Basic Approach
The Maruha Nichiro Group recognizes that respecting each other's differences—regardless of gender, nationality, values, age, lifestyle, or disability—and enabling each employee to maximize their abilities is essential for sustainable corporate growth. In particular, we are developing policies and implementing various measures to promote diversity and inclusion.
Maruha Nichiro Diversity & Inclusion Declaration
The Maruha Nichiro Group is committed to creating a workplace environment where everyone can fully leverage their strengths and maximize their abilities. To remain a continuously growing corporate group through value creation, we will foster a corporate culture that respects societal diversity.
Management Structure
Maruha Nichiro Corporation has established key policies and initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion through cross-departmental collaboration. The Human Resources Department is responsible for formulating and managing various policies, planning and executing initiatives, collecting and disseminating information, and advancing education and awareness programs. Furthermore, each department appoints a Well-being Promotion Officer to communicate and share HR-planned initiatives and consolidate workplace feedback.
Desired State by 2030 (KGI) and Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Results of the Previous Medium-Term Management Plan (FY2022–2024)
Materiality: Building a workplace environment where diverse talents can thrive with peace of mind
KGI (Desired State by 2030): A workplace environment where diversity is respected and employees can thrive with peace of mind has been established.
Responsible Department: Personnel Department, Maruha Nichiro
| KPI | targets | Self-Assessment and Challenges of the Mid-Term Management Plan | Self-Assessment and Challenges | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target Year | Target value | Progress Results Comment | Self-assessment | ||
| Female Employee Ratio Maintained at 50% Hiring Rate（MN） | 2030 | 35% or more | Achieve a 51% female hiring ratio over three years (FY2022–FY2024) | Percentage of Female Employees: 29.2% (April 2024) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Percentage of Women on Boards（MN） | 2030 | 30% or more | The female representation ratio on the Board of Directors for fiscal year 2024 reached 25%, exceeding the KPI target of 20%. | ★★★★☆ | |
| Percentage of Women in Management Positions（MN） | 2030 | 15% or more | The female management ratio for fiscal year 2024 reached 7.7%, exceeding the KPI target of 7.5%. | ★★★☆☆ | |
| Establishment of Maruha Nichiro's Human Resource Development Program and Setting of FY2030 Goals（MN） | 2024 | － | Establishment of Maruha Nichiro's Human Resource Development Programs (Succession Program, Global Talent Development, DX Talent Development, Sustainability Talent Development) and Achievement of FY2030 Targets | ★★★☆☆ | |
| Establishing Employee Engagement Evaluation Methods and Setting FY2030 Targets（MN） | 2024 | － | Set fiscal year 2030 score targets for specific employee engagement metrics | ★★★☆☆ | |
★★★★★ : KPI for FY2030 achieved.
★★★★☆ : Progress toward achieving KPI for FY2030 in advance.
★★★☆☆ : KPI for FY2024 achieved or progress toward achieving KPI for FY2030 as planned.
★★☆☆☆ : KPI delayed.
Medium-Term Management Plan (FY2025–2027) KGI, KPI
Materiality: Building a workplace environment where diverse talents can thrive with peace of mind
KGI (Desired State by 2030): A workplace environment where diversity is respected and employees can thrive with peace of mind has been established.
Responsible Department: Personnel Department, Maruha Nichiro
| KPI | targets | |
|---|---|---|
| Target Year | Target value | |
| Female Employee Ratio Maintained at 50% Hiring Rate (Maruha Nichiro Corporation) | ー | 35% or more |
| 30% female representation on the board of directors | ー | 30% or more |
| Percentage of Female Managers (Maruha Nichiro Corporation) | ー | 15% or more |
| Achievement of Goals for Each Talent Pool Based on the Talent Development Program (Maruha Nichiro Corporation) | Achievement of Target Figures for Each Talent Pool | Achievement of Target Figures for Each Talent Pool |
| Achievement of Engagement Scores for Specific Employee Engagement Items (Maruha Nichiro Corporation) | Achievement of Engagement Score for Specific Items | Achievement of Engagement Score for Specific Items |
Maruha Nichiro's Initiatives
Promotion of Cultural Reform
The Corporate Culture Maruha Nichiro Corporation Values
Maruha Nichiro Corporation aims to foster the following corporate culture through cultural reform:
- A culture that respects individual careers and lives, including various life events
- A culture of independent career thinking where individuals share their WILL and align it with the company's purpose
- A culture with high psychological safety where challenges and failures are possible, and precise feedback is provided
- A culture that understands and respects diversity
A Workplace with High Psychological Safety Achieved Through Cultural Reform
A workplace with high psychological safety is specifically one that exhibits the following conditions:
Employee Engagement
Maruha Nichiro Corporation views employee engagement as a key factor in enhancing corporate value. We conduct pulse surveys to measure employee engagement levels monthly in fiscal years 2021 and 2022, and bimonthly starting fiscal year 2023. The results are utilized by managers themselves as a tool for reflecting on their management practices, while also enabling the company to grasp engagement levels from a company-wide perspective each time.
To realize our long-term vision of “Fostering a Culture of Challenge and Co-creation,” we selected the following three engagement survey items as key indicators for fiscal year 2024 and set targets for fiscal year 2030. These indicators are crucial measures for gauging the establishment of a “culture of challenge and co-creation.” We believe improving these items, which reflect current challenges, will strengthen the foundation for value creation.
- “Level of agreement with company policies and business strategies”
- “Culture of challenge” (an organizational culture that values taking risks over avoiding failure)
- “Recognition of contributions” (whether colleagues listen to one's opinions and contributions)
Surveys targeting group companies began in fiscal year 2023, with 10,232 participants in fiscal year 2024.
CASE: Department Introduction (Come See Us)
Under the concept of “Getting to Know Your Coworkers,” we have implemented this program since fiscal year 2019. Its purpose is to foster cross-departmental collaboration and strengthen communication among employees by helping them understand not only individuals but also the organization as a whole. Published on the company intranet, it has become a popular resource for employees, serving as a catalyst for departmental exchanges and providing information to help them consider their future careers.
Initiatives to Improve Employee Engagement
Department Introduction (Japanese only) (PDF: 494 KB/ 1 page)
For the Success of all Staff Members Lectures (Japanese only) (PDF: 609 KB/ 1 page)
Conduct 1-on-1 Meetings (Japanese only) (PDF: 333 KB/ 1 page)
Mentor System (Japanese only) (PDF: 319 KB/ 1 page)
Women's Empowerment
As part of our key initiatives to promote diversity, we are strengthening efforts to ensure equal opportunity at every stage from recruitment to promotion. Specifically, we have established a 50:50 gender ratio recruitment target and are actively promoting the appointment of women in roles traditionally dominated by male employees and in overseas operational positions.
Regarding the development and promotion of female managers, we are simultaneously enhancing growth opportunities and fostering an organizational culture. This includes providing training programs that support career development and creating opportunities for female managers to serve as role models.
Acquisition of "Eruboshi" Certification
In FY 2017, Maruha Nichiro Co.acquired the “Eruboshi" certification from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which is issued to companies with excellent status in promoting women's activities under the certification system based on the Law Concerning the Promotion of Women's Activities in the Workplace (Women's Activities Promotion Law). The certification is based on the evaluation of the company's efforts to create an environment in which women can easily play an active role. Of the five evaluation items, the company meets the criteria for three of them: “continuous employment,” “working hours and other working styles,” and “diverse career courses.” In addition, in March 2021, we formulated a general business owner action plan (2021-2025) based on the Law for the Promotion of Women's Activities.
Click here for details about “Database of companies promoting women's activities” (Japanese only)
Ratio of Male to Female Employees at Maruha Nichiro Co.
The gender ratio among new graduates joining the company in April 2025 was 51.6% male (49 individuals) and 48.4% female (46 individuals). The proportion of female employees has been increasing annually, reaching 31.5% as of April 1, 2025. Going forward, we will continue our efforts to enable women to play an even greater role across various fields. This includes promoting women into management positions, hiring non-regular employees, and assigning them to overseas locations. These initiatives will further advance customer-centric management, lead to decision-making and management participation that reflects diverse opinions, and foster an environment where diverse perspectives are valued.
Ratio of New Graduates and Mid-Career Men and Women (PDF:655 KB/ 2 pages)
Employees by Gender Ratio/Contract Status (PDF:655 KB/ 2 pages)
Directors and Officers (PDF:655 KB/ 2 pages)
Annual Salaries by Gender (PDF:655 KB/ 2 pages)
Childcare Support
Acquisition Rate of Childcare Leave
At Maruha Nichiro Corporation, all female employees who give birth take childcare leave. Furthermore, in fiscal year 2024, 79.2% of male employees utilized the childcare leave system (including short-term childcare leave).
Childcare Leave (PDF:651 KB/ 2 pages)
Support Before and After Childcare Leave
The situation changes rapidly from pregnancy to childcare leave, from childcare leave to return to work, and after returning to work. Employees in the childcare period are faced with endless anxiety. These anxieties are generally said to be “anxiety about balancing work and family” and “anxiety and impatience about future career development.” We support employees from childcare leave to return to work by eliminating the above concerns, fostering motivation toward returning to work, and using our intranet site to visualize their careers while raising children, viewing childcare leave as a period of preparation for balancing work and family.
Promoting the Use of Paternity Leave by Men
To foster a corporate culture where men feel more comfortable taking childcare leave, we endorsed the “100% Male Childcare Leave Declaration” and joined the “Ikubos Alliance” in fiscal year 2022, issuing a top management message. We are strengthening efforts to promote male childcare leave uptake through initiatives such as: - Management seminars for supervisors and above, focused on promoting male childcare leave - Seminars for male employees eligible for childcare leave and their colleagues, exploring “Our Future Shaped by Male Childcare Leave” In response to the increasing diversity of male childcare leave options due to ongoing legal revisions, we have established the “Hug Support” work-life balance consultation desk to provide tailored support addressing individual needs.
Promoting Male Childcare Leave (Japanese only) (PDF: 387 KB/ 1 page)
Joined the “Ikuboss Enterprise Alliance” (Japanese only) (PDF: 430 KB/ 1 page)
Childcare Support Certified Employer Mark (Nickname: “Kurumin”) Certification Acquisition
In 2023, Maruha Nichiro obtained the fourth “Kurumin” certification from the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, in recognition of the high rate of female employees as well as male employees taking childcare leave (including short-term leave).We will continue to implement a variety of measures, not limited to childcare leave, to support employees in balancing work and childcare as their children grow up, and to promote further participation in childcare by men as well as women, and to promote understanding among supervisors.
Promoting Reforms in Work Styles
Maruha Nichiro Corporation has multiple systems in place to allow all employees to choose a variety of work styles to suit their individual circumstances while cherishing their own lives. By FY2021, all departments will be working flextime with no core hours. Telecommuting, which was in the form of test operation until FY 2019, has been institutionalized from FY 2020, and from FY 2022, it is possible to work not only at home but also at the home of the employee's parents. We also introduced a new personnel system in FY2022, which includes a three-day workweek and a side job system.
We will continue to strive to create a system that enables employees to work while flexibly responding to their life events.
Work-Life Balance (WLB) Related Systems (PDF:651 KB/ 2 pages)
Care Support
Our “Remote Work System” allows employees to work from their parents' or in-laws' homes. We also offer a “Flexible Work Schedule without Core Hours” and a “Three-Day Weekend System,” supporting work-life balance for individual life events to achieve both ease of work and job satisfaction. We regularly provide caregiving information and seminars. As part of our cafeteria-style benefits plan, we offer a system where employees can access caregiving support as needed. Additionally, our work-life balance support consultation desk, “Hug Support,” provides individual consultations.
Support for Balancing Work with Caregiving and Childcare (Japanese only) (PDF: 430 KB/ 1 page)
Employment Rate of the Physically Challenged (PDF:651 KB/ 2 pages)
CASE: Employment of Persons with Disabilities—Establishment of the Nanairo Support Team
Under our policy of “Working Together with People with Disabilities,” our headquarters established a team to support operations across various departments, creating an environment where people with disabilities can thrive. Since its inception, the team has already taken on numerous tasks from over 20 departments, leveraging individual strengths to contribute across diverse workplaces. At our factories, we launched the “Key Team” to promote activities supporting the employment of people with disabilities. We will continue to advance initiatives enabling individuals with disabilities to contribute in more workplaces.
