olympus corporate citizenship activities - … corporate citizenship activities contributing to the...

Olympus Corporation

Corporate CitizenshipActivities

Olympus

Shinjuku Monolith, 3-1 Nishi-Shinjuku 2-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-0914, Japan TEL: +81-3-6901-9299 E-mail: [email protected]

Olympus Corporate Citizenship Activities

Contributing to the solution of global social issues, realizing our responsibility as a global company

Contributing to effective solutions to social problems through activities relevant to our business

Priority Activities

Conducting awareness-raising activities and providing education and training support to new generations of leaders by leveraging our technologies and know-how

Priority Areas

Since its establishment in 1919 with the mission to contribute to the health of the people at large through epidemiology and the mass production of microscopes, the company has continued to deliver products and services that are beneficial to society. Examples are medical endoscopes, useful for early detection and treatment of cancer and other diseases, microscopes that aid cutting-edge research in life sciences, non-destructive testing instruments that are used in inspecting aircraft engines to assure safety and cameras that bring people the joy of photography and enrich their lives. Olympus regards them as “contributions to society through business operations.” At the same time, corporate citizenship activ-ities have been held in various parts of the world, making use of the company’s knowledge and technologies gained through business. Activities to

promote awareness of the importance of medical care and health and those aimed at building human resources for the future through the use of micro-scopes and cameras can be regarded as uniquely Olympus. We are very proud that we are able to engage in these activities aimed at bringing better health and greater happiness to people, not only through our business operations but also through our corporate citizenship activities. Olympus intends to meet the expectations of all its stakeholders on a higher level and to realize sustainable growth together with society through action as a good corporate citizen.

Spreading Olympus’ Unique Corporate Citizenship Activities around the World

Olympus contributes to society through its corporate citizenship activities that utilize technologies

and expertise gained in its Medical, Scientific Solutions and Imaging Businesses.

Our corporate citizenship activities are being conducted in accordance with the Olympus Group

Corporate Citizenship Policy. In the Policy, we set four priority areas and three priority activities,

and we are comitted to providing disaster relief assistance and humanitarian support.

Corporate citizenship activities that are uniquely Olympus are underway around the world, based

on these policy directions.

Humanitarian support for the alleviation of hunger and poverty

Providing disaster relief assistance

Health and Medicine

Culture and the Arts

Global Environment

Science and Technology

Olympus Group Corporate Citizenship Policy

Hiroyuki SasaPresident and Representative Director

2 3Olympus Corporate Citizenship Activities Olympus Corporate Citizenship Activities

Priority Areas

Health and Medicine

Culture and the Arts

Global Environment

Science and Technology

Tree-planting in Shirakami-Sanchi, a World Heritage site.

See Page 17 for further information.

Promoting environment-friendly bike commuting


Aid in recovery from earthquake disaster and in supporting young people


Project to provide medical treatment to persons without health insurance coverage


Promoting better gastrointestinal health See Page 7 for further information.

Coral planting in the oceans around Okinawa


From Japan

From the Americas

From Europe

From Asia/Oceania

Olympus Corporate Citizenship Activities around the World

Stuff-a-Truck turns unused items from employees into donations.


Donation of microscopes to the Smithsonian Museum



Cultural contribution activities in the exhibition hall


Olympus Group companies in Europe are cooperating with a program called Migrants Medicine, organized by a German group in cooperation with Médecins du Monde,* an international NGO, to provide medical care to people without health insurance coverage. Donations have been made for medical treatment given to the socially weak and women and children in areas populated

by many immigrants. Also, Olympus microscopes were donated to medical clinics pro-viding services to immigrants. The companies are contribut-ing to providing swift access to medical examinations to as many people as possible.

* Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) is an international NGO established in Paris in 1980 to provide humanitarian medical assistance.

Olympus (China) Co., Ltd. (Group company in China) is involved in a variety of health awareness promotional activities in the area of gastrointestinal health. In 2015, the company conducted question-naire surveys in 12 cities with high rates of stomach and intestinal cancer and published its report, developed a smartphone game application that estimates each user’s gastrointestinal age, organized lectures in six major cities in-cluding Shanghai and Guangzhou and hosted a marathon to run around a stomach-shaped course. These activities won many awards in the country, including the fiscal 2015 Corporate Social Responsibility Award of the Chinese online media People’s Daily Online.

Activities in Health and Medicine

Every March, which is Colon Cancer Awareness Month for Olympus Corporation of the Americas (Group company in the US), the company organizes various promotional activities. For the second straight year, the company supported a bike race organized by the Colon Cancer Coalition, a nonprofit organization that encourages screening and increases awareness of colon cancer. As its top sponsor, Olympus collaborated with event organizers to recruit over 200 bike riders, many of whom were employees.

Since 2008, Olympus (China) Co., Ltd. has been promoting public awareness of gastrointestinal health. The concept of “three early actions,” namely early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment, is advocated, and efforts are being made to reduce general public resistance to endoscopic examinations. We are committed to organizing these activities in the future.

Ding YingBrand & PR DivisionDeputy Division DirectorOlympus (China) Co., Ltd.

Bike race to promote cancer awareness Extending the reach of medical care to as many as possible

From Europe

Unique perspective in promoting greater gastrointestinal health awareness

From Asia/Oceania

From the Americas


In the conviction that medical progress leads to creation of jobs and to advancements in health and educational standards in developing coun-tries, Olympus supports the activities of medical professionals in these countries. In 2015, the company offered training in endoscopic surgery to gastroen-terological surgeons in Thailand and urol-ogists in Indonesia as part of the Collabo-ration Program with the Private Sector for Disseminating Jap-anese Technologies commissioned by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In International Promotion of Japan’s

Healthcare Technologies and Services, a program under the National Center for Global Medicine and Health, Olympus created an opportunity for gastroenterological surgeons in Vietnam to train in

endoscopic surgery. In all of these training programs held in cooperation with the medical associations and medical institutions in these countries, Japanese experts provided training and guidance on the latest endoscopic surgery techniques, Japan’s proprie-tary surgical qualification system, and other areas. Olympus hopes that minimally invasive surgery, which reduces the physical strain on the patient, will spread widely in developing countries through these activities, contributing to the advancement of the quality of medicine in these countries.

Since February 2004, Olympus has been providing information on stomach illness, cancer screening tests and detection and treatment methods using endoscopes through its Onaka no Kenko Dot Com website. Drawing on the knowledge of physicians, the website gives clear and easy explanations of the functions of the stomach, the intestines and other organs, the common diseases, the role of the endoscope and how to take endoscopic examinations.

It also conducts an annual survey to promote greater understanding of the endoscope and endoscopic examinations. In 2016, the number of survey respondents totaled 25,177 nationwide. The results of the survey were announced on July 14 to coincide with Endoscopy Day.

Onaka no Kenko Dot Com website http://www.onaka-kenko.com/ (Only in Japanese)

Onaka no Kenko Search

Olympus has participated in the UN Global Compact since 2004 and its policy on corporate citizenship is embodied in the Social IN of its management philosophy. In addition to activities around the world, CSR is being implemented in its mainstay businesses under the leadership of the company president and top executive officers and with the full participation of employees. These activities reflect the “outside-in” approach in the SDG Compass, the Global Compact guidebook on sustainable development goals, and embody the corporate activities called for by the Global Compact. We hope that Olympus’ leading-edge activities on achieving the SDGs under its Social IN management philosophy lead to outstanding results.

Percentage of persons aged 40 and over who underwent endoscopic examinations(Examinations of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum)

Results of the 2016 Endoscopy Awareness Questionnaire Survey (partial)

Persons with experience

9,498

Persons with no experience

5,990

61.3%

38.7%

Relay to bring the latest medicine to developing countries

Look and learn: Diseases of the stomach and endoscopes

From Japan

Training in Vietnam

Training in Indonesia

Activities in Health and Medicine

Toshio ArimaBoard Member, United Nations Global Compact Chairman of the Board, Global Compact Japan Network

From Asia/Oceania


Olympus Korea Co., Ltd., (Group company in South Korea) is involved in cultural contributions in a wide range of areas. In addition to assistance to young artists, the company organizes art appreciation opportunities for disadvantaged people at its exhi-bition hall and regular educational opportunities in using the camera for young people. In recognition of these activities that contribute to cultural enrichment and security in Korean society, the company was awarded the Innovation Prize in the 16th Mecenat Awards hosted by the Korean Mecenat Association and a newspaper publisher in the country.

Olympus supports Photo Field Work Seminar, a program of the Nippon Photography Institute, where young people aspiring to become photographers work on the global stage. The company supplies cameras for the students to use in real-time blogging of their hands-on training while on their

six-month overseas fieldwork programs. It also makes available the Olympus Gallery in Tokyo as the venue for their graduation works.

Photo Field Work Seminar http://www.npi.ac.jp/pfw/en/

The towns that were damaged by the disaster are changing rapidly almost every day. In the strong desire to keep the memory alive, the students clicked away on their cameras. It is only through photography that they are able to bring back to their hometowns what they learned in Tohoku. For the students who are expected to drive society in the future, Olympus cameras are a vital tool to encourage kindness and friendliness between the camera user and the subject, in delicate situations that call for careful attention. ©Rie Nagata

Once a year, Olympus holds the Tohoku Study Tour with Photojournalist Natsuki Yasuda, a program organized for supporting development of young people and recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. The tour is offered to more than ten high school students selected from across Japan to tour the disaster-struck area with Ms. Natsuki Yasuda to learn of the current state of damage and recovery efforts through exchanges with local citizens. Also, photos are taken with Olympus digital cameras to present the current state of recovery and the importance of disaster prevention both on the web and at exhibitions. Now in its third year,

students who participated in the tour spoke at the 2016 photography exhibition to some 130 visitors on their impressions of the area and what they hoped to communicate through photos.

Students who returned from a six-month tour of Asia

Work by fiscal 2016 participants

Tohoku’s Present and Future—in Photography

From Japan

Supporting aspiring young photographers in going out into the world

From Japan

The power of art—to the people and to society

From Asia/Oceania

Activities in Culture and the Arts

Natsuki YasudaPhotojournalistBorn in 1987 in Kanagawa Prefecture, she was active as a photojournalist while still a student in the Department of Education at Sophia University. She won the eighth Yonosuke Natori Photography Award for her work on Uganda’s HIV-AIDS orphans.


Education in science and mathematics is extremely important in building “scientific thinking” in children—enhanced sensitivity to wonders and the ability to explore through trial and error, think deeply and make decisions without depending on instructions. By entering the Natural Science Observation Contest, I hope that these students from elementary and junior high schools can try as hard as possible to achieve their dreams and realize some unexpected discoveries.

Zuikodo, the Olympus Technology Museum, displays all the products that Olympus has created since its establishment, showcasing the technological advances and changes that have taken place and the contributions these products have made to social development. The museum also accepts tours by students from elementary schools to universities and hosts microscope observation workshops for children during the summer vacation. In 2016, 555 students from 29 local elementary and junior high schools, as well as from universities, vocational schools and high schools nationwide have visited the museum.

Wakuwaku Project, a voluntary organization of Olympus employees, has conducted Wakuwaku Science Workshops for children on a roughly quarterly basis since 2003, in the hope of conveying the joys of science. A variety of experiment and workshop programs have been held for elementary and junior high schools near the Olympus Technology Research Institute in Hachioji City. Both the researchers and the children thoroughly enjoy this unique opportunity for hands-on interaction in

teaching and learning science.

To nurture “scientific thinking” in the minds of children who will be responsible for our society in the future, Olympus has been supporting the Natural Science Observation Contest*, which for more than 50 years since 1960 has been giving awards to outstanding science projects by elementary and junior high school students. Some of the award winners and participants in the contest were inspired by the contest and went on to become real scientific researchers. Now in its 57th year in 2016, it has received 12,514 entries from 794 elementary and junior high schools nationwide.

* Natural Science Observation Contest (Shizekon) is held by the Mainichi Newspapers, and the Society of Scientific Photography and sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Science exchange between Olympus researchers and children

From Japan

Cheering on the scientists of the future

From Japan

The history of scientific progress found here

From Japan

Photo courtesy of Tama Municipal Tama Dai-ichi Elementary School

Photo courtesy of: Fukuoka Prefectural Kurate High School Hachioji Municipal Tate Elementary and Junior High School Fuchu Municipal Fuchu Dai-ni Junior High School

Activities in Science and Technology

Jin AkiyamaDoctor of Science,Director, Research Center for Math and Science Education, Tokyo University of Science

Olympus Corporation of the Americas (Group company in the US) offers a wide range of support for Q?rius, a science education space at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, including donating more than 50 microscopes, training and other assistance services. Here, visitors are able to discover through hands-on learning how to interact with science and what the skills necessary to become a scientist are, as well as how to acquire them. They can also receive explanations

and advice from Smithsonian scientists and volunteers on how to use the equipment available.

Dream collaboration between the Smithsonian and Olympus

©Brittany M. Hance, Smithsonian

From the Americas


The European companies of the Olympus Group encourage environment-friendly commuting by bike, walking and car-sharing. Free bike safety check and electric bike demos are also held for employees to participate in freely.

Olympus Corporation of the Americas (Group company in the US) organized “Stuff-a-Truck,” a charity drive to collect gently used items from employees and donate them, keeping the items out of landfills. The drive collected secondhand clothing, sports gear, furniture and other items that filled four trucks.

During Environmental Awareness Month, the Global Environment Photo Contest for Olympus employees takes place as well. Photos that promote environmental awareness are accepted and screened by professional photographers. The 2016 contest was held in the Americas, Europe, Asia/Oceania and Japan on the theme “Blessings of nature ought to be passed on into the future.” Of the field of 1,154 entries, four were selected in each region. The winning photos were exhibited in panels in their respective facilities to offer employees a view into the beauty of nature.

At Olympus, June is designated Olympus Envi-ronmental Awareness Month. In 2016, an event calling for donations of books was organized, with all employees participating. Books no longer needed at the Japanese sites and various homes were collected and sold. The money was donated to the Japan Fund for Global Environment managed by the Environmen-tal Restoration and Conservation Agency. The col-lected donations will be used to provide support for environ-mental conservation activities by environ-mental NGOs and NPOs.

The Olympus European Headquarters in Hamburg encourages employees to commute by bike. We offer a bike technical security check and covered parking lots free of charge. During the Olympus Environmental Awareness Month, we promoted e-bikes, and this will allow us to extend the range of bike commuters around the headquarters.

<Asia/Oceania >

2016 Prize Winners

<Europe>

<Japan>

<Americas>

Preserving our Planet––one truckload at a time

Commuting with ecology Books tell tales friendly to the environment

From Japan

Members promoting the 2016 Environmental Awareness Month program

From Global

From Europe

Activities in a Global Environment

Dr. Andreas BergEnvironmental AffairsOlympus Europa SE & Co. KG

From the Americas

The President also participated in the book collection and donation.

Members promoting the 2016 Environmental Awareness Month program


From Global

As part of the “Adopt-A-Forest Promotion Program” in Nagano Prefecture, the Nagano Facility participates in forest management activities in nearby areas twice a year. The activity in autumn 2016 drew the participation of around 200 employees and their families. They trimmed small branches that stunt the growth of trees and worked on maintenance of pedestrian walks. Also, a photography workshop for children was organized in a forest setting.

As a way of protecting the invaluable flora, fauna and the ecosystem of World Heritage Site Shirakami-Sanchi, Aomori Olympus Co., Ltd. has been planting beech trees in areas surrounding its facilities since 2003. In 2016, around 50 employees participated in the planting activities. The cumulative total of trees planted has reached 1,000.

For protection of the global environment, Olympus participates in coral planting around the Kerama Islands of Okinawa, known to be one of the most beautiful oceans in Japan. In 2016, volunteers consisting of employees and divers participated in the planting of some 100 corals. Olympus cameras were also at work underwater in this activity.

Olympus business sites in Japan and overseas are engaged in clean-up activities as their contribution to their local communities and to the environment. The activities take various forms to match local conditions—from small groups cleaning up before working hours to employees and their families coming together on holidays for clean-ups and exercise. Wearing Olympus Blue fosters solidarity among the employees.

Olympus is involved in environmental protection activities to protect biodiversity on the theme of water ecosystems in forests, rivers and oceans.

Shirakawa Olympus Co., Ltd.

Olympus Medical Science Sales Corporation, Utsunomiya Sales Office

Olympus Medical Science Sales Corporation, Saitama Branch

Olympus Corporation, Sasazuka Facility

Aizu Olympus Co., Ltd.

Olympus Medical Science Sales Corporation, Kyoto Sales Office

Olympus (Shenzhen) Industrial Ltd. (China)

The concept of the “Adopt-A-Forest” program

From Japan

1,000 friends to protect Shirakami-Sanchi

From Japan

Gift of coral in the oceans around Okinawa

From Japan

Olympus Blue clean-up teams

Activities in a Global Environment


Olympus Corporation of the Americas (Group company in the US) encourages employees to work as volunteers in their local communities during work hours. In 2016, several hundred employees participated in various activities such as supplying food to the poor, providing cleanup and maintenance of facilities, and reading picture books to children.

Olympus participates in TABLE FOR TWO, a charity program under which 10 to 20 yen from each purchase of designated products is donated to cover meals for children in Africa. The products are being sold at employee cafeterias and vending machines at Olympus facilities and generate more than ¥1 million in donations (equivalent to 50,000 meals) each year. In 2016, the company participated in Global Festa Japan* as booth exhibitor and introduced TABLE FOR TWO.

* Global Festa Japan, sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), etc.

For emergency relief assistance in large-scale natural disasters, Olympus supplies not only relief funds but also employees to work as volunteers

in recovery assistance. In the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, the Company supplied emergency relief both through funds and volunteer support.

Employee work day volunteering From the Americas

Offering strength to fight natural disasters From Global

A gift of food from Japan to Africa From Japan

Photo courtesy of TABLE FOR TWO International

2017 Olympus/WWF calendar

Olympus’ corporate citizenship activities are distinguished by their extended and uninterrupted commitment.For instance, the Natural Science Observation Contest aimed at nurturing scientific thinking among children was introduced in 1960. Olympus has supported this as sponsor for more than 50 years. It has also made longstanding contributions to society in the areas of health and medicine, culture and the arts and the global environment.Yesterday, today and tomorrow—Forever on.Olympus’ corporate citizenship activities will continue without change.

Past, Present and FutureOlympus corporate citizenship activities

Culture and the ArtsPhoto Field Work Seminar See page 11

2006

Science and TechnologyWakuwaku Science Workshops See page 12

2003

2009

Health and MedicineBRAVE CIRCLEColorectal Cancer Awareness CampaignIn an effort to reduce as many fatalities caused by colorectal cancer as possible, Olympus supports the BRAVE CIRCLE Committee, an NPO engaged in promoting awareness of colorectal cancer screening tests in cooperation with local governments.

Culture and the ArtsOyako (Parents and Children) DayTo encourage people to take family photos once a year, Olympus supports the Oyako Day Promotion Committee.

1992

Global EnvironmentOlympus/WWF calendarCalendars showing the wonders of nature and promoting the importance of nature preservation are being produced in cooperation with WWF Japan (World Wide Fund for Nature Japan).

1986

Health and MedicineSupport for the Japanese Foundation for Research and Promotion of EndoscopyOlympus supports the Japanese Foundation for Research and Promotion of Endoscopy that provides grants to promote endoscopic research.

1982

Science and TechnologySupport for the Natural Science Observation Contest (Shizecon) See page 12

1960

Olympus sees the tremendous benefits of employee volunteerism, not only in increasing employee engagement, but in enhancing community awareness and interdepartmental teamwork.

TABLE FOR TWO bottled water in original package sold inside Olympus offices.

Humanitarian Activities/ Disaster Relief Assistance

Lauren GoffExecutive Director, Corporate Social ResponsibilityOlympus Corporation of the Americas

Olympus employees participated as volunteers in Tokyo Health Walk for colon cancer awareness hosted by the BRAVE CIRCLE Committee.


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