Community relations

At our global locations with production and business sites, as well as in the city of Kitakyushu, where Yaskawa is headquartered, we will actively participate in local events, promote sports, and provide a venue for dialogue with domestic and overseas guests and industry-academia-government communications, in an effort to contribute to society and promote co-creation with the local community.

Promotion of Culture and Sports

Volunteers in the Kitakyushu Marathon

Since the first event, Yaskawa has been a main sponsor of this large-scale, citizen-participatory marathon held in Kitakyushu City, where our head office is located. In February 2024, many Yaskawa Group employees and their families volunteered at the Aid Station. We were able to contribute to the excitement of the event by sending smiles and applause to the runners.

  • Volunteers in the Kitakyushu Marathon

Support for “Giravanz Kitakyushu”

“Giravanz Kitakyushu” is a professional soccer club that belongs to the Japan Professional Football League (J. League), and is headquartered in Kitakyushu City. In 1947, Giravanz’s predecessor, Mitsubishi Kasei Kurosaki Soccer Club was founded. In 2010, the club became the 5th J-League member in the Kyushu region after Roasso Kumamoto and the 2nd J-League member in Fukuoka Prefecture after Avispa Fukuoka. Yaskawa is an official sponsor of Giravanz Kitakyushu.

Support for Giravanz Kitakyushu

Master Shiko Munakata and Yaskawa

Master Munakata and “The Yaskawa calendars”

Nishi Kaido Munakata Woodblock Prints Hirato Yobiko no Saku

Nishi Kaido Munakata Woodblock Prints Hirato Yobiko no Saku

Yaskawa has been producing calendars displaying the works of Master Munakata since 1958. These calendars were sent out to customers at home and abroad, and they have always been extremely popular. Although countless calendars are produced in Japan today, not one of them has been dedicated continually to the works of one artist for so long.
The Yaskawa calendars are distinguished by extraordinary works of art derived from poetry penned by the Master himself. Another striking feature is that the true beauty and natural talent found in the original works were painstakingly reproduced by printing every stunning piece on handmade Japanese paper. Each piece can be removed from the original mounting, remounted and framed for years of enjoyment long after the calendar year has gone.
Many brilliant pieces have appeared in the Yaskawa calendars over the years, but the most notable calendars have to be the Kaido Series that began with the Nishi Kaido Munakata Woodblock Prints from 1971. These truly original collections were the result of close collaboration between Master Munakata and Yaskawa both in the planning and in the journey to gather the materials that were used. No one was more enthusiastic about making the calendars truly great works of art than Master Munakata himself. He wanted others to draw from life, to enjoy beautiful scenery, and to experience the delicacies of provintial areas. The calendars make it clear that he wanted others to enjoy the journey as well.

An Encounter between Yaskawa and Master Shiko Munakata

master Shiko

The Master at work

It began in 1951 when the head of advertising’s strong interest in prints created by Master Munakata culminated in a visit to the Master’s studio in Ogikubo. That first encounter became a lifelong relationship as Yaskawa commissioned one Munakata piece after another to grace our facilities as well as our promotional magazines. Some of the Master’s extraordinary pieces eventually evolved into a series of calendars.
Master Munakata was not a leading woodblock print artist in 1951, and, in fact, he was virtually unknown. However, he exhibited his piece “Nyonin Kanzeon” at the International Exhibition in Lugano, Switzerland that same year, and became the first Japanese artist ever to win the coveted top prize there. His print “Shaka Judaideshi” won the Grand Prix at the Sao Paolo International Art Exhibition in 1955, and a series of subsequent wins brought Master Munakata international acclaim. This was soon followed by widespread recognition in Japan as well. International fame never affected our relationship with the Master, and we are honored that he played such an invaluable role in our corporate history and culture over the years.

 

  • Nyonin Kanzeon print from Aomukehi no Saku Won first prize at the International Exhibition in Lugano, Switzerland

    Nyonin Kanzeon print from Aomukehi no Saku Won first prize at the International Exhibition in Lugano, Switzerland

  • Shaka Judaideshi selection from Shaributsu no Saku Won the Grand Prix at the Sao Paolo International Art Exhibition

    Shaka Judaideshi selection from Shaributsu no Saku Won the Grand Prix at the Sao Paolo International Art Exhibition

Community Exchanges

We are working to build a better relationship with the local community by interacting with the people through factory and site tours, social experience programs, and participation in local events.

Activities Utilizing Robot Village

Since Yaskawa opened Robot Village at its head office in Kitakyushu on June 1, 2015 as part of its 100th anniversary project, the YASKAWA Innovation Center, an integral facility at the village, has welcomed more than 190,000 visitors as of May 2024. Embracing our hopes to nurture children who are our future and to express our appreciation to the people of the community who have supported us since our establishment, our guides and every one of our staff members aim to deliver the appeals of Yaskawa to the visitors to deepen their understanding for our company.

We will continue to use Robot Village as a contact point that ties Yaskawa with the community by continuing to vigorously take part in local events, offer inspection tours to customers from both Japan and abroad, and as an avenue for communication between industry, government, and academia for our group to co-exist with the community.

  • Activities Utilizing Robot Village

Exhibits at Space LABO

The Space LABO, a science museum in Kitakyushu, features a section devoted to Yaskawa exhibits. Here, three Yaskawa robots work together to assemble Kokura Castle, Wakatoohashi Bridge, JR Mojiko Station, and other famous sites in the city, as well as YASKAWA Innovation Center, using building blocks to create a town.

Former residence of Yasukawa family open to the public

The former residence of Keiichiro Yasukawa, the promotor of Yaskawa, opened to the public on April 1, 2022. Since 2016, Yaskawa has worked with the city government on a project to utilize the former Yasukawa residence, which was designated a tangible cultural property of the city in 2018 and is now being used as a tourist attraction for visitors from outside the city.

Global Social Contribution Activities

United States

IMPACT Corporate Giving Program

Yaskawa established the IMPACT Corporate Giving Program (IMPACT) to support donations and volunteer activities through company-sponsored programs and initiatives. IMPACT supports local communities through a variety of activities, including participation in a charity event to support people with multiple sclerosis as well as collecting toys for children who do not have presents at Christmas through the local foster care system.

China

Lending demo machines to Chengdu Robot Innovation Center

Yaskawa Electric (China) has established the i3-Mechatronics Center within the Chengdu Robot Innovation Center in order to utilize the industrial concentration, applied innovation, and human resource gathering power of the western region of China, and to develop cooperation with universities, industry associations, and SIers in Sichuan Province.

South Korea

Volunteering to clean up local cultural properties

In addition to supporting Japan-Korea exchange programs and providing financial support to local children and students, Yaskawa Electric Korea provides volunteer activities for local communities. In 2023, all employees took part in cleaning, weeding, and other cleanup activities at tangible cultural properties in the Daejeon area.

India

Yaskawa India focuses on supporting the education of women and children and implements a variety of social contribution activities.

In 2023, donations were made to school infrastructure, including the installation of drinking water facilities and solar power generation systems at schools, the donation of robots and drives products to science labs, and the construction of bus facilities in rural areas.

Sustainability

PAGE TOP