Pakistan’s capital Karachi and its adjoining
areas are prone to thunderstorms and torrential rain from May to August each year—and when it rains, it really rains! The massive downpours can destroy homes and crops, and Karachiites and people in other Pakistani cities often work alongside the corporate sector to help the victims. In July and August 2007, thunderstorms and torrential rain lashed the coastal towns, destroying hundreds of homes of fishermen. To help, staff at the Karachi Branch of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ decided to visit the area and provide support by supplying food and daily consumables. After collecting money to buy the goods, a truck was rented to transport them to Ibrahim Hydery, a small coastal village where fishermen’s huts had been badly damaged.
      When handing out the goods on September 9, 2007, the situation proved to be more serious
than thought—the number of people needing help was higher than shown by preliminary site surveys and the truck did not carry enough supplies. However, with the help of local community leaders, the aid crew could distribute the goods in an orderly fashion before finally returning to Karachi. Driving back, they were at the same time shaken by the devastation they had seen and warmed by the heartfelt gratitude of the local people.
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In December 2007, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare recognized the Mitsubishi company IT Frontier for its corporate support of future generations through family-friendly policies. The Ministry has authorized it to use the Kurumin mark for meeting criteria for parental support.
      The mark is part of the Japanese government’s response to the country’s rapidly declining birthrate. Both the public and private sectors are being encouraged to create a workplace environment that enables parents to have and raise children while continuing to work.
      IT Frontier responded to this call by creating working environments in which all employees can achieve a good balance between work and childcare. Female employees of IT Frontier who gave birth during the period covered by the company’s action plan were granted childcare leave. Male employees were also granted childcare leave and reduced working hours. In addition, a club for sharing information useful to working
mothers was established. Finally, expectant parents and parents of young children are encouraged to share their childcare-related needs and concerns directly with the company’s president and directors. IT Frontier will continue its efforts to provide a good work-life balance for its employees. Currently, about one-third of the Mitsubishi Public Affairs Committee member companies have received the Kurumin mark.
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People with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs, often find it difficult to view exhibitions in crowded museums because of the walls of people that surround them. In April 2006, Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) took steps to rectify this situation by launching a program of special, free-of-charge visiting times for those with disabilities.
      The Tokyo National Museum was the first to participate in this program, with the National Museum of Western Art and the National Science Museum soon following suit. By the end of December 2007, a total of 1,700 people had participated in 12 visits to these three museums.
       Typically, each visit begins with museum curators explaining the interesting features of the exhibits, after which people with disabilities can freely tour the museums at their leisure with families and friends. Several times a year, the tours are followed by workshops where participants can try their hands at creating their own works of art. Members of MC’s tea ceremony club have even conducted tea ceremonies in a museum tea house.
      The program has been a great success with both the visitors and the MC employees, who have flocked to help out as voluntary receptionists and supporters—for each visit, the number of applicants far surpasses the number of volunteers sought. MC now plans to expand the program by getting more museums in the Tokyo area to participate.
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