The year 2023 is a milestone year for the Mitsui Group as it marks the 350th anniversary since Group founder Mitsui Takatoshi relocated to Edo and opened “Echigoya,” a kimono textile store in Nihonbashi in 1673. In the many years since then, the Group has remained committed to promoting human resources development amid a free and open corporate culture and responding with foresight to changes in society, guided by its principle of putting people first in its activities.

The Mitsui Group will implement the 350th Anniversary Project for five years from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2027 (from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2028) as a means of embodying its commitment to the solution of social issues while reconfirming the purpose of the Group. Under the project, we will conduct activities to provide young people with education and support and will also extend support to Mitsui Group-related organizations that contribute to the public interest with a view to making social contributions across a range of fields.

With various social issues gaining prominence and the importance of peaceful international relations returning to the fore, the Mitsui Group, being driven by the power of people, will work to support Japan’s society and economy and promote world peace and well-being.

Mitsui Group 350th Anniversary Project

Outline of the Project

To celebrate its 350th anniversary, the Mitsui Group will implement a social contribution project with the cooperation of its group companies.

Major activities conducted under the project

• MITSUI MIRAI CHALLENGERS AUDITION project
• Mitsui and the Japanese Red Cross Society & Junior Red Cross collaboration project
• Mitsui Bunko: Virtual (digital) archiving of historical materials in the collection
• Mitsui Memorial Museum: Special Exhibition “Mitsui Takatoshi and Echigoya”
• Support for upgrading the Mitsui Memorial Hospital’s medical services

Period

April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2028 (planned)

Concept Message

BETTER THE FUTURE FOR ALL.

Logo for the project

The logo signifies the unity that is felt among the people who make up the 25 Mitsui Group companies, with the different colors representing creativity and the diversity of values.

• In celebration of the 350th anniversary, we will look back on the Mitsui Group’s past activities in order to pass down the spirit of challenge and innovation as well as the aspiration for a sound society marked by general well-being as the corporate DNA of the Group.
• Through engagement in the commemoration project by each of the Mitsui Group companies and their employees, we will further foster the activities and sharing of information to make even more contributions to the solution of social issues.
• By conducting activities to provide the younger generation with education and support, we will contribute to the development of future leaders who will support the sustainability of society.

Various social issues have recently been gaining prominence and we have been reminded once again of the importance of peaceful international relations. Under these circumstances, we will make effective use of the Mitsui Group’s past achievements and expertise with a view to supporting ambitious members of the rising generation to embrace challenges for a better society as well as equipping children, the next generation of leaders, with the skills they will need to support world peace.
We will look back on the history of Mitsui and pass down that history to further enhance and advance the power of people to make changes, thereby contributing to expanding mutual support in society going forward.

The logo signifies the unity that is felt among the people who make up the 25 Mitsui Group companies, with the different colors representing creativity and the diversity of values.

• 1.“MITSUI MIRAI CHALLENGERS AUDITION” project

  Within set categories of “Business and social activities,” “Research and overseas studies” and “Creation of culture,” we will conduct auditions to seek out young people with dreams and ambitions who are embracing challenges for a better future. From among participants in auditions to be conducted in fiscal 2023, we will select “Challengers” whom we will continue to support until the end of fiscal 2027.

  

  Schedule for the auditions to be conducted in fiscal 2023

  Early June 2023: Announcement of the application requirements

  Early August 2023: Start of solicitations for participation

  March 2024: Announcement of audition results

• 2.Mitsui and the Japanese Red Cross Society & Junior Red Cross collaboration project

  The Junior Red Cross has a network linking 192 countries and regions around the world and has ties with around 14,000 schools and roughly 3.5 million students in Japan. It is implementing programs to help children develop a range of skills in the areas of humanities, international exchange, mutual understanding, social contribution, health, hygiene, safety and disaster control. We will work in collaboration with the organization to implement a project to equip these future leaders with the ability to support and work toward world peace.

  

  Schedule for fiscal 2023 (planned)

  November 17 to 22, 2023: Branch visit program

  November 23 to 25, 2023: National international exchange meeting

  

• 3.Mitsui Bunko: Virtual (digital) archiving of historical materials in the collection

  Mitsui Bunko has a collection of around 100,000 items of valuable documents and management materials from Japan’s Edo and modern periods. Of these, we will identify and digitize those that have particular historical significance so as to provide open access to them in a virtual space, thereby preserving the precious materials while also increasing convenience to users of them.

  

  General Accounting Ledgers

  

  Accounts Ledgers for Ômotokata

  

  Sochiku-Isho, The Last Will and Testament of Mitsui Takahira

  The history of Mitsui Bunko goes back to the foundation of the Mitsui families’ history compilation office founded within the former Mitsui Main Building in Surugacho, Nihonbashi in October 1903. The function of this office was to collect historical materials pertaining to the Mitsui families in order to compile a history. The office was later relocated to Togoshi to continue its activities. The activities were suspended following the end of World War II, but Mitsui Bunko was reestablished in May 1965 at its present address (5-chome, Kamitakada, Nakano-ku).

• 4.Mitsui Memorial Museum: Special Exhibition “Mitsui Takatoshi and Echigoya”

  In celebration of the 350th anniversary, the Mitsui Memorial Museum this summer will hold a special exhibition titled “Mitsui Takatoshi and Echigoya,” which will look back on Mitsui’s history with a focus on founder Mitsui Takatoshi.
  Exhibition period: Wednesday, June 28 to Thursday, August 31, 2023

  

  Painting of Mitsui Takatoshi and Spouse

  

  New Year Scene at Echigoya in Surugachô by Torii Kiyonaga

  

  Illustration Showing the “Kugi-nuki-mon” Shop Layout

  In Octob er 2005, the Mitsui Bunko Annex facilities were relocated to Nihonbashi, a place with a long association with the Mitsui families and the Mitsui Group, and reopened as the Mitsui Memorial Museum. The museum’s collection holds around 4,000 Japanese and East Asian artworks donated by the Kita Mitsui, Shinmachi Mitsui, Muromachi Mitsui, Minami Mitsui, Isarago Mitsui and Honmuracho Mitsui families as well as by their kin the Takatsukasa family

• 5.Support for upgrading the Mitsui Memorial Hospital’s medical services

  

  Founded in 1906 as a charity institution, the Mitsui Memorial Hospital is now serving as an acute care hospital providing advanced medical treatment as well as important medical infrastructure. We will provide the hospital with support to upgrade its medial service to an even higher level.

  The Mitsui Memorial Hospital was opened in Kanda Izumicho in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo in 1909 as Mitsui Charity Hospital with a donation from Mitsui Family. Over the more than 100 years since then, the hospital has been providing advanced medical service based on a spirit of social welfare.

• Other activities to be conducted under the project will be introduced as appropriate on the special website for the Mitsui Group 350th Anniversary Project: //www.mitsui350th.com

The commemoration project will be implemented under the leadership of the executive committee, whose members are executives of the Nimoku-kai group comprising 25 major Mitsui Group companies.

Message from the chairperson of the executive committee

In celebration of the Mitsui Group’s 350th anniversary, a tremendous milestone for the entire organization, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our stakeholders for their daily support.

The Mitsui Group’s history started 350 years ago in the Edo period, when Mitsui family patriarch Mitsui Takatoshi, at the age of 52, opened the (Mitsui) Echigoya kimono textile store in Edo in 1673. The merchant developed what was at the time an innovative and epoch-making commercial practice, which was to sell products at fixed prices for cash at the store. He thus created a new business model, the precursor to today’s over-the-counter sales. He also proactively implemented human resource development measures targeting young people, thereby further expanding his business and fostering innovation beyond the scope of the kimono textile industry.

We are now in the period of Reiwa, but I think the business style of Mitsui Takatoshi is surprisingly similar to our own: identify market trends and customer needs and take on the challenge of developing new business while passing down our commitment to younger generations for a brighter future.

Due to rapid climate change and growing tensions in international relations, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to foresee the future. In such an age of uncertainty, it is all the more important that we conduct social contribution activities for the future through a concerted effort of all Group members. Under the slogan, “BETTER THE FUTURE FOR ALL.”, I hope we can make the commemoration project truly meaningful, for which I would ask for your kind support.

Masanobu Komoda

Chairperson of the executive committee for the Mitsui Group 350th Anniversary Project Chairman of the Board, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.