Promotion of Environmental Communication
The Kikkoman Group is dedicated to sharing information with its stakeholders through publication of corporate reports and case studies on environmental conservation activities. The group strives to contribute to global environmental conservation efforts by leveraging accumulated data, technology, and experience gained from years of corporate activities through partnerships and cooperation with various entities, including national and local government agencies, educational institutions, industrial and other related organizations.
Exhibition of Environmental Conservation Projects at Kikkoman Soy Sauce Museum
Panel exhibition: “Kikkoman Group's Environmental Activities”
In space dedicated to the exhibition of soy sauce production processes inside the Kikkoman Soy Sauce Museum, display panels introduce the Kikkoman Group’s environmental activities.
Distribution of Potted Plants
The Kikkoman Group takes every precaution to prevent the pollution of water bodies by purifying and processing wastewater discharged from plants at our on-site wastewater treatment facilities prior to release.
The Noda Factory of Kikkoman Food Products Company and Nagareyama Kikkoman Company outsource the treatment of all sludge generated during purification processes at their wastewater treatment facilities. The resulting fermented compost is supplied to farmers.
Potted plants grown with this fermented compost come with illustrations and information labels explaining, “this compost was made from sludge,” and “even sludge can be utilized effectively through recycling.” We distribute these potted plants to local city halls, chambers of commerce, and shopping districts, to promote awareness for building a circular society.
In July 2024, Kikkoman received a letter of gratitude from the mayor of Nagareyama City for its donation of begonia plants using activated sludge. These begonias are on display at the Nagareyama City Care Center and Welfare Hall, adding color to this vibrant green city.
In May 2023, with cooperation from the Noda Chamber of Commerce, we delivered potted begonia plants to chamber members. The Environment Department Manager and a waste treatment company representative provided an explanation of sludge compost to Mr. Mogi, Chair of the Chamber.
In June 2023, Kikkoman provided flowers grown with fermented compost to the “Flower Project with Children” organized by the Noda Chamber of Commerce Women's Association. By planting flowers with their own hands, this initiative encouraged children to respect plants, develop an interest in nature and the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) while having fun, and to broaden their perspective and raise their awareness of environmental conservation.
In July 2022, the Kamogawa Plant of Kikkoman Biochemifa Company donated 200 begonia plants grown with recycled sludge compost to Kamogawa City. Mayor Hasegawa expressed his appreciation, commenting “it is an excellent initiative. I appreciate your efforts in making this city blossom.” The begonia plants were transplanted to flower beds at the city hall, providing visual enjoyment for Kamogawa residents.
Teacher-Private Sector Training Program
Since 2002, the Kikkoman Group has conducted 2 to 3-day training and hands-on experience programs, inviting about 15 teachers from mainly Tokyo elementary and junior high schools. These programs introduce Kikkoman's human resource and education systems, initiatives for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the environment, as well as corporate activities, including shokuiku (food education).
For this program, the Environment Department holds a lecture on 'Environmental Initiatives' that includes:
①The Earth’s various environmental issues and global initiatives to solve these
②The importance of corporate environmental management
③The Kikkoman Group’s environmental policies, management system and in-practice environmental conservation activities
environmental conservation activities
Weathernews Climate Change Forum Speaker
In April 2024, Weathernews Inc. held its “First Climate Change Countermeasures Forum”.
For this forum, Weathernews Inc., which analyzes the effects of physical risks (such as flooding and high tide) on corporations, assesses water risks concerning TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures), and supports risk quantification, focused on companies committed to disclosing information related to climate change.
The Environmental Department Manager from Kikkoman introduced our company’s sustainability initiatives and a case example of information disclosure, then participated in a panel discussion to exchange ideas and strategies aimed at solving the 'Quantitative Analysis of Physical Risk Issue.'
Speaker at Training Workshop for Outstanding Industrial Waste Processors in Fukushima Prefecture
In November 2024 a “Training Workshop for Outstanding Industrial Waste Processors in Fukushima Prefecture” was held at Corasse Fukushima, in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture.
Aimed at industrial waste generators and industrial waste processors within Fukushima Prefecture, this workshop introduced basic knowledge and key management points in relation to the appropriate handling of industrial waste.
Having received a request from the Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry, Kikkoman deployed a staff member from the Environmental Department who took the stage and spoke on “Key Points for Managing Waste from the Perspective of a Waste Generator.”
Partnership and Cooperation with Related Organizations
As a corporate member of various organizations, the Kikkoman Group is actively engaged in promoting environmental conservation across multiple fronts. These organizations include the Sustainability Committee of the Japan Food Industry Association, the Environmental Conservation Association of Chiba Prefecture, the Council for PET Bottle Recycling, the Glass Bottle 3R Promotion Association, the PET Bottle Business Committee of the Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association, and the Chiba Biodiversity Business Network.
Affiliation with JCLP
The Kikkoman Group has been a member of the Japan Climate Leaders' Partnership (JCLP) since May 2015. JCLP is a coalition of Japanese companies established in July 2009 to promote various inter-industry and industry-government-academia activities beyond the scope of individual enterprises, based on the recognition that industries should develop a sound sense of urgency and initiate autonomous and preemptive action, with the goal of realizing a sustainable decarbonized society. This organization facilitates information exchange and joint projects among industry, government and academia, supports initiatives including RE100, EP100, EV100, and Renewable Energy 100 RE Action, and provides recommendations on a variety of policies, such as long-term growth strategies in line with the Paris Agreement.
Participation in the Japan Project for the “10x20x30 Food Loss and Waste Initiative”
In 2019, the Kikkoman Food Products Company joined the Japan Project for the “10x20x30 Food Loss and Waste Initiative” organized by AEON Co., Ltd. About 800 million people worldwide (one in nine) are estimated to be undernourished, while about 1/3 of the food equivalent to 1.3 billion tons produced for human consumption is being wasted annually, though still edible. This is referred to as the food loss problem. Of the 27.59 million tons of food wasted in Japan during FY2016, food loss comprised 6.43 million tons (3.52 million tons generated by businesses including manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants, and 2.91 million tons generated by households), which is equivalent to about 1.7 times the amount of food that the UN World Food Program (WFP) donated to countries facing poverty and hunger.
The “10x20x30 Food Loss and Waste Initiative” is sponsored by the WRI (World Resources Institute), a non-profit U.S. think tank engaged in policy research and technology development related to the global environment and sustainable development. This initiative was brought together by ten of the world's largest food retailers, each engaging with twenty suppliers to halve rates of food loss and waste by the year 2030. Following the launch of this international initiative in September 2019, WRI authorized AEON Co., Ltd. to work with 21 food manufacturers (suppliers) in Japan, including the Kikkoman Food Products Company, to begin taking action (initiating projects) aimed at decreasing food waste by half.
Participation in the Japan Clean Ocean Material Alliance (CLOMA)
In September 2021, the Kikkoman Group became a member of the Clean Ocean Material Alliance (CLOMA) to track progress in addressing the issues of marine plastic pollution, the three Rs for plastic materials, development and commercialization of environment-friendly plastics, all of which contribute to the activities of the group's environmental vision.
Participation in the Japan Climate Initiative (JCI)
Our commitment to addressing climate change led us to join the Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) in September 2021, with the aim of mitigating global warming and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Participation in Marine Ecolabel Japan Council (MEL)
In June 2023, the Kikkoman Group became a full member of the Marine Ecolabel Japan Council (MEL) in support of its objectives, “to protect Japan’s diverse nature, fish species, fishing methods, processing and distribution, and diverse fish-eating culture, as well as consumption for the healthy and rich food-lifestyles of people in Japan and worldwide”.
“Decokatsu” Declaration
In February 2025, the Kikkoman Group expressed its support for the Ministry of the Environment’s national movement, “Creating a New Abundant Lifestyle that Leads to Decarbonization (coined "Decokatsu," combining "DE"-carbonization, "ECO"-friendly, and "KATSU" - the Japanese word for activity/lifestyle, by making a “Decokatsu” declaration.
The Group also joined the “Decokatsu Support Team” (a public-private partnership council), which serves as a platform for effectively implementing this initiative.
Release of the Kikkoman Group's Corporate Report
The latest Kikkoman Group Corporate Report, which is available on our website, introduces the Kikkoman Group’s environmental conservation activities.