Community Engagement

SUBARU has established the Social Contribution Committee to actively promote and continue community engagement activities that make use of our technology and expertise. With participation of business site directors, the committee works to advance community engagement initiatives. Under the committee, the cross-organizational Planning Subcommittee has been created to discuss issues related to company-wide activities, ranging from planning and preparation to implementation, evaluation, and review. The committee meets every six months to compile reported activity results and issues, and discuss improvement plans to invigorate efforts.

In support of the 2021 Instructor Dispatch Project sponsored by the Tochigi Association of Corporate Executives, Senior Vice President Tozuka was dispatched as an instructor to a local school, Utsunomiya City Younan Junior High School. In his lectures, he introduced the plant’s business activities to students enrolled at the school, and also discussed important points for the work they do there.

As part of its community engagement initiatives, SUBARU carries out cleanup activities on a regular basis in districts where its offices and plants are located.
In FYE March 2022, these events were either canceled or reduced in scope; events held were given the utmost consideration for prevention of the spread of COVID-19. At the Utsunomiya Plant, we continued our previous fiscal year’s activities, picking up garbage and conducting cleanup activities at the employee dormitory and surrounding areas.
As a responsible community member, we will continue with these beautification activities to help conserve local environments.

In March 2021, the Utsunomiya Plant registered for Tochigi Prefecture’s Tochigi SDGs Promotion Company Registration System. In this system, the prefectural government maintains a registry of declarations made by companies doing business in the prefecture on the topics of the environment, society, and economy. This system is designed to promote independent company actions toward the achievement of the SDGs. Going forward, we will be proactive in our actions here, linking growth at our business sites with growth of the region.

In cooperation with Subaru Techno Corporation, SUBARU holds SUBARU Mono-zukuri Classes for elementary school students in Mitaka City, where SUBARU has an office. These classes teach students how SUBARU makes its vehicles, offering them the opportunity to model and run their own cars. Participants get hands-on experience, learning things like the differences between two-wheel drive (2WD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles, such as their design and handling. Each year, we receive more applications than slots available for this very popular event.
In FYE March 2022, although we canceled these classes as a result of prioritizing student safety, we will continue our activities to bring the joy and importance of manufacturing to as many children as possible.

The Gunma Plant donated 11 types of goods, including LED flashlights and portable toilets, to the communities where its office is located. The donation consisted of 359 kits, placed in public facilities, schools designated as evacuation centers, and welfare facilities.

We have concluded an agreement with Utsunomiya City regarding the use of facilities in the event of a disaster.
Under this agreement, in the event of wind or flooding damage in Utsunomiya City, the parking facilities of the Utsunomiya Plant will be temporarily opened as an evacuation site for vehicles owned by the city’s citizens living in designated flooding zones. In June 2019, the plant was officially registered by the City of Utsunomiya as a Disaster Prevention Cooperation Office, one that will cooperate in local disaster prevention activities, including cooperation in providing human resources and goods support during disasters.

For several years, Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA) has hosted factory tours that offer an opportunity to see the car manufacturing processes firsthand and increase public understanding of SUBARU’s products. SIA runs several tour courses, including hands-on programs for students using state-of-the-art robotics, 3D printing, virtual reality (VR), and other technologies.

Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. provides employee volunteer programs in collaboration with local nonprofit groups. These diverse projects include support for food banks, support for local animal protection organizations and tree planting activities, and cleanup activities at fire stations.

Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) contributes to local environmental beautification through government projects. Since 2005, SCI has participated in a trash pickup campaign run by the City of Mississauga on Earth Day every year, together with other local companies. While SCI could not participate in FYE March 2022 in consideration of the state of COVID-19’s spread, it has also taken part in the city’s road beautification initiatives for a number of years, working on the assigned areas three times annually.

At a running event held in November 2021, the Gunma Plant asked event participants to collect shoes that are still wearable but no longer worn, collecting 104 pairs of shoes. The collected shoes were recycled and donated to an overseas NPO that supports children in need.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) cultivates crops on fields established on the company’s premises. Company employees maintain the fields themselves, harvesting an average of around 270 kg of crops per year and donating them to local NPOs. FYE March 2021 marked the 14th year since the start of the initiative. The company harvested 269 kg of crops during this year.

In December 2021, the SUBARU baseball team, together with a professional basketball team based in Ota City, conducted traffic safety awareness activities at Ota Station with the cooperation of Tobu Railway and the Ota Police Station. Under the theme that walking while using a smartphone is dangerous, they greeted commuters at Ota Station, distributing original tissues.

In FYE March 2018, we started an initiative to install traffic safety signs on utility poles on Ota City’s school roads. As of April 2021, a total of 29 signboards have been installed in an effort to prevent traffic accidents for local residents.

The Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police Department presented the Tokyo Office with a Superintendent General Certificate of Appreciation.
This certificate of appreciation is awarded to offices that set a good example for others through their daily efforts to improve safety awareness and for proper vehicle operation management, as well as their active involvement in traffic safety activities.
Over the years, the Tokyo Office has entered many Safety Drive Contests sponsored by the Metropolitan Police Department. It has achieved zero accidents and zero violations for nearly all of these entries. It was also recognized for its active cooperation in spring and fall traffic safety campaigns.

At the Utsunomiya Plant, SUBARU serves as the president of the southern Utsunomiya branch of the Tochigi Prefecture Association of Driving Safety Supervisors. We work with community associations located around the plant and the Utsunomiya Minami Police Department to promote local road traffic safety activities in order to raise awareness in the southern Utsunomiya district.
In addition to these activities, Senior Vice President Tozuka received the Kanto Driving Safety Manager Association Award, the first received for SUBARU. He received this award as the Chairman of the Utsunomiya Southern District Driving Safety Manager Association for his efforts to improve the efforts and morale of all member organizations.

In November 2021, the “How to Run Faster” Class was held at the Subaru Sports Park in Oizumi Town, coached by four of SUBARU’s track and field team members and two of its coaches. Around 40 local elementary school children participated in the event, learning basic movements in running and studying practical training methods ahead of long-distance races in autumn.

In December 2021, the Gunma Prefectural High School Baseball Skills Training Course was held at the Shikishima Baseball Stadium, with 23 players from SUBARU’s baseball team serving as instructors. Despite the many restrictions in consideration of the state of COVID-19’s spread, such as alcohol disinfection, mask-wearing, and temperature checks for all participants, the high school students attended with sincere demeanor.

In December 2021, the Takofes Christmas Concert was held by the Higashi Ebisu Store Association at the EBiS303 (Ebisu Subaru Building). This concert, celebrating its sixth year since launching in 2016, was held with the joint support of local residents and companies, including SUBARU as a local corporate sponsor. The concert was held with rigorous measures taken to prevent COVID-19 infection. The 375 attendees enjoyed a powerful and splendorous performance from the professional orchestra.

Subaru Canada, Inc. held a drive-in movie viewing for SUBARU owners. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held with due caution; participants were provided with masks and alcohol disinfectants. Guests expressed their thanks for being able to attend a safe, fun event even during the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The partitions were made from lightweight and durable carbon materials and fiberglass left over from the manufacturing process. A total of 48 sets were donated to the Tochigi prefectural government and medical institutions in Tochigi Prefecture.

SUBARU has implemented a system where employees can easily use the company welfare program to donate to important causes. In the event of a disaster, we also offer easy donation through temporary special contact points to support the affected areas.
In addition to using the company welfare program to donate in the event of a disaster, we have expanded options for employee participation as of FYE March 2021 to include our SUBARU Online Donation BOX in cooperation with the Central Community Chest of Japan.
Furthermore, in December 2020 SUBARU’s employees were awarded the Golden Order of Merit^*3 by the Japanese Red Cross Society for their donations.

*3

The Golden Order of Merit is awarded by the Japanese Red Cross Society to companies and organizations for donating operating funds that exceed a determined amount.

We hold special sales events in-house with participation from the three prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, all of which were severely damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake. These events are held under the theme of direct employee action. In addition to helping with the sale of special products from each prefecture, these events also offer a place where they can provide information about recovery status and tourist attractions.
Although these events were suspended in FYE March 2022 due to impact from the spread of COVID-19, we will continue to support the recovery of these regions while adapting how these events are held in keeping with the situation.
SUBARU also participates in the Festival in Support of Tohoku Reconstruction held by the Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) to support reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake, and in FYE March 2022 a special menu using ingredients from the Tohoku region was served in our canteens throughout SUBARU.

Since FYE March 2015, the Intellectual Property Department has been holding charity bazaars utilizing commercialization rights at local community events and in-house bazaars. At these bazaars, SUBARU sells free samples received from manufacturers selling its minicars. Proceeds from sale are donated to organizations supporting children orphaned by traffic accidents. In FYE March 2022, we held charity bazaars at three of our internal offices, donating the proceeds. In addition, in April 2022 we held a charity bazaar at a traffic safety event sponsored by the Utsunomiya Minami Police Department and others, donating the proceeds.

Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA) has been running a blood drive twice a year since 1991. In 2021, SIA donated 846 units of blood from approximately 280 donors. In nearly 30 years, SIA has donated approximately 15,000 units of blood to over 80 hospitals in Indiana.

Subaru of China, Ltd. (SOC)’s labor union facilitated a donation program, sending unused clothing to people living in economically disadvantaged regions. A total of 674 items of clothing were collected from 29 SOC employees and donated.