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Disaster Relief Activities
Companies exists with society and live within society. It is our desire for the company to play its part as a member of society when society is in difficult times. Reconstruction of the areas that have suffered unprecedented damage will be a long road. We are committed to supporting the people affected by the disaster to become self-reliant by making the most of our resources including people, goods, information, technology, and culture.
Disaster Relief Funds
Donations from current and retired Shiseido Group employees are donated to disaster-affected areas as disaster relief funds for natural disasters that have occurred around the world. The combined goodwill of each of our employees and corporate alumni is a great source of strength.
For details on donation, please refer to Social Data.
Efforts in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake
Supporting Post-Disaster Recovery through Camellia
Shiseido has always had a strong connection with the camellia flower. It is also the city flower of Ofunato and Rikuzentakata City in the Kesen area of Iwate Prefecture. Since the 2011 disaster, Shiseido has been taking actions to support the recovery of the town with the people of the city through continuous discussions. In the process, we learned that until a few decades ago, households in the Kesen area pressed oil from camellia nuts and used it for food and hair care and that the city wanted to make camellia a new industry for the city. We also learned that in Ofunato, the camellia was a staple of tourism even before the earthquake. Through this connection we made through the camellia flower, Shiseido has been conducting camellia tree-planting activities in Ofunato City every year since 2012 so that the camellia cherished by the town can become a new industry and be used as a tourism resource. 10 years after the 2011 disaster, a total of 889 camellia seedlings and mature trees, including those provided by Shiseido and the town of Shin-Kamigoto in Nagasaki Prefecture, were planted together with the people of Ofunato City.
Hosting In-house Events to Support Post-Disaster Recovery
From 2011 to 2020, Shiseido hosted an in-house market to sell local products from the Sanriku area as part of our efforts to support post-disaster recovery of the Sanriku area, a region Shiseido had been supporting after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
＜Objectives of the market＞
| For Region |
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| For Employees |
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In 2020, due to the impact of COVID-19, in-house market to sell local products from the Sanriku area that had been held at Shiseido's Shiodome headquarters in previous years was switched to an online "Virtual Market" so that employees from all over Japan could also participate, even those outside the headquarters. A wide variety of local products from disaster-affected areas were made available online, and many employees participated in the event. As a new form of support, members of the fishery industry joined the “Virtual Market”, which brought smiles to the faces of all employees and their families.
Key Initiatives to Date
1. Activities with Hopes of Industrialization
●A Camellia Tree Planting Event Held to Contribute to the City Development Project
Shiseido launched the planting activity in 2012. In 2017, its sixth anniversary year, the participants planted nursery trees, which they plant every year, as well as mature trees, a new symbol of the city, to support the revitalized city of Ofunato. 15 employees from Shiseido planted trees with people from Taiyo-kai, the Ofunato City Office, and the JAPAN CAMELLIA SOCIETY.
(1) Nursery Camellia Tree Planting Event
On Thursday, May 25, 2017, Shiseido and Taiyo-kai, a social welfare corporation, co-hosted a camellia tree planting event on the premises of Taiyo-kai Fukushi-no-sato Center in Ofunato City. The participants planted 32 trees. To support this activity, Shiseido donated part of the sales of the Shiseido Relaxing Night Mist and of Ofunato's signature products that SHISEIDO AMENITY GOODS CO., LTD. offered in its mail order catalogues.
Planting ceremony (Ofunato City Mayor Kimiaki Toda, second from right)
A city office worker and a Shiseido employee planting a nursery tree
Participants of the planting event
(2) Commemorative Mature Camellia Tree Planting Event
On Friday, May 26, 2017, Shiseido planted nine mature trees as a new symbol of the city in the KYASSEN Mall & Patio, a commercial facility.Shiseido and KYASSEN CO., LTD., a city development company, co-hosted the ceremony.
Memorial plate unveiling ceremony
Employees wrapping a tree trunk in cloth
During the ceremony
●A Camellia Tree Planting Event with Wishes for Reconstruction Held on June 11, 2016
On Saturday, June 11, 2016, Shiseido and Taiyo-kai, a social welfare corporation, co-hosted a camellia tree planting event at Iwate Prefectural Fukushi-no-sato Center. 20 employees from Shiseido participated in the event and planted trees together with people from Taiyo-kai, the Ofunato City Office, and the JAPAN CAMELLIA SOCIETY.
(1) Mature camellia tree planting
In order to harvest camellia seeds, from which oil is extracted, at an early stage, we planted 20 mature trees. This year, as well as last year, the JAPAN CAMELLIA SOCIETY donated 30-year-old trees.
(2) Nursery camellia tree planting
In the hope that the trees will grow well and vigorously, commemorative trees were planted by Ofunato City Mayor Kimiaki Toda, Shiseido Executive Vice President and Representative Director Tsunehiko Iwai, Taiyo-kai Director Noriya Kikawada, and Mr. Kiyohiko Nakamura of the JAPAN CAMELLIA SOCIETY. To support this activity, Shiseido donated part of the sales of the Shiseido Relaxing Night Mist and of Ofunato's signature products that SHISEIDO AMENITY GOODS CO., LTD. offered in its mail order catalogues.
The tree planting ceremony with Ofunato City Mayor, Kimiaki Toda (right) and Shiseido Executive Vice President and Representative Director, Tsunehiko Iwai (left)
Planting nursery trees on a steep slope
Shiseido staff who participated in the tree planting event
●Hosting a Camellia Tree-planting with Hopes of Industrialization Event on June 12, 2015
On Friday, June 12, 2015, Shiseido and Taiyo-kai, a social welfare corporation, co-hosted a camellia tree planting event at Iwate Prefectural Fukushi-no-sato Center.
16 employees from Shiseido participated in the event and planted trees together with people from Taiyo-kai, the Ofunato City Office, and the general incorporated association RCF.
(1) Mature camellia tree planting
In order to harvest camellia seeds, from which oil is extracted, at an early stage, we planted 30 mature trees. The planted mature trees were donated from the JAPAN CAMELLIA SOCIETY, which has supported this activity.
(2) Nursery camellia tree planting
We planted 40 nursery trees. A part of the sales of the "Shiseido Relaxing Night Mist" and of Ofunato's signature products that SHISEIDO AMENITY GOODS CO., LTD. offered in its mail order catalogues is donated to this nursery tree planting event.
Installing poles for protecting nursery trees from deer
Planting mature camellia trees
Shiseido staff who participated in the tree planting event
2. Initiatives for Raising Awareness of Camellia in Kesen Area
●Releasing “Before bedtime” Fragrance with the Motif of “Sanmen Tsubaki” of Ofunato City Released on October 1, 2014
Fragrance soothes our feelings and gives us a sense of relaxation. With the hopes of delivering pleasant sleep with good fragrance to affected people, we worked on developing a product by utilizing Shiseido’s aromachology research. As a result, we have developed a new fragrance for users of all ages regardless of gender to experience a sense of relaxation before bedtime, by combining with the fragrance ingredient of flowers of “Sanmen Tsubaki”, which is 1,400 years old and is the oldest camellia tree in Japan located at “Nakamori Kumano Shrine” in Massaki-cho, Ofunato City. We collaborated with local people to create a new fragrance “Shiseido Relaxing Night Mist”.
It was released on October 1 (Wed), 2014, with limited volume via the Shiseido website, and was available at 4 department stores, Isetan Mitsukoshi Ltd. from March 9 (Wed), 2016.
Part of the sales utilized in the development of “Ofunato, home of camellia”.
Shiseido Relaxing Night Mist
●Using Camellia in Reconstruction Efforts Initiatives Shiseido Parlour Launching “Kesen Tsubaki Dressing” November 10, 2014
On November 10, Shiseido Parlour, participating in Shiseido’s reconstruction efforts initiatives centered around the use of camellia, launched a series of dressings in the market with a limited number of products. These dressings contain “Kesen Tsubaki” camellia oil made from camellia seeds from Kesen area, a town that was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
Kesen Tsubaki camellia oil is made by roasting camellia seeds and carefully wringing the oil out with manual oil wringers. Roasting the seeds brings out a distinctive, rich aroma and gives the oil a beautiful golden color.
This series comes in two varieties: Onion and French mustard. Head chef at Ginza Shiseido Parlour has made the best of this aroma, using a signature recipe in the making of the dressings.
Kesen Tsubaki Dressing
●“TSUBAKI NO YUME FESTIVAL (Dream of Camellia Festival)” October 4, 2014
Shiseido held “TSUBAKI NO YUME FESTIVAL (Dream of Camellia Festival)” at Rias Hall in Ofunato City, Iwate on October 4, 2014, as part of Shiseido’s “Using Camellia in reconstruction efforts” initiatives.
The purpose of this event was to let the local young people experience and know the potential of camellia as an industrial and tourism resource.
The theme of the performances for the event was “Experience camellia with all five senses,” including a “Fragrance Seminar” to feel the effects of fragrance and “Shiseido Relaxing Night Mist,” a “Mini Gallery” exhibiting Shiseido products and
posters designed with camellia motifs, and a “Tasting camellia oil” activity where people could try foods and sweets that contain camellia oil.
In “Tasting camellia oil,” Ofunato Higashi High School students presented their hand-made sweets that contained camellia oil.
Fragrance Seminar
Serving Spiedini with “Kesen Tsubaki Dressing”
Ofunato Higashi High School with their food and sweets that contain camellia oil
Ofunato Higashi High School with their food and sweets that contain camellia oil
Shiseido also held “Hair & Skincare Seminars” for both male and female high school students to show the students how to style their hair and provide some tips on how to maintain healthy skin. It was a way of drawing the local youth to this
festival, since it is them who will have to shoulder the responsibility for the reconstruction of the region.
The event closed with the “Hair & Makeup Show” by Shiseido’s hair & makeup artists, and featured models selected from among the local youth.
Thanks to the popular fashion brands, CECIL McBEE and SLY from Shibuya 109, all participants were able to express their “Ideal ME.”
“Hair & Skincare Seminars” for high school students
“Hair & Skincare Seminars” for high school students
“Hair & Makeup Show”
●Hosting "TSUBAKI NO MEGUMI FESTIVAL (Blessings of Camellia Festival)" Hosted on November 23, 2013
We focused on the "food culture" of camellia to support its industrialization by promoting the recognition of edible camellia oil, which was commercialized after the quake. We planned the "TSUBAKI NO MEGUMI FESTIVAL (Blessings of Camellia Festival)" with the hopes of creating an opportunity to explore the potential of camellia with local residents through food experience.
In this event, local restaurants and Japanese/Western sweets stores prepared new dishes and sweets using camellia oil, and we held a menu contest. The head chef of Ginza Shiseido Parlour participated from Shiseido and served the signature menu, "Meat Croquette", which was fried in camellia oil.
Local women made "Kenchin-jiru (miso soup with root vegetables)", which has always been made with camellia oil in the area, and served it at the venue. They simultaneously handed down the culture to children, who did not know camellia oil.
Menu contest
Camellia oil pressing experience
Food experience venue
Food experience venue reception
Local performing art (deer dance) by Ofunato Nursery School students
In addition, we also held an event to experience harvesting camellia fruits, which will be important in industrialization, in another venue (Goishi District, a tourist spot for camellia in Ofunato), and picked 54 kg fruits with the local residents. The harvested fruits were donated to Seishokan of Taiyo-kai, a social welfare corporation, and an oil factory in Rikuzentakata, that faces an issue of fruit harvesting in preparation for the industrialization.
Fruit harvesting experience
Harvested camellia fruits
In addition, we also held a makeup seminar at the request of local residents.
We were able to experience "camellia", which is much more than just flowers, together with them on this day.
Beauty seminar
Staff who participated in the "TSUBAKI NO MEGUMI FESTIVAL (Blessings of Camellia Festival)"
3. Activities to Grow Camellia with the Next Generation
●Ofunato City Hikoroichi Junior High School's Activities
Ofunato City Hikoroichi Junior High School in Iwate Prefecture is implementing a school-wide program named the "Camellia Learning Program" for further understanding of camellias, the city flower. At the junior high school's request, Shiseido is supporting the students, who will play a central role in the future city development, in experiencing the "potential of camellias".
●Cooking Class with the Shiseido Parlour Held on Augsut 28, 2017
On Monday, August 28, the students made special omelet with rice under the guidance of the chefs of Shiseido Parlour and compared the taste of croquettes fried with camellia oil produced in Ofunato City.
First, the grand chef of Shiseido Parlour demonstrated how to make omelet with rice. He told the students the secret to wrapping chicken fried rice gently in a thin sheet of egg omelet. The students were fascinated by the process of cooking the delicious-looking dish.
The students were nervous and looked awkward at the start of cooking, but they gradually began to smile. Everyone managed with the difficult task - wrapping chicken fried rice in a thin sheet of egg omelet - to make tasty omelet with rice.
Eating the home-made omelet with rice made them smile because making it themselves gave them confidence, and they were happy with its mild taste. In addition, they compared the taste of croquettes fried with camellia oil or cooking oil. They enjoyed the flavor and aroma of the croquettes fried with camellia oil produced in their hometown.
Students watching the skillful techniques of the grand chef
Students cooking
Students enjoying the omelet with rice they made
●Activities in Ofunato Municipal Akasaki Junior High School
Our encounter with Ofunato Municipal Akasaki Junior High School in Iwate Prefecture was on September 11, 2012.
Shiseido employees and all of Akasaki Junior High School students planted the same number of camellia seedlings as the number of 9th grade students in front of the temporary building of the school, which was affected by the tsunami.
Plates of haiku, written on the themes of "home of camellia: Ofunato" and "reconstruction of our home", were attached to the camellia seedlings. Since then, we have been continuing to promote the activities to grow the camellias, which we planted with the students of Akasaki Junior High School.
Students are passing down the responsibility to grow the camellias with care while communicating the possibility that these trees may become a seed for a new industry for Ofunato someday.
●Haiku Works
The students in the 9th grade have been composing haiku (Japanese poems in 5-7-5 syllabic form) with the themes of “home of camellia: Ofunato” and “reconstruction of our home” annually since 2012.
We have organized their haiku works into a “haiku booklet” as records of steps to reconstruction, and presented to them.
●Activities to Grow Camellia (Video conferences/Tsubaki Journal)
Holding Video conferences
We began holding Video conferences with maintenance and safety representative students in June, 2013. In these "Tsubaki Meetings", students discuss what they have noticed and wondered about in the course of providing care for the camellia trees, and we share information.
We considered what was necessary to nurture camellia trees and prepared a nurturing program while seeking advice from specialists.
Akasaki Junior High School "Tsubaki Journal"
Akasaki Junior High School has decided that "maintenance and safety representative" students would be in charge of nurturing the camellia trees, starting in FY2013.
Mr. Takashi Takahashi, teacher in charge, started sending us reports on the camellia trees.
We have decided to keep them as records under the name of "Tsubaki Journal".
●Oil Pressing Event Held on November 17, 2015
“Grow camellia” ⇒ “harvest its fruits” ⇒ “extract oil”
We held an event to extract oil from camellia fruit to support Ofunato City’s goal of industrializing camellia through an event to experience this important process with local students and by deepening their interest in camellia.
About 30 students participated on the day, watched how oil was extracted by a traditional oil press machine in Ofunato and experienced extraction by home oil press machines. Afterwards, they tasted “Kesen Tsubaki (camellia) Dressing” from Shiseido Parlour to experience an example of how the camellia oil is used.
The participating junior high school students told us with excitement, “It was my first time to actually touch camellia fruit and extract camellia oil. It was very interesting”, “when you actually experience it, you realize that you need quite a lot of power to extract even the smallest amount of oil”, and “I learned for the first time that camellia oil is used for many things”.
Oil pressing experience with a home oil press machine
Tasting “Kesen Tsubaki (camellia) Dressing”
A photo taken with the participating students
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