We have just come off a wonderful event in Nagoya. Every year the foreign community of Nagoya comes together to arrange a "Walkathon" to raise money for local charities and the not so lucky of our community. In 2006, the Walkathon raised 6.5 million for local orphanages, facilities that support the mentally and physically challenged, etc. This years event was blessed by great weather and a record attendance of close to 2,500 people. In 2007, we should able to give more than 7 million back to local Nagoya Charities.
Corporate social responsibility or CSR is a term that we have only started hearing in the last few years, but the Nagoya foreign community's social responsibility has been going for much longer. This year was our 16th Walkathon.
As a company that provides housing, relocation and leasing services to the Expatriate Community in Japan, CSR and giving back to the community that both we and our clients live in, is a very important agenda for our group. Much has been talked about in the area of "internationalization" in Japan, but our operations as a company and the lives of our clients in Japan are the real grass roots of Japan becoming more "global" and understanding other cultures other than their own. The Walkathon is all about bringing Japanese and Foreigners together to learn the grass roots of giving to charity and volunteering time for the benefit of others. It is not artificial "internationalization" like that of events held by cities and prefectures across Japan such as cooking classes in a local kominkan. Our Walkathon and our clients out living in Japanese communities are the real thing, and they are the real way forward to Japan warmly accepting all people regardless of race, color or background. However, it is a two-way street and we must never forget what the community does for us foreigners in Japan. The Walkathon is one way to thank everyone around us in for their support by giving back to those in the community who need it.
Hopefully in coming years we will see many more Japanese companies learn more about CSR and especially the different ways companies can give back to their community, while having their employees benefit from the partnership and relationships that are built by being involved in such activities. It is not all about how much money companies give, it is also about the time you can give, and the extent of involvement you have in giving financial support to charities. Any company can throw some money to a charity and call it CSR, but smart companies get involved in the giving and have their people learn about CSR through interacting with others outside their own organizations. The Walkathon teaches this in Nagoya, and H&R Consultants is glad to be able learn from it too.
I hope you can help us give back to Chubu again in May 2008 at the 17th Walkathon!
