Policies and Our Approach
Basic Policy on Social Activities
Since first opening its doors, the Suntory Group has been involved in community contribution, arts, culture, sports and environmental activities based on the spirit of Giving back to Society. The social activities of the Suntory Group contribute to sustainable growth of its businesses while solving issues in local communities.
To support the development of the next generation, we provide opportunities for children to experience the best in such fields as music, art, sports, and environmental education. As the birthrate declines and the importance of nurturing the next generation increases, we are strengthening these activities to support the development of rich individuality and character in children.
Suntory Group Basic Policy on Social Activities
The Suntory Group follows the principle of “Giving Back to Society” established by our founder. We actively engage in undertakings for the public benefit to create a world in which people can lead meaningful lives.
“To inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature,” which is our corporate philosophy, we strive to deliver the highest quality products and services to customers while taking responsibility for contributing to enriching society and sustainable planet.
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1.Promote activities based on the standpoint of the next generation and actual situation worldwide together with our employees around the fields of arts and culture, sports, social welfare, and the natural environment.
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2.Focus on a dialog with stakeholders and work to generate links and cooperation.
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3.Support the wide-range of volunteer activities of employees.
Our Initiatives
Suntory Mizuiku-Education Program for Nature and Water
Suntory Mizuiku-Education Program* for Nature and Water started in 2004 in Japan. The program is unique to Suntory designed for the next generation to realize the beauty of nature and the importance of water and the forests that nurture the groundwater. It also inspire them to think about what each can do for sustainability on water. The program centers on two activities: Outdoor School of Forest and Water and Teaching Program at Schools. It started online in 2020. As the Suntory Group's business activities expand worldwide, we also started to develop the program overseas in 2015. In addition to the Japanese program, the global Mizuiku program promotes activities tailored to local water issues.
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*Sponsor: Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, etc.
For more information, see Suntory Mizuiku - Education Program for Nature and Water.
Plastics-related Educational Opportunities
The Suntory Group uses large numbers of PET bottles in its business activities. As such, we are working to realize a sustainable society by promoting understanding of recycling initiatives and separated PET bottle collection through external seminars aimed at building awareness on the part of young people. An example would be the agreement we concluded in 2021 with Waseda University to help realize a resource-recycling society. At elementary and junior high schools in municipalities with which we have concluded agreements, we conduct classes to promote awareness and understanding of “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling and proper separation of PET bottles, and give students a chance to think about recycling and resource circulation.
Next-Generation Empowerment Activities
The wide range of challenges facing children & youth is an important social issue in Japan. The Suntory Group wants to help create a society where children & youth can overcome challenges with motivation, hope, and dreams. To that end, we are engaged in next-generation empowerment activities in their support. The Group has committed a total of 1 billion yen over three years starting in 2024 to provide not only financial support such as grants to NPOs that share the same awareness of the issues, but also to start providing human resources support such as secondment of employees.
Suntory Next-Generation Empowerment Project Launched
The Suntory Group has launched the Suntory Next-Generation Empowerment Project. Children & youth are unique and have unlimited potential. The project reflects our hope that it will contribute to realizing a society where children & youth can attain their potential even in the face of difficulties.
We believe NPOs have an important role to play. By collaborating with schools, administrative entities, and local communities, they gain a deep understanding of the conditions surrounding children & youth and of their needs. Our goal is to solve social issues by providing support to NPOs and collaborating with them. The project will receive support from experts in a wide range of fields acting as advisors and fellows.
For more information, visit the special website (in Japanese)
Supporting the Development of Children through Music
Suntory Hall operates a variety of programs for youth and children to provide opportunities for experiencing the excitement of live performances by top-class musicians and to develop a rich sense of humanity through music.
Subscription Concert for Children
Suntory Hall has held the "Subscription Concert for Children" since 2001 with the hope to establish a tradition of regular visits to concert halls in children and bring classical music into their lives. This is Japan’s first subscription orchestra concert for children. We collect and adopt illustrations for the flyers and the theme song for the season from the children in a format that allows children to not only listen but also participate. A program in which children selected through audition can perform as a member of the orchestra or as a soloist performing piano with a professional pianist. In 2021, the new project was launched to connect children with musicians, inviting young composers to write a new song using a short melody written by a child.
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A four-hand piano performance
by a young soloist, who passed
an audition, and Michie Koyama,
one of Japan’s top pianists,
with the orchestra -
Young musicians passed an
audition win an opportunity
to perform with
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Suntory Hall Keizo Saji Junior Program Seat
To commemorate the aspirations of the late Keiso Saji, the founding President of Suntory Hall, who strongly believed that the love of classical music should be fostered in younger generations, Suntory Hall selects the most appropriate concerts held at Main Hall for some pairs of elementary and junior high school students and parents to be invited.
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Keizo Saji Junior Program Seat
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Suntory Hall Academy
Suntory Hall Academy, comprised of the Opera Academy and Chamber Music Academy, is geared towards young musicians who are on their way to becoming professionals. In addition to receiving coaching from the world’s leading artists, fellows (academy members) attend regular workshops to deepen their musical knowledge and perform in actual concerts.
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Giuseppe Sabbatini,
one of world’s acclaimed Tenor,
also gives lessons in person
as the Executive Faculty
of Opera Academy. -
Some alumni and fellows
of Chamber Music Academy
won international competitions
and broaden their career
internationally.
Musical Instrument Loaning Program for Students
Every year since 2014, the Suntory Foundation for the Arts has loaned a world-class violin for three years free of charge as the “Suntory Foundation for the Arts Special Prize” in the “All Japan Student Music Competition (sponsored by the Mainichi Newspapers), Violin Division, Junior High School Division and High School Division.” So far, 13 young musicians have received the loan. Violinist Mako Ochiai received the 3rd Suntory Foundation for the Arts Special Prize for Famous Instruments in 2016 and is a member of the "Yutaka Sado and Super Kids Orchestra," of which Suntory is a project partner. The orchestra delivered music through Suntory's activities to support the disaster-affected areas, "Suntory Tohoku Sun-San Project" and "Suntory Water Country Kumamoto Support Project." In addition, the orchestra is furthering its studies as a student of the "Suntory Hall Chamber Music Academy" for young musicians who have begun their professional careers. (As of April 2023) Suntory supports the activities of the next generation of young performers by providing them with new opportunities through a variety of activities.
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The Super Kids Orchestra with Yutaka Sado
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Mako Ochiai performs with the Super Kids Orchestra at the Suntory Tohoku Sun-san Project concert tour (Iwate, 2018)
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Mako Ochiai participates in a lesson at the Suntory Hall Chamber Music Academy
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Violin crafted in 1669 by Jacob Stainer, loaned to Mako Ochiai by the Suntory Foundation for the Arts (2016)
Supporting the Development of Children through Art
Aiming to become a museum where children are always there, we provide various programs which children can easily enjoy art and nurture the mind to love art.
Offering Learning Programs
The Suntory Museum of Art is actively working to proliferate education to the next generation according to the “Art Revised, Beauty Revealed” museum message.
We offer free admission to children in junior high school and younger, and also distribute activity sheets. This tool not only guides users to notable areas of interest, but also cultivates a spirit to enjoy free inspiration brought by appreciation. Various learning programs that can be enjoyed by both children and adults are offered at each exhibition. In addition to lectures and workshops, online video streaming is now available as well. Moreover, as a “school program,” we invite children and students in elementary and junior high schools mainly from Minato-ku to visit as well as teach art at those schools.
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Activity sheet for children
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Art Club for junior high and high school students
All Day Kids' Museum!
All Day Kids' Museum! is a special event when the museum is open to elementary and junior high school students as well as their guardians on a day that the museum is normally closed during which a variety of educational programs are held. This event has been held once a year since 2014. While viewing exhibitions as they enjoy things such as doing quizzes and drawing sketches using a worksheet, we provide a complete museum experience through specialized programs for children, including interactive art appreciation, workshops, and a museum tour. Since 2020, we have offered videos and other online programs to enable guests to enjoy from the comfort of their home.
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Online video program
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In-house program
Art Kids Club Iro-Iro Do-Re-Do-Re
This joint project of Suntory Hall and Suntory Museum of Art is a creative art experience and appreciation program for preschool children aged 3 to 6.
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Suntory Hall and Suntory Museum of Art joint workshop
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Art Kids Club Iro-Iro Do-Re-Do-Re
Supporting the Development of Children through Sports
The Suntory Group runs a variety of activities designed to support the healthy development of children’s minds and bodies through sports. As part of the activity, Suntory’s sports teams, Tokyo Suntory SUNGOLIATH and Suntory SUNBIRDS promote their sports.
The athletes and staff of the two teams hold workshops to directly teach children. In addition, the SUNGOLIATH instructs at rugby schools and operates rugby sports events while the SUNBIRDS instructs local volleyball teams and students and supports the operation of volleyball tournaments, to cooperate in offering opportunities for children to experience sports.
Wheelchair basketball workshops are also held for elementary and junior high school students to promote and nurture wheelchair basketball in Challenged Sports.
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Rugby workshop
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Volleyball workshop
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Wheelchair basketball experience event
Support through the Hibarigaoka Gakuen
The Hibarigaoka Gakuen has been supporting integrated education from kindergarten to high school since Shinjiro Torii became the first chairperson in 1950. Shinjiro Torii places importance on being devoted to one’s parents and kept saying “a person who is devoted to his own parents can do anything well.” The founding spirit has been passed down today and the school engages in educating people based on the belief that "Parents wish for the growth of their children, and children are grateful and respectful of their parents, and this natural human spirit is the basis for the family circle and the desire to serve society." From 2008, as educational supports of next generation, we have provided primary school and junior high school students environmental curriculum on flower (Hanaiku) and water (Mizuiku) and out of school activities.
Planting trees at the outdoor education classes
Nurturing Challenging Spirit through Experiencing Camping at an Uninhabited Island
Since 2007, the Suntory Group has been promoting Yoshima Project in cooperation with Kobe YMCA which operates a camping site in an uninhabited island in Shodo-gun, Kagawa Prefecture from 1950. The project is intended to nurture spirit of challenge and dreams of children experiencing rich natural environment unique to an uninhabited island and holds Adventure Camp and various programs around the year. Every year, approximately 3,500* children participated in the program.
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*Due to the impact of the Covid-19, the number of participants and programs have been limited since 2020 .
Yoshima Summer Camp