"Diversity Week 2022" Held to Promote Diversity and Inclusion

　The “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee” at Ryohin Keikaku held “Diversity Week”, a 3-day event from June 22 to 24, to nurture respect and understanding for diversity within the workplace. Diversity Week is an opportunity to recognize and embrace the full range of identities in the organization, inspire a positive outlook on value creation in business, and communicate the importance of diverse workforce and work styles.
　The Committee organized workshops and seminars around 5 topics – inclusion, life stage, nationality, gender, and disabilities – for members at headquarters and stores across Japan to enjoy and included insightful talks by industry expert on trends and consumer behavior to better educate ourselves.

■New Value Creation Through Diversity
　In our drive to create a work environment where everyone is respected regardless of gender, age, disability, nationality, and other differences, we invited Country Manager of Stylus Japan, Akimoto Riku, to shed light through data and examples on the value of diversity and how creating a work environment which embraces diversity can have positive impact on business performance. For instance, companies that form heterogeneous product development teams can bring diverging perspectives to the table to develop inclusive products that can capture a wider population.

■List of Workshops and Talks:
●Topic: Disabilities
Talk Session to Build Better Work Environment
　Members from stores and headquarters, including those with disabilities, discussed the topic of what it means to have inclusive work environment with respect to areas such as communication with co-workers.

Workshop to Learn About Disabilities
　Participants were given the opportunity to learn to write their names in Braille on business cards and experience moving around in a wheelchair in order to gain a better understanding towards people with disabilities.

　
●Topic: Inclusion
Pan-Industry Information Exchange
　We invited seven companies from various industries to share their policies and activities for fostering diversity within their respective workplace.

　
Talk Session to Openly Chat with Store Managers
　We held a roundtable to exchange thoughts between store managers and store members on their concerns and anxieties related to diversity in the stores.

●Topic: Nationality
Talk Session with Global Members,「U r not ALONE」
　Members of all nationalities based in Japan as well as overseas met online and in-person to exchange thoughts on difficulties they’ve encountered at the workplace with an aim to find out what changes would make MUJI a more comfortable working environment for people from different cultural backgrounds.

“We are the World” Exhibition
　Popular MUJI items sold in 8 countries and regions across the globe were displayed at headquarters along with recorded video greetings from colleagues living in each location.

　
●Topic: Life Stage
Talk Session on Maternity Leave for Men (Paternity Leave)
　As the revision of Child Care and Family Care Leave Law took effect this April in Japan, obliging companies to encourage more men to take paternity leave, we asked an employee who took paternity leave to share his experience such as the importance of gaining understanding and support from supervisors and colleagues, as well as advice for male employees who may look to take it in the future.

Family Day at Headquarters
　We invited families of employees to visit our headquarters so they can better understand the work environment of their families who work there. After a tour of company floors, visitors were given MUJI snacks to take home.

　
●Topic: Gender
Talk Session to Learn about Diversity
　We invited Yuri Igarashi, representative of Rainbow Knots LLC, to share the perspectives of LGBTQ+ and discuss how we can create an ideal workplace that is inclusive for all sexual minorities.

Discussion on Gender and LGBTQ+
　Participants shared their experiences on issues surrounding gender and LGBTQ+, such as cases of unintended bias and what should be done to prevent them.

■Recognizing Diversity
　Diversity Week was a thought-provoking experience to learn and reflect on the value of diversity and provided an opportunity for us to further recognize the diversity of our colleagues.

■About “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee"
　Launched on December 15, 2021 and currently consists of 40 members of various ages, departments, and nationalities from all over Japan. We are carrying out various activities in order to contribute to creating a “Truthful and Sustainable Life for All" as described in our Medium-Term Business Plan.