2025

Joined the "Mt. Zao Cleanup Activity" to preserve the rich natural environment of Mt. Zao in Yamagata Prefecture for future generations

The "Mt. Zao Cleanup Activity" is an annual cleanup and beautification event hosted by the city of Yamagata in June. The event aims to preserve the magnificent natural scenery, precious flora and fauna, and abundant hot spring resources of the Mt. Zao range, which straddles the prefectures of Yamagata and Miyagi. The initiative combines litter collection along ski slopes and hiking trails from the summit to the base with educational activities led by Mt. Zao Instructors. These activities aim to foster appreciation for nature and a mindset that values and protects the environment.

In order to preserve the beautiful nature of Mt. Zao for future generations, our group has participated in this activity every year since 2013. This marks our eighth participation, excluding years canceled due to rain. We promoted the event throughout the Yamagata Office via posters and emails to encourage participation, resulting in a total of 24 participants, including employees and their families. Furthermore, to link CSR activities with enhanced employee engagement, we held a lunch gathering after the cleanup. This provided an opportunity for employees who rarely interact to strengthen their relationships.

The cleanup day was blessed with clear skies and mild weather. We collected trash in the ski area between the Zao Chuo Ropeway Station and Yokokura. While our assigned area had little trash, the overall activity collected 80kg of trash, double last year's amount.
This increase may be attributed to the impact of overtourism, which likely led to more litter on other hiking trails. Past activity records show that the amount of collected trash had been decreasing since 2017, stabilizing around 40kg. However, it began increasing again starting in 2019, highlighting the importance of continuing these efforts.

MinebeaMitsumi group aims to continue engaging in social contribution activities as a member of the local community, striving for coexistence and mutual prosperity with the region.