Associate Professor
Takashi Shimosawa
Department of International Culture, Faculty of Cultural Policy and Management, Shizuoka University of Art and Culture

In the progress of globalization, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find Japanese companies that do not rely on the markets and labor forces of developing countries. Amid this trend, Japanese companies are now required to conduct CSR activities not only in Japan but also in developing countries and the activities need to be recognized by local people in a visible manner. Unfortunately, however, many Japanese companies tend to conduct CSR activities only in Japan, perhaps because they have faced difficulties in providing specific support to developing countries or in finding reliable NGOs to work with.
Companies with factories and offices in developing countries have more decisive reasons and also more possibilities to conduct CSR activities in those countries. In fact, AGC Group has already begun doing this ahead of others, and I would like the Group to continue to be a leader of Japanese companies in terms of CSR activities in developing countries.