Honda Sun Co., Ltd., gives associates responsibilities in the manufacture of high-quality Honda products by taking advantage of individual workers’ innate characteristics based on the basic philosophy, People above all: Dreams, hopes, smiles; we are the creative challenger. The company strives to conduct its operations such that the local community values its presence and associates value their experience working there.

We have two missions as a special-purpose subsidiary. First, we employ individuals with a broad range of disabilities and create opportunities for each worker to make a contribution. Second, we strive to play a pioneering role in the employment of disabled individuals by broadening the scope of their jobs and communicating related initiatives outside the company so as to lead to the employment of more disabled workers throughout society. At Honda Sun Co., Ltd., we’ve just embarked on a new challenge by launching a computer data processing service in addition to our parts manufacturing business. Since all companies have a need for this type of work, we believe this new endeavor has the potential to lead to the employment of more disabled individuals in the future.

Today, Honda is working to boost diversity throughout the Group, including through the employment of disabled individuals. To do our part in this effort, Honda Sun Co., Ltd. invites associates from Honda facilities to monthly gatherings at our facility where we introduce some of the experience and knowledge we have gathered over a quarter-century of helping able-bodied and disabled associates work together.

Going forward, it is our goal to help promote employment of disabled individuals in the Honda Group as well as its affiliates through this and similar initiatives. Our dream is that Honda Sun will be noticed not as a special-purpose subsidiary, but rather simply as a company whose selling point is high quality by creating a wide-range of value while the associates learn from one another.

Honda Sun’s new plant in the town of Hiji-machi in Oita Prefecture was completed in 2008. Disabled associates were consulted during the design of the facility, which provides an environment that allows disabled associates to work alongside their able-bodied counterparts. Various innovations designed to achieve diversity include rotating lights that can be seen from all directions and inspection equipment that moves up and down so that wheelchair users can operate it.

Ongoing improvement activities also go beyond efforts such as these that focus on workplace facilities and include the manufacture of work jigs designed by associates in a process that we have dubbed karakuri-style innovation.