Core Principles
At the Otsuka group, we know that the contributions of a diverse array of people is conducive to innovation and globalization, and to the development of innovative products. That is why we embrace and promote diversity. As a group of companies driven to innovate, we are committed to ensuring our workplaces are welcoming to all people.
Promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)
Believing that a diverse workforce will lead to greater innovation, globalization, and innovative product development, the Otsuka group actively promotes diversity. The group also encourages DE&I through various initiatives, such as formulating common programs for the whole group, planning seminars, and regularly holding Best Practices Sharing Meetings at each company, and these initiatives are centered on each group company’s DE&I promotion team, which were established in 2008. In 2024, Otsuka Holdings was selected as a constituent of the Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Index, which tracks companies in the market that have strong gender diversity policies embedded in their corporate culture and that ensure equal opportunities to employees, irrespective of their gender.
Approach
Initiatives to Promote Diversity
Implement group-wide training and seminars on women's empowerment Ikuboss Corporate Alliance
Since signing the Women‘s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in 2017, we have been regularly conducting diversity promotion seminars across the group. We recognize that it is not enough for only employees to be aware of the issues-their supervisors must broaden their awareness too. Therefore, we established the Ikuboss (managers supportive of work-life balance) declaration and are holding Ikuboss seminars and other related events at each company*.
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- *Nine group companies: Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Otsuka Warehouse, Otsuka Chemical, Otsuka Foods, Otsuka Medical Devices, Otsuka Techno, and Otsuka Electronics
Promoting the activity of women
The Otsuka group supports the activities of a diverse workforce by recognizing the promotion of women, support for balancing work and one’s private life (childcare, nursing care, illness), and creating a comfortable work environment for various people, such as LGBTQ, as issues in diversity, equity, and inclusion. In order to transform the consciousness of employees, we are working to spread diverse work styles, which has included holding Ikubosu seminars and introducing role model examples. Furthermore, we provide a response program, which includes a management training e-learning course, as we consider the understanding of management indispensable for promoting DE&I and fostering a climate conducive environment.
Women’s Empowerment and Male Involvement in Childcare (Otsuka Pharmaceutical)
For many years, Otsuka Pharmaceutical has been striving to foster a supportive work environment with a project promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (currently known as the DE&I Promotion Project) at the forefront. One of the initiatives is the “Otsuka Women's Workshop”, a forum for women to exchange information about marriage and parenting. “WING” is another similar initiative - a cross-organizational voluntary study group that identifies issues and discusses solutions to improve the company. The percentage of female executives in 2025 is 11.8% (including executive officers: 14.6%)*1
- *1As of April 1st, 2025
In recent years, more male employees have been proactively taking the initiative in contributing to housework and parenting. In light of this important growing trend, we are implementing initiatives for our managers to enhance their understanding of DE&I and necessary new management styles. These initiatives - including the DEI Seminars (formerly known as IkuBoss*2 Seminars) and IkuBoss Corporate Alliance - help to raise awareness and facilitate the exchange of information. In addition to highlighting male role models employees, we have created a friendly atmosphere for participation in housework and parenting by establishing a consultation service.
- *2IkuBoss: work-life balance
As a result, the childcare leave uptake rate, which was 3.7% in 2016, reached 100%*3 in 2022. The average number of days taken in 2024 was 29.
- *3Number of male employees who took childcare leave during the year (January 1 to December 31) / Number of employees whose spouses gave birth during the same period.
- About the female manager ratio/Percentage of Employees Taking Parental Leave, please refer to the Key Sustainability Data.
Everyone can be themselves at work and succeed
The aim of OPEL is to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) within and beyond Otsuka. OPEL has focused on two primary goals – creating an inclusive culture and attracting, developing and retaining diverse talent.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd. (OPEL)
(left) Nate Cope, Chief Operating Officer
(right) Clair Milner, Senior Director, People
Cultivating an inclusive culture
A range of activities have occurred to ensure that the European business celebrates diversity, promotes psychological safety and creates a sense of belonging for all of our approximately 550 employees. Specifically, the European executive team has undergone unconscious bias training, and whilst such awareness doesn’t remove the bias, it has made the group more alert to their own individual biases and how to manage. This type of training will be rolled out to the European organisation in due course. Furthermore, we are pleased to say that as part of the Annual Engagement Survey, employees scored the organisations DE&I activities as 88% positive, highlighting the strong foundation present within the organisation and opportunities for improvement.
Attract, develop, and retain diverse talent
By achieving this, we can maximize the potential of our diverse talent pool, leading to improved employee satisfaction and
long-term success. With current staff, we foster global and European mobility opportunities and prioritise individual development plans – with focussed sessions on individuals’ development occurring at least 3 times a year.
Support of Diverse Work Styles
We have introduced throughout the group the Family Smile Support System and Work Interval System, support systems to increase efficiency and work productivity when working from home so that employees who find normal work difficult because of giving birth, childcare, child-rearing, or nursing care can balance work and family. Furthermore, in Japan, we provide support for employees balancing childcare and work by operating day care centers at three of our offices (Tokushima, Osaka, and Tsukuba). Since the first one in Tokushima in 2011, the day care centers have grown into some of the few large on-site day care centers in Japan.
Creating a Workplace Where Employees Can Receive Treatment While Continuing to Work (Taiho Pharmaceutical)
As a company developing and supplying anticancer agents, Taiho Pharmaceutical has a team to realize “Workplace support for employees with cancer.” This team, mainly composed of the Human Resources Department and Healthcare Professionals, aims to create a workplace where employees with cancer or other diseases can receive treatment while continuing to work. One of our initiatives includes the creation of the "Support Guide for Employees with Cancer" in 2016, which is tailored to the perspectives of the individual, their supervisors, colleagues, and family members, and is continuously improved based on the situation.
Going further, in 2019 the company launched C-Guide Portal, a portal site about cancer for employees. The site provides information on systems and consultation desks that employees and their families can use if someone develops cancer or another disease, and highlights the importance of cancer prevention and screening. It also has a page where users share experiences. Here, employees share information about the reality of treatment, learned through family members‘ or their own experiences fighting cancer. This helps employees deepen their understanding of and recognize issues in cancer treatment. Meanwhile, it enhances their appreciation of the role they play as employees of Taiho Pharmaceutical, an anticancer drug manufacturer. Additionally, we engage in societal outreach through lectures within the Otsuka group, local governments, and academic societies, participation in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's manual creation committee, and collaboration with other companies and organizations.
Received an Award of Excellence under the Tokyo Work Circle Project in 2016 (organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government), which recognizes companies as having outstanding initiatives that help cancer patients balance treatment and work.
Received a gold prize for six consecutive years (2019–2024) at the Cancer Ally Awards organized by Gan Ally Club, a private-sector project addressing the issue of cancer and employment. In 2023, received the newly established 'Best Practice' award.
- *For details, please refer to the following URL.
Human Resources Support for Balancing Work and Medical Treatment (Taiho Pharmaceutical WEB site, Japanese)
- About the trends of the numbers of employees taking parental leave, please refer to the Key Sustainability Data.
Promoting the Active Participation of the LGBTQ community, People with Disabilities, and Senior Citizens
Initiatives for the LGBTQ Community
Group companies are moving forward with numerous initiatives, including holding seminars and establishing in-house helplines, in order to promote a proper understanding of the LGBTQ community. Taiho Pharmaceutical has conducted training for its HR department, managers, and various headquarters and divisions since 2020 to provide information on not only the current state of Japanese society, including basic knowledge and examples from other companies, but also concrete measures that can be immediately introduced. Furthermore, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Otsuka Chemical, and Otsuka Foods offer LGBTQ-related training and e-learning courses for all employees. Otsuka Warehouse is also working to create a more comfortable environment to work in through such initiatives as eliminating the words “men” and “women” from employee rules.
Initiatives for the Employment of People with Disabilities
Otsuka Pharmaceutical established Heartful Kawauchi in Tokushima City in 2011 as a special purpose subsidiary. This subsidiary helps people with disabilities to fully realize their potential.
- About the ration of employees with disabilities Please refer to the Key Sustainability Data
Encouraging Active Roles for Senior Employees
At Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory and Taiho Pharmaceutical, older employees who have been recently recruited are an important force for the company, and a system has been established to recognize those who have contributed to corporate earnings and the development of human resources.
Diversity & Inclusion-related Systems
Please refer to the website of each company.
External Recognition
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Platinum Kurumin and Kurumin Certification system based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children. Platinum Kurumin is a certification for Kurumin-certified companies that have carried out higher-level initiatives. (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) |
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Eruboshi Certification system based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace. Companies are recognized for excellent efforts to empower women in the workplace. (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) |
Eruboshi (Level 3): Otsuka Chemical (from 2019), Otsuka Pharmaceutical (from 2023) |
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MONISU Certification Certification system recognizing small- and medium-sized enterprises that excel in their efforts to provide employment to people with disabilities. (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) |
2020 certification: Heartful Kawauchi |
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Acquired Tomonin Mark A symbol mark for companies that strive to create a work environment that allows employees to balance work and caregiving. (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) |
Acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Otsuka Warehouse |
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Certified as a Great Place to Work® Certifies companies that create an outstanding employee experience according to Great Place to Work,®, a global leader in workplace culture and employee awareness surveys |
Selected for the fifth consecutive year in 2024: Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI) Ranked sixth in the Fortune Best Workplaces in BioPharma |