Shiseido held the Shiseido Charity Concert “MUSIC for PEACE” on Tuesday, June 7, as part of its support for the evacuated Ukrainian citizens who had entered Japan. A large number of people turned out for the concert and the total proceeds, excluding operating expenses, amounted to 30 million yen, which included ticket sales, donations at the venue, sponsorship from companies*1 expressing their support for this project, and 10 million yen from Shiseido.
We considered various ways to utilize the proceeds for supporting the Ukrainian people entering Japan, especially students who will create the future of Ukraine. As a result, we decided to donate to Pathways Japan*2 (“PJ”), a general incorporated foundation that accepts Ukrainian students and runs various programs offering opportunities to study at universities and Japanese language schools in Japan, as we thought that their activities best fit the purpose of this project. Through PJ, we will provide partial support for the Ukrainian students who have entered Japan to study at universities and Japanese language schools, including covering airfares, travel expenses and living expenses in Japan, as well as educational support and a safe environment for them to continue their studies.
In addition, we will make ongoing efforts to offer the students welcome packages (sets of skincare and other products) through PJ. Going forward, we will continue to support the Ukrainian citizens entering Japan in various ways.
*1 Suntory Holdings Limited , Seiko Holdings Corporation , Daiwa Securities Group Inc . and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd . as co-sponsors, and Dentsu Inc . for cooperation.
*2 An organization that aims to pave the way for refugees through education, and accepts refugees into Japan. https://pathways-j.org/home-en

As part of the supports to people who are facing this humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the nearby areas, starting on March 10, Shiseido Group implemented a donation-matching scheme and organized a system to accept voluntary employee donations wherever Shiseido operates. By the end of March, we received approximately €220,000 from our employees across the globe and added the same amount from the company, making a total donation amount of €440,000 to the UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).

Moving forward, we will continue offering long-term support programs together with our employees around the world.

Shiseido Group strongly hopes that an immediate ceasefire can be reached to the tragic war in Ukraine so that people there can find safety and peace once again. We are deeply shocked to witness the 2 million small children, women, and elderly escaping in fear for their lives and crossing the border into neighboring countries, leaving their loved ones behind in Ukraine.

While we have no employees in Ukraine, we are determined to extend the utmost humanitarian care and support to these refugees. As immediate aid for them, we donated €1 million through UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). In addition, in coordination with UNHCR, we provided 50,000 units of our daily care products such as facial cleansers followed by daily necessities including baby food donated by our employees and their families. We have finalized the decision to implement a donation-matching scheme for voluntary employee donations to allow us all to work together in solidarity and augment the scale of our humanitarian actions. Together with our employees, we have started exploring long-term support programs such as job offerings, student internships, and scholarships for refugees who will have to stay in other countries.

At the same time, we are determined to extend our full support to our Shiseido Family in Russia, in what is also a difficult time. Recognizing their significant contribution to our Group, we will provide them with certainty through employment protection and compensation for the next weeks and months to come.

Finally, we have decided to immediately suspend export shipments of our products to Russia　from Europe which is our export hub of all products going into Russia. We will also suspend new investments in Russia such as advertising and promotions.

We will continue closely tracking the trajectory of this heartbreaking situation in Ukraine so that we can take humanitarian actions swiftly in keeping with our core value of PEOPLE FIRST.

We’re watching, as many of you are, what is happening in Ukraine with growing concern and profound sadness. Our thoughts and our hearts go out to all people and refugees of Ukraine. While we do not have employees in Ukraine, many of our staff have ties of family and friendship to Ukraine. We are mindful of our extended family of business partners and our consumers, to whom we also aim to provide support.

In order to help those who are going through overwhelming fear and despair at this moment, we have decided to donate €1 Million to the UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency). By donating to UNHCR, we hope to reach them as fast as we can and to bring concrete help and support to their lives. We will continue to look for any possible ways to support people who are suffering from this ongoing conflict.

In addition to this, we have heard from our employees that they also want to help, hence we are implementing a global voluntary employee donation. This is a matching scheme to offer our employees the possibility to augment our humanitarian actions through their own donations to UNHCR.

We will continue to follow closely the increasingly urgent needs of people in Ukraine. Our hearts are with everyone impacted while we share hope for peace.