Suntory Group is supported by the bounty of water and nature, and we engage in environmental activities to preserve beautiful water for the future, including Natural Water Sanctuary initiatives to protect the forests where water is nurtured.
One of these activities is Suntory “Mizuiku”* — education program for nature and water, a next-generation environmental education program launched in 2004.
Mizuiku is a program unique to Suntory that helps children experience the wonder of nature, become aware of the importance of water and the forests nurturing it, and consider what they can do to pass on water to future generations. The program marked its 20th anniversary in 2024.
The program is deployed in Japan and, in collaboration with local NGOs and other organizations, in eight other countries. As of the end of 2024, the cumulative number of participants exceeded 1,190,000.
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*Mizuiku is a registered trademark of Suntory Holdings Limited.
Sponsor: Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, etc.
Suntory Mizuiku Expanding in 9 Countries
Suntory Group’s efforts to spread Mizuiku
| 2004 | Launched Outdoor School of Forest and Water at Aso (Kumamoto Prefecture) |
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| 2005 | Launched Outdoor School of Forest and Water at Hakushu (Yamanashi Prefecture) |
| 2006 | Kicked off the Teaching Program at Schools |
| 2008 | Launched Outdoor School of Forest and Water at Okudaisen (Tottori Prefecture) |
| 2014 | Established Suntory Environmental Vision toward 2050 |
| 2015 | Launched Mizuiku program in Vietnam (first Mizuiku program overseas) |
| 2019 | Launched Mizuiku program in Thailand |
| 2020 | Developed online content for Mizuiku programs in Japan Launched Mizuiku program in France |
| 2021 | Launched Mizuiku program in China |
| 2022 | Launched Mizuiku program in Spain Concluded comprehensive collaboration agreement with Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training |
| 2023 | Launched Outdoor School of Forest and Water at Kita Alps (Nagano Prefecture) Launched Mizuiku programs in the UK and New Zealand |
| 2024 | Hosted the special project Mizuiku Program for Adults to mark the Mizuiku program’s 20th anniversary |
| 2025 | Launched Mizuiku program in Australia |
Japan
Mizuiku in Japan is centered on two programs: the Outdoor School of Forest and Water, offering shared hands-on nature experiences for parents and children, and the Teaching Program at Schools for elementary schools. In Japan, we have steadily expanded activities by deepening curriculum, expanding its coverage, and developing online content.
Mizuiku received the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Excellent Company Taiken Award (Jury Award for Excellence for Companies Promoting Youth Experiential Activities) in fiscal 2024.
Outdoor School of Forest and Water
This hands-on nature program, geared to elementary school students from grades 3 through 6 and their parents or guardians, is held in the home regions of Suntory Tennensui (Mineral Water). Participants experience for themselves the importance of water and of the forests that produce it amid the great outdoors at Hakushu (Yamanashi prefecture), Kita Alps (Nagano prefecture), Okudaisen (Tottori prefecture), and Aso (Kumamoto prefecture). The Outdoor School of Forest and Water staff conduct the program together with expert instructors who play active roles locally in environmental education.
Outdoor School of Forest and Water
Teaching Program at Schools
We offer in-school study programs for elementary school students together with their teachers. We believe we can make a difference by teaching the cycle and importance of nature through videos and experiments, so that together we can pass down water to future generations. We also conduct online classes, and elementary schools all over Japan can participate.
Teaching Program at Schools
Suntory Mizuiku — Education Program for Nature and Water website (in Japanese)
Special Project - Mizuiku Program for Adults
First established in 2004, the Mizuiku program celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024. With "20 years" as the keyword, we hosted a Mizuiku program for adults in August 2024 as a special 20th anniversary project. The program targeted people in their 20s and 30s who were elementary school students 20 years ago.
Approximately 100 people were selected from the many applicants to take part in the program, which was hosted at the four water source locations of Suntory Tennensui (Mineral Water): Hakushu, Kita Alps, Okudaisen, and Aso.
Participants had the opportunity to visit a forest where water is nurtured, toured a Suntory Tennensui factory, and participated in a workshop where they thought about the promises they would make to themselves 20 years from now. Through these experiences, they were able to reflect on the past, present, and future, and use their five senses to think about what they can do to pass on water to future generations.
Vietnam
We have offered the Mizuiku program in Vietnam since March 2015.
As the first country outside of Japan to launch the Mizuiku program, "Mizuiku - I love clean water" program has been implemented in Vietnam for 10 years. In 2023, the program expanded it nationwide through a partnership with the Ministry of Education and Training. Through lessons at elementary schools and forest experiences in the field, we teach elementary school students about the importance of water and sanitation along with the critical nature of water source conservation. We also support the renovation of toilets and hand-washing facilities at elementary schools, helping to improve the sanitation environment for children in the country.
Thailand
We have offered a Mizuiku program in Thailand since July 2019.
With cooperation from local NGOs, we are developing water awareness projects in elementary schools in Rayong and Chonburi provinces. We are also engaged in erosion prevention projects in the northern province of Chiang Mai and the southern province of Nakhon Nayok. By slowing stream currents, installing small weirs to support permeation of underground water, and planting trees to prevent soil from flowing into streams, we can prevent sediment-related erosion, and we plan to continue these efforts.
France
Since July 2020, we have offered a workshop-based water education program for elementary school students in partnership with Grand Parc Miribel Jonage, a nature park located near its Meyzieu Plant. The program includes content on the role forests have in cultivating water, experiments to show how rainwater becomes underground water, and more.
Suntory Beverage & Food France currently collaborates with a local NGO to provide Mizuiku program in website so that elementary school teachers can make access to it and implement Mizuiku classes.
China
Since September 2021, with the cooperation of the Shanghai Volunteer Foundation, a local public interest group, we have been conducting a Mizuiku program for elementary school students in Shanghai and Beijing. This program teaches elementary school students the basic knowledge about water and the habit of saving water, through experiments and videos about how nature works with contents tailored to the local situation such as by questioning “where does city water come from and end up in?”
Spain
We have offered the Mizuiku program in Spain since May 2022. With support from local environmental experts, we are offering an educational program at elementary schools in the province of Toledo. The field component of the program is carried out in the natural environment in the vicinity of Toledo, where our factory is located. The program teaches children the importance of water, such as by deepening their understanding of the natural water cycle and how it relates to their daily lives, how to use water responsibly, and the relationship between water and biodiversity, as well as provides training and ideas on how to preserve and improve the quality and quantity of water in the future.
United Kingdom
In May 2023, we launched the Mizuiku program in the United Kingdom. In collaboration with a charitable organization that conserves the environment of local rivers, we are developing a nature experience program for children up to elementary school age and their families in the Severn River basin, the water source for the Coleford Factory. The program teaches students about the importance of water and water conservation, including basic knowledge about water and the water cycle, and the relationship between water and biodiversity.
New Zealand
In May 2023, we launched the Mizuiku program in New Zealand. In collaboration with an NPO that works to preserve local river environments, we are developing on-site classes for elementary school students. The program conveys to students the mechanisms of nature and the importance of water, and covers basic water knowledge, including the water cycle, as well as ocean pollution prevention, including upstream river cleanup.
Australia
In July 2025, we launched the Mizuiku program in Australia. Partnering with a local NPO, we support environmental activity projects at elementary schools, and provide programs that teach basic knowledge about water, such as the water cycle, and expose students to indigenous culture. These programs teach students about the importance of water, water source conservation, and watershed culture.
