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 Two)

Kyowa Kirin released “Our DE&I Statement” in 2021, which has served as a basis for proactively maintaining a workplace that respects diversity, emphasizing the importance of creating an organization that maximizes each employee’s abilities and accepts each other’s diverse differences and individuality. This article highlights three employees who strive every day to maintain and improve the workplace environment in order to make the aforementioned Statement a reality. The three employees share what led them to participate in Tokyo Rainbow Pride (TRP) 2024 and what kind of company Kyowa Kirin should strive to be.

Kazuaki Teramura / Director of the Human Resources Department

I would like to place importance on fostering a company culture where work is evaluated equally, keeping in mind that the diversity of each individual employee should be respected. It’s okay to have different lifestyles. Instead of living in boxes that other people decide for you, we need to make the world respect how each person wants to live. To do this, it is important to maintain a stance where the company ─ as well as society as a whole ─ acts flexibly with the policies and operations that it establishes. That is how Kyowa Kirin should strive to be.

This was my first time joining the parade. I saw how much fun everyone was having as they walked, which left a big impression on me. A lot of passersby cheered us on, and I was able to see first-hand the high level of attention and understanding people had regarding this event. I had such a wonderful time being able to see how lively our employees were as they participated.

Kyowa Kirin provides pharmaceuticals that bring health and smiles to people worldwide, which means we develop business not only domestically, but overseas as well. Because of this, we are in the midst of proactively working towards globalization. We are committed to operating and forming policies that match global standards, accepting diversity so that each and every Kyowa Kirin Group employee all over the world can work in a way that is authentically themselves.

Akiko Nobukiyo / Human Resources Department – Head of the Diversity, Health and Organizational Development Group

Our group promotes diversity, well-being, and developing our organization. Our mission is to contribute to the growth of each individual, the organization, and the company by creating a workplace where each individual can maximize their abilities, while also feeling like they truly belong at the company. More specifically, we strive to create a workplace where everyone can be their authentic selves by employing three approaches: engaging and gaining commitments from the top executives based on Our DE&I Statement, helping elevate voices of minorities within the company, and integrating DE&I into the employee talent journey by wiring it into our company framework.

To help Kyowa Kirin engage in DE&I initiatives as “One Kyowa Kirin”, I’ve taken on the role as a HQ representative by connecting with our colleagues outside of Japan to coordinate global activities. As for our Pride booth, I honestly was not expecting that almost 30 people would raise their hands and volunteer. I remember being pleasantly surprised and inspired that our employees wanted to take action and contribute to shaping an ideal society where everyone could be themselves.

When I participated in the Pride Parade, so many people and companies marched passionately with a common cause to support the LGBTQ+ community. This gave me the confidence and courage necessary for making our society a better place. I want to bring these experiences back to the company, so that we may create a society where every minority’s voice is heard, and where everyone can have an equal opportunity to grow and thrive.

Masashi Yamamoto / Chief of Labor Union Head Office Branch (SCM Department Product Supply Management Group)

I believe participating a single time would not be enough; it is important that we continue to take part, to create more understanding and familiarity with the LGBTQ+ community at Kyowa Kirin. Also, when Kyowa Kirin participated for the first time last year, I thought it was incredibly meaningful that Kyowa Kirin hosted a joint booth with the Kyowa Kirin Labor Union, rather than hosting a company booth. I am continuing with what last year’s chief, Ibe, set out to do, and have decided to represent the Labor Union Head Office Branch at TRP.

It seems that many employees know that Kyowa Kirin participated in the Pride Parade last year. I believe the stories told by employees who actually attended, as well as photos taken on the day, helped spread the word at the company. Thanks to these positive results, we had many new volunteers this year from various departments. I was thrilled that we even had employees from Kirin Holdings and Kirin Beverage. I hope that this circle will continue to grow as the employees who participated this year share their stories with others.

I expect that the survey results from our booth this year will inspire us to create branded giveaways and events. I think participating in TRP 2024 itself is incredibly meaningful, but it would be fantastic if it could connect our lives with other events where those who could not come to Pride can become familiar with Pride and its objectives.