Social ContributionSocial

At Sagawa Express, we are proactively engaged in “Town Support” to solve the challenges that each of our regions face every day. With partnership with local governments, we provide services that contribute to community development and municipal workload reduction, such as gift shipping support for the Hometown Tax Program, sales channel matching services for local specialties, and relief supply transportation in times of disaster.

Related SDGs

Town Support

Town Support provides assistance and services to solve community challenges through public-private partnerships.

Comprehensive Partnership Agreements

Comprehensive partnership agreements provide a framework for local governments and private companies to bring together their mutual strengths and resources to solve social issues facing regional communities.

Main Details of Agreements

Disaster Relief Agreements

We are engaged in a comprehensive range of activities through the disaster relief agreements we have signed with local administrations and governments. These include the promotion of community disaster preparedness; transportation and delivery of disaster relief goods; management and operation of cargo storage hubs; storage, receiving and shipping of cargo; and call center support.
Further, we have signed mutual cooperative agreements related to business continuity and disaster relief with infrastructure companies to ensure business continuity and contribute to the safety and security of citizens and companies in disaster-stricken areas.

Disaster Relief

Recovery Support for Disaster-stricken Regions

At Sagawa Express, we offer support to disaster-stricken areas in times of disaster, such as by transporting emergency relief goods and delivering goods to evacuation shelters in disaster areas.

Disaster Recovery Support in Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Disaster Recovery Support in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture

Following a request from Asakura City in Fukuoka Prefecture, which suffered huge damage from the Northern Kyushu floods in July 2017, we offered disaster recovery support for approximately three months between August 8 and October 31, 2017. Initially, city officials were in charge of managing and delivering relief goods to evacuation shelters, but there were various problems with organization of the relief goods, as well as the increasing burden on city officials.

To respond to these issues, SG Moving first transferred the relief goods from school gymnasiums, which had been functioning as hubs, to SG Holdings Group distribution warehouses. At these warehouses, Sagawa Global Logistics managed the relief goods by type in different locations, managing and operating the hubs to ensure smooth delivery, as well as taking charge of storage, ingoings, and outgoings. In addition, Sagawa Express SALES DRIVER^® delivered the relief goods along predetermined routes, while SG Systems provided call center and other support services. In doing so, we created a system that allowed city officials to focus solely on their regular duties and disaster response. In having each Group company work in tandem, we were able to find comprehensive, integrated solutions in line with the needs of the disaster-stricken municipality and facilitate smooth recovery support.

Examples of Town Support Initiatives

Revitalization of Local Transportation Services

Contributing to Sustainable Urban Development

Maintenance of regional infrastructure (mixing freight and passengers)

At Sagawa Express, we are promoting mixed freight and passenger transport. Due to falling passenger demand caused by declining populations, falling birthrates, and aging communities, the continuation and maintenance of transport infrastructure, as well as worker availability, are becoming serious social challenges, particularly in depopulated regions. We are thus creating a model that combines two different types of transport to solve their respective issues—that is, mixing freight and passengers using surplus transport capacity.

Not only are we helping to protect the environment by cutting CO₂ emissions through reduced truck-based transport, we are also helping to maintain transport infrastructure, such as buses and trains, which are fundamental to regional lifestyles.

Initiatives to Date

Tourism Promotion

Hands-free Sightseeing Service

As one part of the comprehensive agreements we have signed with local administrations, we are promoting a hands-free sightseeing service. Through this service, we look after tourists’ baggage, sending it to their next hotel destination to allow them to enjoy hands-free sightseeing. As the number of foreign visitors to Japan continues to increase, we will encourage increased domestic travel through hands-free sightseeing, and in turn promote tourism and revitalize regions across Japan.

Agriculture and Fisheries Support

Expanding Regional Produce Sales Channels

Working with Nousouken Corporation, in 2017 we began initiatives to support the expansion of sales channels for producer-direct regional produce, and commenced full-scale operations in January 2019. Through this initiative, regional produce is sold to consumers in urban areas through Nousouken's agricultural produce distribution platform, and our Nagano Sales Office is used as a collection hub for the produce. This approach ensures that the high-quality produce created with great care by producers is delivered to consumers in urban areas while retaining its freshness. The system also helps producers generate stable income. Moving forward, our plan is to examine the further expansion of these hubs.

Other Initiatives

Sponsoring the Kyoto Marathon

In support of the Kyoto Marathon's concept,"DO YOU KYOTO?",Sagawa Express is sponsoring the event with the aim of contributing to the regional revitalization of Kyoto Prefecture, where the company was founded.

Soccer Academy

Sagawa Express has sponsored SAGAWA SHIGA FOOTBALL ACADEMY since 2007 to promote the sound development of local children through the sport. This soccer school for elementary and junior high school students has taught a total of more than 2,800 students as of the end of fiscal year 2022. The academy also organizes visiting soccer classes for kindergarten children, mainly in Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture.

Future Innovation Forum

Sagawa Express is a supporter of work experience events for children organized and run by the Future Innovation Forum (FIF) since 2007.As part of career education, these events are designed to give children the opportunity to think about how society works and what it means to work.
In 2022, we invited children to our next-generation large-scale logistics center "X FRONTIER^®" to allow them to actually see frontline logistics operations. Children were given a tour of the center, where they saw the automatic sorting and conveying machines installed at the Sagawa Express relay centers and rode in a delivery truck. These experiences not only provide an opportunity for children to learn about a parcel delivery system and various tasks undertaken by frontline logistics workers, but also to think about their own future careers.

• X FRONTIER^® is a registered trademark of SG Holdings Co., Ltd.

Scenes from the work experience event "Frontline of Logistics"

Tokyo Great Santa Run

This charity is held in various countries around the world to bring smiles to hospitalized children.Every year, those who support the purpose of this event participate in Santa Claus or other Christmas-inspired costumes to express their heartfelt thoughts and feelings.The participation fee will be used to deliver Christmas gifts for children battling illness.
Sagawa Express is sponsoring this charity as it coincides with our philosophy: "Delivering our customers' 'packages' with great care is delivering the very 'thoughts and feelings' entrusted to the packages."

All-Japan Lifetime Baseball Tournament

This tournament has been held since 1986 for people of ages from their 30s to 70s to enjoy playing baseball.
Under the three slogans of "Lifelong Active Life," "Lifelong Baseball Friendship," and "Lifelong Health," this event encourages people to enjoy a long and healthy life while continuing to play baseball.
Sagawa Express is sponsoring this event in support of its objectives to encourage team play, healthy aging, and continued physical activity.