< List of Award-Winning Companies in FY2022 >
Click here for the list of judging in FY2022
Manufacturers and Importers Category
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Small & Medium Manufacturers and Importers Category
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Large Manufacturers and Importers Category
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Retailer Category
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Small and Medium Retailers Category
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Large Retailers Category
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Organizations and Companies Other than the Above
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Businesses Category
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Manufacturers and Importers Category
Small & MediumMETI Minister's Award
MAZROC Co., Ltd.
| Established | 1948 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Sho Matsumoto, CEO |
| Number of employees | 251(April 2022) |
| Location: | Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Business description | Development and sales of housing-related materials, development and sales of materials for renovation for the elderly. |
| URL | https://www.mazroc.co.jp/ [external link] |
Award points
●Objectively verify and improve safety through arduous testing and comparisons with other companies' products.
We objectively verify the safety of our products through tests that assume worst-case scenarios, such as misuse by consumers, and use the results obtained from the test to improve the product.. In addition, we aim to create safer products by conducting tests based on our own standards on similar products from other companies and conducting comparative verification with our products.
●Information dissemination through websites and videos to prevent misuse and incorrect installation
In order to prevent misuse and incorrect installation by consumers who do not have sufficient knowledge about our product, we disseminate information on correct use and installation through our website, videos, and by distributing the leaflets to retailers. Regarding incorrect installation, we have devised ways to better communicate with consumers by showing through videos visual examples of incorrect installation and the dangers that can result.
●Management of inquiry information via database and sharing within the company including the development team
Information on past inquiries and complaints from customers is centrally managed in an in-house database, making it easy for anyone in the company to search or analyze. Also we aim to prevent similar accidents by turning past product accidents into case studies.
Small & MediumDirector-General for Technology Policy Coordination and Industrial and Product Safety's Award OHKUMA Co., Ltd
| Established | 1955 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Kenichiro Okuma, President and Representative Director |
| Number of employees | 180 (April 2022) |
| Location | Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Business description | Manufacture and sale of building materials |
| URL | https://www.o-kuma.co.jp/ [external link] |
Award points
●Development of safe products based on actual use and needs of children and the elderly
The company is actively developing safe products based on the actual use and needs of children and the elderly, such as doors with minimal gaps between the frame to prevent the risk of finger pinching by children, and wide sliding doors for elder care facilities that are both wheelchair accessible and safe. In addition, the company is continuously improving these products based on feedback from users.
●Establishment and operation of a safety testing and evaluation system utilizing internal and external facilities
The company has established its own standards for product safety. It is working to improve and enhance its in-house facilities so that it can conduct effective tests and evaluations in accordance with these standards and has established a system whereby test items that are difficult to handle in-house can be performed by an outside organization. In addition, the company has established an evaluation system centered on qualified personnel who have undergone training and certification for testing and evaluation, and manages their competence using a skill map chart.
●System creation and implementation to achieve product safety, led by top management, and in-house enlightenment
Upper management understands the importance of product safety and is taking the initiative in creating and implementing systems to achieve this goal. In addition, they actively participate in internal and external training programs, share issues at weekly meetings and encourage activities for improvement, so that the understanding and activities related to product safety have optimal exposure throughout the company.
Small & MediumDirector-General for Technology Policy Coordination and Industrial and Product Safety's Award Ryugu Co., Ltd.
| Established | 1957 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Kozo Kakehashi, President and Representative Director |
| Number of employees | 44 (October 2022) |
| Location | Ukiha City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Business description | Medical absorbent cotton manufacturing, healthcare bedding manufacturing |
| URL | https://pasima.com [external link] |
Award points
●Efforts to remove foreign substances and prevent contamination in accordance with standards equivalent to those of medical devices
In order to eliminate hazardous substances from the products, the company has established internal standards equivalent to those for medical devices, and it is taking measures such as removal of impurities through careful refining processes and confirmation through purity and pH tests, prevention of contamination by metallic foreign substances thorough needle management, and inspection of all products using metal detectors and personnel. The company also uses sealed packaging to prevent gases and other foreign substances from mixing with the product during the distribution stage.
●Ensuring traceability for each product from the manufacturing process through the shipping destination
In order to ensure traceability, a unique number is attached to each product. This links to information related to manufacturing such as the machines and workers used for each process, raw materials, date of manufacture, date of shipment and distribution route. It also links information about shipping destinations, including both wholesalers and retailers. As a result, in the unlikely event that a defect occurs, the company has a system in place that enables prompt investigation of the cause along the manufacturing and delivery process and can implement a product recall if needed.
●Maintaining and furthering the product safety culture inherited from predecessor
Having inherited the philosophy of its predecessor to produce safer bedding products, the company continues to enhance product safety by maintaining a system in which all processes are carried out at its own factories, from cotton raw material production and weaving to scouring, dyeing, sewing, inspection, packaging and shipping. The company also strives to further develop its initiatives by acquiring various safety certifications, educating its employees and disseminating information to consumers via its website and SNS.
Small & MediumExcellence Award (Committee Award)
HARIO Co., Ltd.
| Established | 1921 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Tadayasu Shibata President |
| Number of employees | 230 (July 2022) |
| Location | Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
| Business description | Planning, manufacturing and sales of heatproof glass tableware and household goods. Development and sales of glass materials for physics and chemistry, heatproof tableware, headlight lenses for automobiles and various industrial and medical glass materials |
| URL | https://www.hario.com [external link] |
Award points
●A check system on the production line that emphasizes important control items for product safety
Considering heat resistance as an important management item for product safety in our own products, the company focuses on the management of raw materials in the production line, from acceptance inspection based on internal standards, to management of mixing ratios by automatic measurement and expansion coefficients of molten raw materials. The company is also implementing a series of measures including confirmation and component analysis at an external organization.
●Integration of product concept and safety through FMS system
In the FMS system, the “Father” in charge of product sales and ordering cooperates with the “Mother” in charge of design and quality to formulate a product concept, and these figures oversee everything from development to sales of new products by the “Son.” Along with maintaining standards, the company has set up a trial-and-error mechanism to identify and resolve product safety issues from each of these multiple perspectives.
●Safety verification assuming actual use from the development stage
Beginning at the product development stage, the company conducts durability tests to verify safety under actual usage conditions, including misuse. Particularly in the case of products that combine materials other than glass, the company checks for any damage to load-bearing parts such as handles and whether there are any problems with heat resistance, so as not to cause product safety issues due to differences in physical properties.
Small & MediumExcellence Award (Committee Award)
FUJISLATE CO., Ltd.
| Established | 1949 |
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| Representative | Yuzo Mabuchi, President and Representative Director |
| Number of employees | 89 (October 2022) |
| Location | Itano-gun, Tokushima Prefecture |
| Business description | Roof tile manufacturing and sales, roof tile manufacturing machine sales, sales of cement and other construction materials, and solar power generation sales and construction. |
| URL | https://fujislate.com/ [external link] |
Award points
●Establishment of unique safety standards and testing facilities to achieve them
The company has specified seven product safety requirements expected by consumers for roof tiles and, in addition to official standards and test methods for each, has established its own standards and test methods with a view to more severe conditions in the use environment. By manufacturing its own testing equipment and facilities, the company is able to smoothly conduct evaluations in accordance with its own design standards, investigate the causes of defects when they occur, and conduct verification during the development stage of new products.
●Ingenuity to manufacture uniform and continuously safe products
The company designs and manufactures its own tile production press machines and tile molds and has a system in place that can quickly reflect changes in product design and requests for improvement. Polishing intervals for molds are set and confirmed to ensure safe and uniform production as well as traceability. In addition, the company has introduced the latest technology, such as webcams, in the manufacturing and inspection processes of its overseas subsidiaries and plans to use AI in the future to further enhance the safety of subsidiary product manufacturing.
●Establishment and development of a system that enables continued safe use over the long term
By storing and managing customer information related to sales, construction and repairs, as well as keeping molds of discontinued products for more than 30 years, the company has established and operated a system that ensures the continued safe use of its products over the long term. The company also aims to extend its efforts by proactively utilizing the latest technologies, such as migrating customer information to a cloud-based system and using drones to record inspection photos.
LargeMETI Minister's Award
Panasonic Corporation, Living Appliances Company, Laundry systems and Vacuum Cleaner Business Division
| Established | 1951 |
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| Representative | Masaru Fujimoto, General Manager, Laundry systems and Vacuum Cleaner Business Division |
| Number of employees | 974 (March 2022) |
| Location | Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Business description | Production, sales and service of electrical appliances, etc. |
| URL | https://holdings.panasonic/jp/ [external link] |
Award points
●Efforts to ensure the safety of IoT products based on the product security policy
To prevent malicious third-party attacks aimed at triggering malfunctions that may threaten product safety, the company has established a Product Security Policy and promotes product security-conscious development. The company has also established a system for sharing information on incidents and conducts in-house education to increase security knowledge and awareness. In addition, a dedicated department within the group continuously monitors and shares the latest trends in product security in Japan and overseas. If vulnerabilities are discovered after product shipment, the department ensures product security through updates and other measures, and has established a system to prevent recurrence by re-examining the checking system and other measures.
●Further strengthening comprehensive supplier management under coronavirus conditions
Since local audits of overseas suppliers could no longer be conducted under coronavirus restrictions, management of product safety documentation was re-examined to identify problems, such as inconsistencies with product safety requirements due to variations in the content of descriptions by each supplier. The rules are now being redefined to standardize these descriptions and other items. In addition, as a measure to strengthen checks against silent changes, a new system has been established to enable precise analysis of materials at the organic and elemental level, thereby strengthening the company's self-defense capabilities for product safety.
●Prompt response to prevent accident recurrence and industry-wide efforts
In response to an incident involving the misuse of a product by an elderly person, the company quickly provided additional protective measures and strengthened alerts to prevent similar accidents, including among consumers other than the elderly. Based on its own market research, the company has learned that a certain number of customers are misusing products that can lead to similar accidents, and that similar accidents can occur with products other than those manufactured by the company, and are promoting measures to prevent recurrence throughout the entire industry.
LargeDirector-General for Technology Policy Coordination and Industrial and Product Safety's Award Hitachi Global Life Solutions, Inc.
| Established | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Hidetaka Ohsumi, President |
| Number of employees | 5,500 (March 2022) |
| Location | Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Business description | Sale of (and provision of engineering and maintenance services for) home appliances, air conditioning equipment and other equipment and devices; and provision of products and solutions utilizing digital technologies |
| URL | https://www.hitachi-gls.co.jp/ [external link] |
Award points
●Strengthening governance to realize product safety
This company is re-examining the processes involved in safety design, setting PS design review and PS risk assessment implementation as phase gate passage requirements, clarifying the quality department's authority for gate approval and operation monitoring, and strengthening the quality department's advisory and support functions in the development process. The aim is to strengthen the role and authority of the quality department, which is responsible for product safety, while also providing checks and balances among business sites and design and development departments, and achieving stronger collaboration.
●Preventing product accidents through more thorough implementation of “death-like tests”
Advancing the efforts already in place to prevent accidents, the company is extending the design elements targeted for "death-like testing" to confirm that external damage will not occur even if internal parts are damaged by fire. The company also intends to tightening test implementation methods and judgment criteria, which it will evaluate using PS-PTA, a risk assessment method developed in-house, and will conduct periodic re-testing after the product is put on the market.
●Continuous effort and practice to foster a corporate culture that prioritizes product safety
Based on the policy that "product safety takes precedence over everything else," the company is making unrelenting efforts to improve the structure and systems in place for fostering a culture of product safety and human resource development. In addition, the company collects a large volume of operating data from the web-connected home appliances that have been introduced into the market, and utilizes this data to analyze actual usage and the causes of failures, and to diagnose and predict signs the and symptoms of product failures.
LargeDirector-General for Technology Policy Coordination and Industrial and Product Safety's Award FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
| Established | 1962 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Naoki Hama, President and CEO |
| Number of employees | 4,351 (April 2022) |
| Location | Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Business description | Office solutions, graphic communication and business solutions |
| URL | https://www.fujifilm.com/fbglobal/eng [external link] |
Award points
●Continuous and progressive operation of the product safety management system based on lessons learned from past accidents
The company operates a continuous product safety management system, which was reviewed in the wake of past product accidents, and promotes process improvement by setting annual targets and conducting reviews. As part of these efforts, the company is reviewing safety and design standards based on information on accidents and defects collected in Japan and overseas. The company has recently defined new safety structure requirements to eliminate ignition and fire spread inside products, and is in the process of introducing these requirements for new products.
●Efforts to prevent accidents using a remote management system
In addition to the risk reduction measures taken at the design stage for safety protection relating to the fusing unit, a potential source of smoke and fire in printers, a system is in place to monitor product operations via the cloud for any signs of potential accidents. If any abnormality is found in a characteristic value related to a defect in the relevant part, a service person is dispatched along with replacement parts to prevent product accidents from occurring.
●Internal promotion of product safety through a safety manager system
The company has assigned safety managers to major divisions including design and production, as well as at domestic and overseas affiliates. These individuals are in charge of promoting safety and safety education within the organization, as well as responding to issues and sharing deliberations at safety conferences. The company has also made it a rule to have safety managers participate in "joint system inspections" during the product development process to verify the product from a product safety perspective, and to promote the sharing and passing on of knowledge possessed by safety managers.
LargeExcellence Award (Committee Award)
Noritz Corporation
| Established | 1951 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Satoshi Haramaki, President and CEO |
| Number of employees | 2,190 (December 2021) |
| Location | Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Business description | Manufacture, sales and service of housing equipment, mainly in the field of water heaters |
| URL | https://www.noritz.co.jp [external link] |
Award points
●100% inspection by machines and the five senses of qualified inspectors on the production line
Although the entire production line, including the inspection process, is being mechanized and automated, the company recognizes that there are elements that are difficult to assess with machines alone, and that this can affect safety during long-term use. All products are, therefore, also checked by qualified in-house inspectors, using all five of their senses. The company assures the skills of these inspectors through a program of education, training, and competence confirmation, all of which leads to improved inspection accuracy in the final process of the production line.
●Efforts to prevent accidents while bathing using remote controls with bath monitoring system
The company is aware that the number of bathing-related deaths each year is approximately seven times the number of deaths in traffic accidents and recommends that consumers install remote controls equipped with functions designed to prevent accidents while bathing. In addition, the company is working to prevent accidents by moderating increases in water temperature and using a Bathtub timer and a Bathroom monitor to alert the user, based on the fact that heat shock from bathing, hot flashes from prolonged bathing, and delayed awareness by household members are all factors in bath accidents.
●Prevention of accidents due to age-related deterioration by promoting "peace of mind inspections"
To prevent accidents resulting from product aging and deterioration, the company has installed a notification function that prompts customers to perform a "peace of mind Inspection" for a wide range of products, including those installed outdoors, when approximately 10 years have passed since installation. In addition, given the gap between consumer expectations and the actual life expectancy of water heaters, the company actively promotes awareness of the importance of inspections through its website, flyers, and explanations by service personnel when they visit customers.
LargeExcellence Award (Committee Award) Omron Social Solutions Co., Ltd.
| Established | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Toshio Hosoi, President and Representative Director |
| Number of employees | 895 (April 2022) |
| Location | Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Business description | Providing solutions for social and customer management issues through components, systems and services |
| URL | https://socialsolution.omron.com/jp/ja/ [external link] |
Award points
●Preventing accidents through management-led implementation of product safety assessments
The company's group policy clearly states that "safety and security take precedence over everything else," and one of its management objectives is to thoroughly implement product safety assessments to identify and reduce product risks. Information on product accidents and defects is reported to the entire group, and management encourages all employees to share information and reaffirm the importance of product safety, which is then reflected in specific measures, such as product safety assessments.
●Field tests and verification of component deterioration to ensure safety during long-term use
Given the characteristics of the products, which are connected to a wide variety of solar panels and used over long periods of time, the company conducts extensive and continuous field tests in environments that simulate actual use. The company also compares the degradation trends of components in products returned from the market due to service life or failure with those of accelerated tests, to verify the effects of factors such as the installation environment on component degradation, and uses this information to revise test conditions and better predict the occurrence of defects.
●Efforts to prevent mistakes by contractors by providing information through various means
To ensure correct and safe installation by installers, the company not only provides installation manuals, but videos explaining correct installation procedures. It also provides as much information as possible regarding wiring errors, which are particularly common, on the body of the product itself. In addition, the company actively provides education and training for installers using its own facilities.
Retailer Category
Small & MediumMETI Minister's Award
Ibaraki Nikka Service Co., Ltd.
| Established | 1972 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Hirotaka Satomi, Chairman and Representative Director |
| Number of employees | 112 (April 2022) |
| Location | Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Business description | Repair, inspection, sales and construction of housing equipment, and maintenance inspection, repair, sales and construction of septic tanks |
| URL | https://ibarakink.co.jp/ [external link] |
Award points
●Various activities to realize product safety by effectively utilizing customer contact points
The company periodically conducts free safety inspections of housing equipment, not only for customers to whom it has sold or repaired products but also for customers who have requested maintenance inspections. These inspections are conducted based on a customer management system to ensure early identification of product usage, defects, and product accidents. To increase the effectiveness of these activities, the company is focusing on human resource development by promoting the acquisition of relevant qualifications and holding in-house study sessions. In addition, the company shares with manufacturers the information obtained from these activities on how consumers actually use their products, and based on this information, makes proposals to manufacturers for product improvements, some of which have been realized.
●Achieving product safety by enhancing the customer management system
In the customer management system, the company digitizes product information such as the manufacturer, model and year of manufacture, along with the history of sales and any repairs performed by the company. This database makes it possible for the company to respond quickly when problems occur, and because data has been accumulated since 1972, even in the event of problems with products whose sales have been discontinued.
●Fostering a united corporate product safety culture
The company's top management has set forth three pillars to realizing product safety in housing equipment, using customer contacts through septic tank maintenance and inspections as an opportunity, and employees understand and put these pillars into practice. Employees are active in disseminating information on product safety, repairs, inspections, construction and customer service through internal newsletters and participation in information exchange meetings in which all employees take part. The entire company is working together to foster a culture focused on product safety.
Large
Director-General for Technology Policy Coordination and Industrial and Product Safety's Award Akachan Honpo Co., Ltd.
| Established | 1941 (founded in 1932) |
|---|---|
| Representative | Kenji Ajishi, President and Representative Director |
| Number of employees | 3,697 (February 2022) |
| Location | Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Business description | Sales of maternity, baby and children's products and provision of services and information |
| URL | https://www.akachan.jp/ [external link] |
Award points
●Implementation of in-house product safety standards and online information management
To confirm the safety of the products it handles, the company, ahead of others in the industry, has formulated Quality Control and Quality Assurance standards, and requires its suppliers to be aware of them and to implement countermeasures. The company updates these standards in light of changes in the social environment. For apparel in particular, the company manages the results of inspections in accordance with management standards via a web-based system, which is shared among the company, suppliers, and inspection agencies, and is designed to prevent nonconforming products from being delivered to stores.
●Collection of product accident information, confirmation with business partners and alerting consumers
The company continuously collects and analyzes information on product accidents through media reports, announcements by government agencies, information on social networking services, and reports from business partners. If the company sells similar products, not only directly related products, it shares the information with its business partners, confirms that they have taken sufficient measures to prevent similar accidents, and alerts consumers as necessary.
●Narrowing down the target audience based on member information at the time of recall and disseminating information through the app
In addition to notifications on its website and in stores when a recall occurs on a product it handles, the company narrows down the target audience, based on its own membership information, and sends postcards and push notifications via an application. For certain products, the company also offers compensation to members for damages that are not covered by the manufacturer's warranty, such as damage caused by misuse or careless handling.
Organizations and corporate divisions other than those listed above
Businesses CategorySpecial Award (Committee Award)
YUWA HOLDINGS INC.
| Established | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Keiichi Kobayashi,President and CEO |
| Number of employees | 503 (August 2022) [Consolidated] |
| Location | Nakano Ward, Tokyo |
| Business description | Wholesaling of household goods |
| URL | https://yuwa.group/ [external link] |
Award points
●Using R-Map to identify product groups with high accident risk and to confirm priority safety
The company uses the R-Map method to sort the magnitude of accident risks by product category, identifies products to be inspected intensively, and confirms that each product is sufficiently risk-reduced in accordance with the company's standards. In addition, the company continuously explains the details and significance of these efforts to its business partners to gain their understanding and enhance their effectiveness.
●Preventing accidents by investigating causes and considering improvements, focusing on even minor quality defects
Based on the belief that "even minor quality defects can lead to product accidents if no action is taken," the company requests that suppliers investigate the causes and present remedial measures for all defects reported to its cloud system (YuwaCloud). For items that are considered to be particularly hardazous, the company goes beyond making announcements on the cloud and actually requests direct actions. Through these efforts, the company aims to improve product safety at supplier companies and prevent accidents from occurring in the first place.
●Continuing and expanding educational activities on product safety for business partners
YUWA GROUP business meetings and QC Conference, During the Yuwa Group Business meetings, an introduction of the initiatives taken in relation to product safety as well as the benefits of preventing defective products from leaking into the market is explained. During the Online Yuwa Group QC conference, in addition to lectures on product safety initiatives by leading companies from outside the industry, presentation of awards to suppliers with particularly outstanding product safety activities was conducted.
