By Tomoyasu Hirano
On 9 March 2026, the Japanese Ministry of Economic system, Commerce and Trade (METI) introduced the names of corporations licensed as ‘Wonderful KENKO Funding for Well being (KIH) Companies’ for the 2026 monetary yr. KIH is an initiative launched in 2017, developed utilizing the ‘Wholesome Firm’ idea and the ‘Company Well being Achievement Award Winners’ schemes as benchmarks. The initiative recognises corporations which strategically implement initiatives of their enterprise to assist and promote worker well being. In Japan, the place the inhabitants is ageing quickly and beginning charges are declining, extending wholesome life expectancy and guaranteeing acceptable medical care are key challenges. The KIH certification goals to assist corporations that actively put money into worker well being, by selling office well being initiatives and enhancing worker engagement.
In the meantime, for corporations, certification as an Wonderful KIH Company is predicted to reinforce social standing, scale back workers turnover and improve job candidates by reinforcing a picture as a ‘White Firm’. Though there isn’t a clear authorized definition of a ‘white firm’, the time period is broadly used and recognised in Japan. It refers to corporations that preserve sound long-term administration while prioritising worker wellness and satisfaction by acceptable working hours, sufficient depart, honest therapy, consideration for well being, and alternatives for development. On the identical day that METI introduced the KIH firms for 2026, Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) introduced on its web site that it had been licensed for the tenth consecutive yr within the giant enterprise class of the KIH Programme, generally generally known as the ‘White 500’ (Determine 1).
within the ‘Kenko Funding for Well being AWARD 2026 White 500’ for the tenth consecutive yr
(dated 9 March 2026).
The Japanese textual content states the next:
Licensed as a ‘Kenko Funding for Well being AWARD 2026 White 500’ for the tenth consecutive yr.
On 9 March 2026, JT was licensed as a ‘Kenko Funding for Well being White 500’ (Giant Enterprise Class, hereinafter ‘White 500’) below the scheme collectively administered by the Ministry of Economic system, Commerce and Trade and Japan Well being Convention. This marks the tenth consecutive yr of certification for the reason that scheme was launched in 2017.
The ‘White 500’ is a scheme that certifies the highest 500 giant firms, chosen from people who method worker well being administration from a enterprise perspective and implement strategic initiatives, primarily based on the outcomes of the Well being Administration Survey.
Ryuichiro Hazama, Director-Common of the Insurance coverage Bureau on the Ministry of Well being, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) was invited as a visitor speaker on the ‘KIH AWARD 2026’ ceremony for Excellent Organisations held in Tokyo on 11 March. Hazama performed a key position in revising the Well being Promotion Act in Japan 2017 to strengthen the ‘P measure’ (defending folks from tobacco smoke) of the MPOWER package deal of measures to assist implementation of the WHO Framework Conference on Tobacco Management (FCTC). Because the Ministry helps KIH on the grounds that cooperation between corporations and insurers to advertise worker well being is predicted to enhance worker well-being and scale back medical prices, that is very regarding.
Within the fields of environmental, social and governance and/or sustainable funding, mechanisms have been established to exclude industries, resembling these manufacturing tobacco merchandise and weapons, from funding portfolios. The MHLW ought to urge METI to take corrective motion, together with adopting exclusionary measures agains the tobacco trade. It’s crucial to strengthen implementation of FCTC Article 5.3 which recocnises there’s a elementary and irreconcilable battle between the pursuits of the tobacco trade and people of public well being insurance policies. Japan Tobacco should not be permitted to place itself as an organisation that prioritises the well being of its staff while concurrently benefiting from its deadly merchandise and undermining public well being coverage.
Creator
Tomoyasu Hirano, Professor, School of Human Sciences, Osaka College of Economics
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Editage (www.editage.com) was used for English language modifying.
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