Manager, CASIO Sales Section, West Tokyo Sales Division, East Japan Sales Headquarters, ROHM Co., Ltd.Left: Tsuyoshi Kouda, Purchase Planning Section, Purchasing Department, Supply Chain Control Unit, Production Headquarters, Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
20 CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
When I became a CSR Leader, I thought CSR would be a completely
new job, as it didn’t seem to have any direct connection to my work.
After participating in six CSR Leader meetings, though, I now see
that CSR efforts are directly linked to what we do, and that Casio
has clear responsibilities as a corporate member of society. This
means it is essential for me as a Casio employee to come up with
my own ways to promote CSR activities. Previously, my outlook
only included the people, concepts, and things directly related to
my work. Now however, I am able to look at my job from a broader
perspective, and I have a stronger focus on what Casio can do as a
manufacturer to contribute to society.
Participating in a career education program as part of my
CSR Leader activities was also a great learning experience. I visited
elementary and junior high school classrooms, played games to
promote communication with the students and talked about my
own work experiences. This was something I would never have
experienced in my regular work. It was also very inspiring to see the
smiling faces of the children and experience their sincerity, while
also feeling the joy of being useful and appreciated by others.
Rather than being something extraordinary, I feel that CSR is a
very natural activity to engage in. You always find people at the center
of CSR activities, whether they be corporate activities, environmental
activities, rule creation or operations. The first step toward social
responsibility is simply caring about people. I believe that Casio can
fulfill its corporate social responsibilities by ensuring that all employees
make the most of their own strengths and experiences to benefit those
who need them, namely our stakeholders. As a CSR Leader, I would like
to promote volunteer activities that are unique to Casio. My aim is to
help enhance Casio’s profile through these kinds of efforts.
In fiscal 2016, Casio launched a CSR Leader System with the aim of enhancing awareness of CSR within the
company. The system trains key people who are responsible for strengthening the understanding of Casio’s
social responsibilities in each department. Employees are selected in each department to become the key
CSR human resources in their respective organizations, and they are given priority CSR education. Currently,
about 100 CSR Leaders have been appointed within Casio Computer Co., Ltd. Going forward, leaders will
also be chosen at group companies in and outside Japan to strengthen Casio’s global CSR infrastructure.
Kazuo TachikawaStrategy Management GroupCorporate Strategy & Management Department
3rd Meeting: May 2016 Themes: “Corporations and Human Rights” and “LGBT Issues”
4th Meeting: August 2016 Theme: “CSV and SDGs”
5th Meeting: November 2016 Theme: “Addressing Climate Change with the Paris Agreement”
6th Meeting: February 2017 Themes: “Linking Your Job with Efforts to Solve Social Problems” and “Business Initiatives to Help Achieve the SDGs and the Paris Agreement”
Basic CSR education
FY2017 FY2018 FY2019
CSR inclusion in departmental plans
Participation of group companies in Japan
Application of PDCA cycle
Participation of group companies outside Japan
Launch of the CSR Leader System
Main Activities
Upcoming Action Plans
The main activities of the CSR Leaders include participat-
ing in CSR Leader Meetings held each quarter, sharing
and promoting understanding of CSR case studies in
their respective organizations, and providing feedback
Using the CSR Leader system, Casio Computer Co., Ltd.,
aims to create a platform that can strategically incorporate
CSR approaches and concepts into the daily operations of
individuals and departments, and apply them to its core
business. Serving as a concrete road map, a three-year plan
has been put in place to manage initiatives using the plan-
do-check-act (PDCA) cycle. In fiscal 2018, Casio will expand
this system to group companies in Japan and will work to
formulate departmental and individual goals for managing
CSR promotion within medium and long-term plans.
Feedback from a CSR Leader
VOICE
Activities in FY2017
on company-wide policy to their departments. At CSR
Leader Meetings in fiscal 2017, experts gave lectures and
workshops on the following topics, and steps were then
taken to increase CSR literacy within the company.
21CASIO CSR Communication Book 2017
Corporate Overview
Company data Group companies by region
Sales by segment and region
• Molds, etc.
Sales: ¥8,675 million(2.7%)
Others
System Equipment• Handheld terminals• Electronic cash registers• Office computers• Page printers• Data projectors, etc.
Sales: ¥39,734 million(12.4%)
Consumer• Watches• Clocks• Electronic dictionaries• Calculators• Label printers and photo printers• Electronic musical instruments• Digital cameras, etc.
Sales: ¥272,804 million(84.9%)
Asia and others
Japan
North America
Europe
Sales by segment
Sales
¥321,213million
Sales by region
Americas6
companiesMiddle East
1company
Europe8
companies
Asia(including Japan)
32companies
33.3%
12.8%15.3%
38.6%
Name: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: 1-6-2, Hon-machi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 151-8543
Established: June 1, 1957
Chairman and CEO: Kazuo Kashio
President and COO: Kazuhiro Kashio
Employees: 2,754 (consolidated: 12,287)
Paid-in capital: ¥48,592 million
Net sales: ¥321,213 million (consolidated)
Operating profit: ¥30,636 million (consolidated)
Ordinary profit: ¥26,239 million (consolidated)
Profit attributable to owners of parent: ¥18,410 million (consolidated)
* As of March 31, 2017