People & CultureKyowa Kirin Hosted Booth at Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2024 for a Second Year in a Row: Initiatives for Accelerating DE&I and the Ideal State a Company Should Strive to Be (Part One)

Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2024 (TRP 2024) was held on April 20 and April 21 (April 19 was canceled due to inclement weather) at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo as a space for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to celebrate the diverse spectrum of sexuality and life. This marks the 30^th year anniversary since the Tokyo Lesbian and Gay Parade: Japan’s first pride parade and TRP 2024’s predecessor. During this two-day event, a total of 270,000 people attended, during which the grand parade was attended by 15,000 people, 60 organizations, and 24 floats marching through the streets of Shibuya. With a record-breaking number of attendees, this event was a powerful step toward achieving a society in which all people can live their own authentic lives.

Kyowa Kirin has hosted a booth and participated in the parade for two years in a row. The booth had a photo area where visitors could take photos with a giant ornament made of “loss flowers,”─flowers that would have otherwise been thrown away. Visitors were also invited to take part in a multiple-choice survey about LGBTQ+ members’ needs in order to be their true, authentic selves in their communities. This article will focus on the day of the booth and parade, as well as three employees at Kyowa Kirin who endeavor to create a conducive work environment for diverse identities. What led them to participate in TRP 2024? What has the company done to facilitate the work of diverse individuals at the company? And what is the ideal image the company is striving to be?

The motto for TRP 2024 was “Don’t give up. Change Japan.” Kyowa Kirin celebrated the LGBTQ+ community by hosting a booth and participating in the parade. Visitors could take photos in the photo area with a giant “loss flower” ornament, which garnered lines and attention from passersby.

There was also a poster board through which a survey was conducted on a central theme: “What should we do to create a company where the LGBTQ+ community can be themselves?” The first day’s poster was titled, “Accessories that would help allies show support.” The results of the five-option multiple-choice question were as follows: stickers (170 votes), lanyards (467 votes), ID card holders (436 votes), badges (197 votes), and ballpens (310 votes). This demonstrates a high demand for lanyards and ID card holders, which allies can wear to naturally show their support.

The second day’s poster was titled, “What opportunities would you like to have?” The results were as follows: regular awareness campaigns and seminars (96 votes), Organization groups with people interested in the same theme (ERGs(Employee Resource Groups), etc.) (176 votes), Collaboration between companies, schools, and society (260 votes), access to experts and supporters(consulting service) (91 votes), and making accessories for allies to show support (36 votes). “Collaboration between companies, schools, and society” had the highest number of votes, which was Haruka’s choice as well: “I’ve changed jobs several times, but it can be astounding how different each company can be in regard to their level of interest and drive for D&I initiatives. We spend the majority of each day in these communities, so it would be nice if our society could allow people in these spaces to learn about D&I (Diversity and Inclusion) initiatives and naturally engage in them.”

“Organization groups with people interested in the same theme (ERGs, etc.)” had the second highest number of votes. M voted for this option and emphasized the importance of ERGs: “I believe it’s crucial that we have friends who we can always reach out to ─ those who share the same worries and concerns as us.” Furthermore, 2,239 votes were tallied during the two-day survey. An incredible number of people paid a visit, creating an opportunity for visitors to think about what is essential when creating a company where people can simply be themselves.

The two-day booth was managed by employees who internally applied to be volunteers. The volunteers greeted visitors with big smiles. Some called over nearby visitors to answer the survey while others assisted with the “loss flower” ornament photo shoots. Also, to overcome any language barriers, this year’s booth had volunteers from multiple countries who could assist in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.

Many of the employees who participated as volunteers has a positive experience: “I had the opportunity to see all the visitors enjoying themselves and it made me feel closer to the LGBTQ+ community. It was a meaningful time.” “I felt like my work was directly helping to spark public interest.” “I hope that even more employees volunteer next year so that we can continue to host booths at TRP.”

In addition, one employee who joined the pride parade last year and this year once again witnessed joy that can only be seen at the parade: “Morale was high as we interacted with the crowd on the streets, touching hands and hi-fiving them.” The employee also reminded us of how essential it is that businesses clearly declare their allyship: “By participating in TRP and representing our company, we can show that we are allies of the LGBTQ+ community, both in and out of the workplace. For those who are facing difficulties due to their own sexual preferences, I hope that our work sends out a positive message.”