Important Issues and Materiality of Gakken Group

Gakken Group aims to realize a sustainable society through our business. Toward this goal, we recognize that our business activities have a huge impact on the economy, environment and society. In 2019 we have identified our materiality. 

 

Then, we recognized the need to align our materiality with the evolved values and lifestyles emerging in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the escalating focus on ESG and sustainability has added a new dimension to our considerations. Therefore, we decided to review our priority challenges and the value creation process chart in 2023.

 

In our endeavor to update materiality, we've leveraged our established identification process, enriching it with two distinct yet interconnected perspectives:

"Sustainable Materiality" and "Financial Materiality." This approach identifies common elements between these perspectives and accentuates the unique values intrinsic to the Gakken Group（ situated in the lower right quadrant of the conceptual framework）.

Additionally, as we evaluated Financial Materiality, we sought input from a broad spectrum of viewpoints within Gakken Group. Collaborating with project members responsible for shaping the next medium-term management plan and involving senior management from each Group company, we ensured the inclusion of diverse opinions across a wide range of age groups. This comprehensive approach culminated in constructive management discussions.

Sustainable materiality（ vertical axis）
Evaluated based on the level of interest of society and investors in each issue with the help of SDG Partners, Inc.

Financial materiality（ horizontal axis）
Surveyed the Group's management on "The level of importance of increasing corporate value as of 2030" and employed the results as the horizontal axis rating.

Gakken Group's Five Materiality Issues

Major Initiatives Linked to Materiality

Creating human capital who

can play an active role in the

world and taking on the

challenge of new education
  • Provision of learning services, such as ESD（classroom/learning center business, publishing and content business）
  • Provision of content that stimulates intellectual curiosity,（publishing and content business）
  • Provision of “Gakken STEAM Program” to countries around the world（global business）
  • New education services at TOKYO GLOBAL GATEWAY（publishing and content business segment, global business）

Contributing to the elimination

of regional and economic

disparities in education and

healthcare and nursing services
  • Initiative to eliminate regional disparities in education through the Virtual Smart Campus（ViSC） concept（classroom/learning center business）
  • E-book content, such as Gakken Library（publishing and content business）
  • Improving the efficiency of preschool operations with the childcare ICT system “hugmo”（kindergarten and school business）
  • Contributing to the maintenance of a sustainable social security system through serviced residences for the elderly（elderly housing business）

Achieving wellbeing through

lifelong growth
  • Efforts to alleviate and remedy dementia symptoms and provide support for independence（group homes for the elderly with dementia business）
  • Educational support services at KLOCKA facilities for child development support, free schools “Mirai Gate,” and providing diverse learning opportunities and places for children to stay（childcare business）
  • Realization of a multi-generational society where everyone has fulfilling lives through Gakken's Community-based Integrated Care System（elderly housing business）

Improving the value of human

capital throughout the

industry
  • Contribution to professional development through e-learning services for nurses（publishing and content business）
  • Training nursery school teachers and care workers through Gakken Academy services（healthcare and nursing business）
  • Visiting lectures on dementia（group homes for the elderly with dementia business）
  • Training for tutors（classroom/learning center business）

Building a sustainable

supply chain
  • Reducing environmental impact through the achievement of Net Zero Energy Building（ZEB）-Ready in the elderly housing business（elderly housing business）
  • Selection of environmentally friendly means of transportation（publishing and content business）
  • Environmentally friendly initiatives in the printing, processing, and bookbinding processes（publishing and content business）