SustainabilitySocietySocial engagement
We aim to be a company that enjoys friendly relations with its neighbors through cleanup activities in the surrounding areas, participation in community events and youth development programs, and promotion of sports.
Community cleanup activities
Cleanups tailored to business locations and the particular traits of their surrounding communities
Contributing to youth development
Supporting the Akashi-jyoki Gakudo Soft Baseball Tournament
TOCALO has been a special sponsor of the Akashi-jyoki Gakudo Soft Baseball Tournament since its launch in 2012. Teams from the local prefecture (Hyogo) battled it out in the 2023 tournament, and the head of the Akashi Plant presented the tournament awards at the closing ceremony.
Extracurricular classes at nearby elementary schools
In fiscal 2023, Tokyo Plant‘s Gyoda Workshop hosted a school field trip by elementary students, who particularly enjoyed opportunities to experience our technologies in person. Tocalo is dedicated to continue providing educational activities for children in nearby communities.
Accepting internships
TOCALO has been hosting interns annually since fiscal 2007. For safety reasons during the pandemic, we did not accept interns in fiscal 2023.
We usually accept one or two interns from Helmut Schmidt University in Germany each year. The interns spend over a month in summer at the Thermal Spraying Technology R&D Laboratories where they experience our business activities and our research and development work on thermal spray technology. Mutual understanding of the German and Japanese cultures is also deepened through exchanges during both work and private time with our employees. We are looking forward to resuming the intern program.
Contributions to society
We maintain a special annual budget for providing donations to community and social contribution activities. The following are a few of our recent activities.
June 2024 Endorsement of the Green Fund of the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization
In fiscal 2024, we donated ¥500,000 to the Green Fund as part of our continuing support for the forest maintenance and greening activities of the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization.
June 2024 Sponsorship of the Tokai Fireworks Festival
As part of our contributions to the development of the local communities, we donated ¥500,000 to help sponsor the Tokai City’s midsummer Tokai Fireworks Festival.
May 2024 Donations to support children’s causes and promote SOGIE understanding
We donated a total of ¥1.3 million to organizations promoting the healthy development of children, the creation of environments supportive of raising children, and to promote understanding of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE). Donations were made to the following organizations.
- Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture (corporate hometown tax)
- Harima, Kako District, Hyogo (corporate hometown tax)
- Akashi Children’s Fund
- NPO Hyogo Children Supporting Organization
- Akashi Rainbow Fund
April 2024 Donation to support aid for victims of the East Taiwan earthquake
We donated ¥1.0 million through the Japan Red Cross Society to aid victims of the 2024 earthquake off the eastern coast of Taiwan.
(Yen in thousands)
| FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending for social contribution | 6,460 | 10,600 | 14,260 |
March 2024 Donation to the Funabashi City Children and Childcare Support Project
We donated ¥1.0 million to Funabashi City in Chiba Prefecture (via the corporate hometown tax scheme) to support activities contributing to the healthy development of children and the creation of environments supportive of raising children.
March 2024 Sponsorship of the 51st Kobe Festival
We contribute to local communities by donating ¥300,000 to sponsor the Kobe Festival, an open participation festival with parades and stage shows.
March 2024 Donation to the National Institute of Technology, Akashi Colleg extracurricular program
We donated ¥500,000 to the Eco-Run and Ene-1 extracurricular programs of National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Akashi College, which is educating leading engineers for the future. Eco-Run is a competition in which student-designed vehicles compete to travel the furthest on one liter of gasoline. Ene-1 is a competition in which student-designed vehicles and motorcycles running on 40 batteries compete in speed and distance.
- Eco-Run is a competition in which student-designed vehicles compete to travel the furthest on one liter of gasoline.
- Ene-1 is a competition in which student-designed vehicles and motorcycles running on 40 batteries compete in speed and distance.
March 2024 Donation to the Young Member Fellowship Fund of the Japan Thermal Spray Society
We donated ¥200,000 to foster young researchers involved in thermal spraying and to advance the development of the thermal spray industry.
January 2024 Donation to the University of Hyogo Global Business Course International Student Support Fund
In addition to our TOCALO scholarship, we donated ¥1 million to the Global Business Course International Student Support Fund. The fund is used for start-up scholarships for first-year international students.
January 2024 TOCALO Scholarship for International Students in the University of Hyogo Global Business Course
We provided our annual ¥1 million scholarship for an international student in the Global Business Course of the School of Economics and Management, University of Hyogo. This marks the fourth grant of the TOCALO scholarship.
January 2024 Donation to the TREK KOBE Project
We donated ¥100,000 for trail maintenance of popular trekking trails in the Kobe area.
January 2024 Sponsorship of Kobe Luminarie
In memory of those lost in the Great Hanshin Earthquake, we donated ¥100,000 to the Kobe Luminarie illumination event to help foster the hopes and dreams for the city’s reconstruction and revitalization.
January 2024 Relief donations for the Noto Peninsula Earthquake
We donated ¥3 million to Ishikawa Prefecture to aid in the relief of victims of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the reconstruction of affected areas.
December 2023 Donation to the Kibou no Machi Project of Kitakyushu City
We donated ¥1 million for a second straight year to NPO Hoboku in Kitakyushu City, which is promoting the construction of a social welfare complex under its philosophy of creating a society in which no one is left behind.
November 2023 Donation to Nagoya Christmas Gift Project for Children
We donated ¥360,000 to a project of the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce & Industry to deliver Christmas presents to children and students at orphanages in Nagoya City.
October 2023 Sponsorship of the Japan Beach Games Suma 2023
We donated ¥300,000 as part of our sports promotion activities to sponsor the Japan Beach Games held on Kobe’s Suma beach under the Japan Beach Games Invitation Project. The games at Suma were the first official beach games to be held in Japan.
September 2023 Support for green funding for the Aichi Prefecture Green Transformation Project
We donated ¥200,000 to the “Green Funding” project of the Aichi Prefecture Revegetation Promotion Committee to raise funds for forest maintenance and greening activities.
August 2023 Donation to the 100th Anniversary Commemorative Project of the Department of Metallurgical Engineering of the School of Engineering at Tohoku University
We donated ¥1 million to the project to help the prestigious department continue cultivating materials researchers for another 100 years.
August 2023 Donation to Kobe University 120th Anniversary Commemoration
On the 120th anniversary of the founding of Kobe University, we donated ¥500,000 to help generate knowledge, develop human resources, enrich and improve the environment, and provide grants for student scholars.
August 2023 TOCALO Scholarship for International Students in the University of Hyogo Global Business Course
Following the ¥1 million scholarship provided in February, we decided to provide an additional ¥1 million scholarship for a second international student in the Global Business Course of the School of Economics and Management, University of Hyogo.
August 2023 Sponsorship of Hyogo Machinami Garden Show in Akashi 2023
We donated ¥100,000 to a flower and green event held in Akashi Park, which is home to the Akashi TOCALO Baseball Stadium*
- TOCALO has acquired naming rights to the stadium
May-June 2023 Donations to support children and child-rearing
We donated to the following organizations to support their activities helping to raise healthy children and create environments that facilitate raising children.
- Kurashiki City Children's Fund (¥100,000)
- Food Bank Kitakyushu Life Again (¥500,000)
- Tokai City Picture Book Support Project for Families (¥500,000)
May 2023 Donations to Okayama University of Science
We donated ¥100,000 to be used for educational and research activities to foster the success of talented individuals in society.
May 2023 Corporate membership in the Kobe Philharmonic
Since fiscal 2023, we have become a corporate member of the Kobe Philharmonic Association (annual membership fee of ¥500,000), supporting the orchestra and showing a continued commitment to the arts in the Kobe area.
May 2023 Endorsement of the Green Fund of the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization
In fiscal 2023, we once again donated ¥500,000 to the Green Fund to support the forest maintenance and greening activities of the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization.
March 2023 Sponsor of the 40th Kobe Jazz Street
We contributed ¥300,000 to the Kobe Jazz Street event, which will be held in October 2023 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of jazz music in Kobe.
February 2023 Donation to the Be Kobe Mirai Project
We became a corporate ambassador and donated ¥500,000 the Be Kobe Mirai Project to support the youth who will be the future leaders of the city. Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto is the honorary project leader.
February 2023 TOCALO Scholarship for International Students in the University of Hyogo Global Business Course
We continued our scholarship program by providing a ¥1 million scholarship to an international student in the Global Business Course of the School of Economics and Management, University of Hyogo.
February 2023 Endorsement of the Blue Carbon Creation Project on Kobe Airport Island (Purchase of J Blue Credits)
J Blue Credits are offset credits for “blue carbon,” which is carbon dioxide absorbed by marine and coastal ecosystems, such as seagrass beds. The funds generated by this project will be used to support private organizations working to conserve and create blue carbon as part of the Port of Kobe’s efforts to become carbon neutral and Kobe Airports’ efforts to decarbonize its operation. TOCALO has announced its endorsement and contributed ¥900,000 to the project.
January-February 2023 Donations to support children and child-rearing
We donated a total of ¥2.2 million to the following organizations to support their activities helping to raise healthy children and create environments that facilitate raising children.
- Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture (Corporate Hometown Tax)
- Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture (Corporate Hometown Tax)
- Harima, Kako, Hyogo Prefecture (Corporate Hometown Tax)
- Akashi City Children’s Fund
- Hyogo Children’s Support Organization NPO
January 2023 Donation to the Young Member Fellowship Fund of the Japan Thermal Spray Society
We donated ¥200,000 to foster young researchers involved in thermal spraying and to advance the development of the thermal spray industry.
In August 2022, TOCALO made a contribution of ¥200,000 in support of WWF Japan.
July 2022 Donation to the Kibou no Machi Project of Kitakyushu City
We donated ¥1 million to help Houboku, an NPO in Kitakyushu City, build an integrated social welfare facility based on its concept of “a city where anyone can ask for help when they need it.”
May 2022 Endorsement of the Green Fund of the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization
We donated ¥500,000 to the Green Fund to support the forest maintenance and greening activities of the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization.
May 2022 Donation to the Kobe Philharmonic Orchestra
At the request from the Kobe Philharmonic Association, we donated ¥1 million to promote cultural and artistic activities in our hometown of Kobe.
April 2022 Donation for humanitarian relief in Ukraine
We donated ¥3 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for humanitarian aid to those affected in Ukraine and surrounding areas.
December 2021 University of Hyogo Global Business Course TOCALO Scholarship
This fiscal year, we again provided TOCALO Scholarship, a one-year monthly scholarship of ¥80,000 to one international student of the Global Business Course of the School of Economics and Management.
June–July 2021 COVID-19 pandemic response support
We donated a total of ¥5.5 million to the following organizations to help healthcare professionals working day and night to protect society from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture
- Harima, Kako, Hyogo Prefecture
- Fukuoka Prefecture
- Tohoku University
August 2020 University of Hyogo Global Business Course TOCALO Scholarship
Under our agreement with the University of Hyogo to support the “development of human resources to play an active role in the international community,” we provided a one-year monthly scholarship of ¥80,000 to one international student of the Global Business Course of the School of Economics and Management. We are the first corporate entity to create a program at the university to provide continuing scholarship support to an international student.
June 2020 COVID-19 pandemic response support
We donated a total of ¥3.9 million to the following organizations to help healthcare professionals working day and night to protect society from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture: Donation to the Kobe Medical Support Fund
- Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture: Donation for pandemic response measures
- Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture: Donation to the Funabashi pandemic response measures
- Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture: Donation to the Akashi pandemic response support
- Harima, Kako, Hyogo Prefecture: Donation to support pandemic response measures of medical staff and childcare workers
- Tokai, Aichi Prefecture: Donation to purchase goods for medical professionals engaged in pandemic response activities
- Miyako Medical Association (Yukuhashi, Fukuoka Prefecture): Donation of 6,000 masks
December 2019 Support for Typhoon Hagibis reconstruction efforts
We donated ¥1 million to the reconstruction efforts of the city of Sano in Tochigi Prefecture, site of the Sano Factory of our subsidiary Japan Coating Center, and the town of Osato in Miyagi Prefecture, site of the Miyagi Technical Service Center, in the wake of Typhoon Hagibis in October 2019.
November 2019 Donations to the Hojo Railway Revitalization Support Project in Kasai
We donated ¥3 million to the Hojo Railway Revitalization Support Project to improve the local public transportation infrastructure in the city of Kasai in Hyogo Prefecture, which is within commuting distance from both our Kobe Factory and Akashi Factory.
September 2019 Support for international students at the University of Hyogo
We created a three-year fund to donate ¥1 million annually to the Global Business Course International Student Support Fund at the University of Hyogo. The fund will provide first-year scholarships for new international students.
July 2018 Donations for heavy rain disasters
We donated ¥3 million to the city of Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture, site of our Mizushima Plant, to provide aid to victims and help reconstruct the city following the heavy rain events.
October 2016 Donations to the Kumamoto Reconstruction Assistance Project
We donated ¥5 million to the Kumamoto Reconstruction Assistance Project of Kumamoto University to help the reconstruction of Kumamoto University from damage incurred during the Kumamoto earthquakes in April 2016.
March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake reconstruction support
We donated ¥20 million to the reconstruction efforts of Miyagi Prefecture and ¥10 million to the town of Osato in Miyagi Prefecture, site of our Miyagi Technical Service Center, which was under construction, from damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake.