Commitment

Re-examining our mission

Itochu Kenzai Corporation was separated from the lumber department of ITOCHU Corporation in 1961, which was the period of rapid growth in Japan, to enhance the distribution and sales structure of the expanding home material in Japan. We have started as the construction materials-focused trading company.
We have clearly defined our mission as “Pursue all possibilities found in people, companies, commodities and services relating to living spaces. Provide new values and affluence to places where people live.” in Our Mission that was established in 2011 commemorating our 50th anniversary. We have reconfirmed our social responsibility and raison d’etre as the construction materials trading company, and have made this the common view of all employees to answer the expectation of the stakeholders, including our customers exceeding 1600 companies.

Helping realize the vision of energy efficiency, energy creating and energy storing homes

With the growing seriousness of environmental issues, such as climate change, and the fossil energy crunch expected to take place in the future, going forward Japan’s housing sector will continue to head in the direction of energy efficient, energy creation and energy storing homebuilding. Japan will also require healthy and safe homes to cope with the arrival of the country’s aging society.
Itochu Kenzai Corporation launched its “Chikyugi” (Earth Tree) business in 2007 and is aggressively promoting the use of eco-friendly products in the housing sector. We feel that our unique CSR programs as a construction materials-focused trading company will go a step further and shift toward helping all of Japan to accelerate the vision of the smart home, where homes are more energy efficient as well as create and store their own electricity.
In order to accomplish this vision we must strengthen partnerships with our customers. Utilizing the Partner Service Club, we will continue to be among the first in the sector to provide essential information to our customers on the latest trends as well as laws and programs related to the smart home and healthy and safe homes.

Promoting sustainable wood product distribution practices

In order to protect forests, which function to absorb CO2 emissions emitted from societal activities, protect watersheds and conserve biodiversity, and pass forests on to future generations, we need to actively use wood products from sustainable, properly managed forests and wood products grown in systematically cultivated plantations.
In 2007, Itochu Kenzai Corporation acquired Chain of Custody (CoC) certification for sourcing wood products from sustainable forests, and since then, we have worked hard to increase the distribution of such products. Our Chikyugi brand mentioned above also features products that use plantation trees as well as products that make use of timber from forest thinning. In this regard, another focal point of our CSR activities is to help encourage the sustainable cultivation of forests by expanding our line-up of Chikyugi brand products.

Committed to the work-life balance of our employees

Each and every employee with Itochu Kenzai Corporation represents the key drivers that will enable us to develop solutions that generate new value and new affluence for the housing sector. As such, we are focusing efforts on developing a workplace environment where employees can thrive, utilize their skills and achieve a work-life balance. Itochu Kenzai Corporation’s most important asset is its people. Going forward, we will seek to develop sound communication with our employees and practice CSR as only a construction materials-focused trading company can.