Support for Blind Football
Partnership Agreement with JBFA
Sojitz will provide support for blind football, which will be one of the events at the upcoming Paralympics. Sojitz will also become a corporate partner for “Spo-iku”* a program for elementary and middle school students organized by JBFA to help promote diversity education in Japan. Sojitz hopes its sponsorship will support the development of the next generation of talent for Japan.
（※）Spo-iku: A diversity education program for elementary and middle school children, in which children play sports blindfolded with visually impaired persons. The program is designed to help kids learn to respect differences, value communication, and better understand how the world is experienced with a visual impairment.
Sojitz and Pieri Moriyama Host Online Blind Soccer Class for Elementary School Students in Shiga Prefecture
On January 27th and 28th 2021, Sojitz and the Pieri Moriyama shopping center, a development operated by Sojitz Commerce Development Corporation, collaborated to hold online blind soccer lessons for around 120 fifth-grade elementary school students of Yoshimi ElementarySchool in Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture.
Instructors and players from the Japan Blind Football Association (JBFA), which Sojitz supports as an official partner, connected with the school via the internet in order to offer an opportunity for the students to deepen their understanding not only of blind soccer, which is an official Paralympic sport, but also of people living with disabilities.
One participating student commented that they do not feel pity for those with disabilities; rather, they felt that with a bit of creativity, they could play and have fun together. Another student shared that they feel a sense of wanting to assist not only people with disabilities, but also anyone who may be in need.
Pieri Moriyama aims to become a shopping mall that is well-loved by the local community and which contributes to the development of the region. Sojitz will also continue to support educational activities targeting tomorrow’s leaders as a partner in the “Spo-iku” program organized by JBFA for elementary and junior high school students.
Blind Football Workshop for Children in Disaster-stricken Town in Kumamoto
In December 2020, as part of our support for the revitalization of Kumamoto after the 2016 earthquake, Sojitz hosted an event for children titled “Blind Football Workshop: Experience the Unseen World” in cooperation with the Japan Blind Football Association (JBFA), for which Sojitz serves as an official partner. The workshop was held for 35 elementary school-aged members of FC Bigwave, a junior soccer team located in Mashiki, Kumamoto.
Diversity Training for Employees
As part of its efforts to promote the capabilities of diverse individuals through its diversity management program, Sojitz is working to increase the number of persons with disabilities hired at the company and to create an environment in which these individuals can excel. Blind football is a means by which Sojitz aims to increase awareness within the company of persons with disabilities and to build a welcoming work environment.
Every year, Sojitz Corporation holds a blind football lecture and workshop for Group employees at Tokyo HQ and the Kansai Office as part of its employee training. The blind football workshop has also been adopted as part of Sojitz’s training for prospective recruits and new employees. The program uses the blind football experience as an educational opportunity for promoting positive communication within the organization, building relationships of trust, fostering friendships, and teaching the importance of establishing roles for everyone as well as outlining group goals.
In 2020, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sojitz organized an online course in which staff in China, Korea, Taiwan, and throughout Japan came together virtually to learn about diversity through blind football.
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| A blind football simulation experience | Employees learned about diversity through the online course |
Secondhand Book Power Project
Sojitz Corporation concluded a partnership agreement with Japan Blind Football Association (JBFA) in 2018, becoming an official sponsor supporting JBFA’s activities.
Since December 2018, Sojitz has been carrying out a secondhand book drive. Used books are donated to Value Books, a partner of the Japan Blind Football Association (JBFA), and the proceeds are then put towards a donation to JBFA’s “Spo-iku” program sponsored by Sojitz, or towards purchasing equipment such as soccer balls for JBFA.
As of the end of 2021, Sojitz has donated 2,158 used books. Sojitz will continue to hold a secondhand book drive twice a year.
External link：Secondhand Book Power Project (Japanese only)