NYK Supports Japan’s Next Generation

On August 7, NYK held a terminal tour for employees’ children as part ofJapan’s national campaign to support the next generation. The tour was thelatest proactive initiative by NYK to help employees balance work andchild-raising. These initiatives enable NYK to maintain a positiveemployment environment in accordance with the Japanese law on “Advancementof Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children."*The tour aim was not only to give the children a better understanding oftheir fathers’ and mothers’ work by actually visiting a vessel and a harborfacility, two vital components in the international shipping business, butalso to enable employees to review their work life balance and deepen thebond between parent and child.Eighteen participants including eleven children and their parents observedthe container yard from a roof terrace of the office at the NYK TokyoContainer Terminal - No. 6 and 7 berths at the Port of Tokyo’s OhiContainer Terminal. They saw a container vessel and cargo handlingoperations up close. Before the terminal tour, the children visited NYKhead office and had lunch with their parents."I was surprised the speed of loading containers to the vessel was sofast”; "I was impressed to find out that the meat and vegetables arecarried by the refrigerated containers from overseas": were amongst some ofthe comments made by participating children.It is through such actions that NYK will continue its efforts to supportactivities promoting a work-life balance.*Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation ChildrenA law obliging business owners to make it possible for their employees tobalance work and child-raising against the societal challenges, asevidenced by the declining birthrate. The law came into force in April 2005and requires that business owners cooperate to improve conditions so thatthe next generation can be born and raised in a healthy environment. Theterminal tour is part of the third action plan that NYK has developed forbalancing work and family life. Based on the actual performance of thesecond action plan, NYK earned a “Kurumin” mark certificate.