Connecting with Our Stakeholders : Isetan Mitsukoshi “think good”

Sep 2022

“think good” is Isetan Mitsukoshi’s sustainability motto, expressing the concept of “Let’s start by thinking seriously, using our imagination,” toward a bright and prosperous future. With think good as the base, Isetan Mitsukoshi is carrying out sustainability initiatives through the department stores that make up its main business. We hope to achieve a sustainable society alongside a rich and vibrant future, together with all of our stakeholders.

Interviewing

Yumi Toritani
Planning Staff, Sustainability Promotion Department, General Affairs Department, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd.

"What is think good?

“think good ” is Isetan Mitsukoshi’s sustainability motto, expressing the concept, “Let’s start by thinking seriously, using our imagination.” With think good as the base, we have determined three pillars for behavioral guidelines when considering content: “product lines with considerations for the environment, including ecosystems, as well as related individuals and society”; “promotion of the 4Rs (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)”; and “release of culture, technique, and aesthetic information.” To express this information in an easier-to-understand way, think good-themed events are held twice per year in department stores, shops, and our online sites.

What is the idea behind think good?

In our consideration of sustainability issues, we learned that a variety of environmental and social problems are complexly interrelated. With think good, our goal is to “express a considerate message and prepare as many options as possible” through the product lineup people expect from a department store. The theme chosen the first round was “Upcycling,” and for the second, “Passing on to the Next Generation.” One initiative that made an especially strong impression was the “Climate Summit” event held at Mitsukoshi Ginza store in cooperation with Earth Day Tokyo. On this day, climate NGOs and Generation Z climate activists gathered at the Mitsukoshi Ginza store and expressed their fervent opinions on the current state of climate change and possible countermeasures. Also in April 2021, a sustainable fashion talk show in collaboration with Fashion Revolution Japan was held and broadcast live. Individuals from a diverse range of careers such as fashion designers, buyers, and magazine editors spoke at the event, and it received a great response. The problems facing the fashion industry are severe, and we discovered that there are lots of people considering these problems seriously and searching for what they can do. A pop-up shop event was held in September 2021 at the Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store for the HERALBONY brand. With “Let Out Your Exceptionality” as its brand mission, HERALBONY is showing the talents and possibilities of people with intellectual disabilities to society. For this pop-up shop event, even the show windows of the Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store displayed artwork and products created by HERALBONY artists.

What was the theme for the third round of think good initiatives?

For the third round, “Choosing to Love Both Myself and the Earth” was chosen as the theme. After completing two rounds of promotions For, we realized that we couldn’t continue providing sustainability-related content if it was only good for the environment without featuring designs we liked. Isetan Mitsukoshi Ltd., that approach was not the right fit. Products that combine superb design with maximal environmental consideration are gradually increasing, and in addition to explaining these products simply, we also prepared an abundance of experience programs to help customers put their imaginations to work to decide which products to pick. The “Denim de Mirai ~ Denim Project ~,” which YAMASAWA PRESS and numerous Isetan Mitsukoshi buyers spent more than a year collaborating on, was finally launched. Levi’s® 501® used stock jeans were transformed into more than 200 colorful items through upcycling with the participation of about 60 different brands, creators, and artists from both Japan and overseas. Participants ranging from famous brands to college students joined the project in support of its perspective and message, treasuring fashion while also linking it to the future. A composting workshop was held using original compost bags produced by KURKKU FIELDS, a sustainable farm and park in Kisarazu, Chiba. This project enabled participants to get a sense of the link between the city and nature and experience a circulating lifestyle. It was an opportunity to learn about how you can separate your food waste to reduce garbage, the framework of composting, and how to use it in your own home. At the Isetan Shinjuku Main Store, this event shares traces of author and environmental activist C.W. Nicol’s efforts over a 35-year period spent restoring the Afan Forest in Kurohime, Nagano, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the C.W. Nicol Afan Woodland Trust. Displays showed the current state of the forest, future plans for further restoration, and environmental conversation photography and panels. Continuing from 2021, the Earth Day Climate Summit was held at Mitsukoshi Ginza store once again. A variety of guests such as activists, businesses, and members of Generation Z were invited, and they considered the Earth’s environment and the future from a variety of perspectives in a talk show format. Numerous participants came to listen.

What does the future hold for think good?

Think good considers the diversity that people expect from a department store and an attitude of respecting different values most important of all. These points are unchanging, and we hope to expand the services of the Isetan Mitsukoshi Group as a whole, carrying out fun initiatives over the long term that will inspire us to think more deeply ourselves about what is good for the environment and for society.

Interviewing

Hirooka Teru
Representative Director, MOTHER EARTH Co., Ltd

I heard about think good through my cooperation with the initiatives from the start, and we are also implementing Earth Day actions nationwide with “Friendly to Both People and the Earth” as our theme. For this reason, I feel an affinity for these initiatives and find it wonderful to watch them progress. With Earth Day actions having been carried out across Japan for more than 20 years now, people are showing increased interest in our discussion of climate change countermeasures recently, and the project is accelerating. I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to carry out these activities together with the Isetan Mitsukoshi Group in places where more people will come into contact with them.