DOWA’s founder, Fujita Denzaburo, was a businessman during Japan’s Meiji era who contributed to the industrial world through his involvement in a broad range of businesses that included construction, railways, textile spinning, power generation, and newspapers, in addition to mining. Fujita founded the Company in Kosaka Town (Akita Prefecture), where he donated large sums to elementary schools based on the conviction that education is the source of national wealth and power. Further, through the Company’s predecessor, Fujita Gumi, he established social capital by introducing electric utilities, constructing railways, maintaining waterworks, and building schools, housing, hospitals, and leisure facilities, such as theaters and sports centers.
This social capital was made available not only to those directly or indirectly involved with the mine but also to residents of local communities. Sustainability management at the DOWA Group is corporate management conducted from a long-term perspective, drawing from Fujita Denzaburo’s philosophy of “coexistence between workers and the residents of local communities.”
The Group’s five businesses share common traits: they provide support for society and reduce the environmental impact created by economic activities. We believe that the reason for the Group’s existence is to promote the evolution of these traits so that it can continue its contributions to society.
With a medium‑ to long‑term perspective, we revised our Mission, Vision, Values, and Code in October 2020, following approval by the Board of Directors. In drafting these revisions, we took into account the culture and corporate spirit we have fostered throughout our history, embedding the values and philosophy of our founder, Fujita Denzaburo, to carry forward his legacy. These guidelines will serve as the foundation of our corporate activities, allowing us to contribute to solving social challenges through our business endeavors. In addition, the guidelines were developed with reference to various frameworks, including the UN Global Compact, the SDGs, and Keidanren’s Charter of Corporate Behavior, and reflect the expectations and requirements of our stakeholders.
The DOWA Group will continue to pursue quality in circularity by expanding cycles through our recycling-oriented business model and further improving the quality of the capital we have amassed thus far. This is the means by which we aim to realize our Vision (our goal for 2030) and enhance our corporate value.
