Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ("Mitsui", Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Kenichi Hori) has agreed to sign a partnership agreement ("the Agreement") with Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture ("Toyota City", Mayor: Toshihiko Ota) concerning harmonious coexistence with and active participation by foreign residents. Under the Agreement, Mitsui will extend its career support program, which is part of its support programs for Brazilians living in Japan, to Toyota City, and pursue joint initiatives to help young people with overseas roots to more actively participate in Japanese society, which will also lead to fostering job creation and securing a diverse workforce.

Mitsui has identified community contribution, environmental conservation, and human resources development as priority areas for its social contribution activities. As part of its community contribution initiatives, Mitsui has supported Japanese language and career education programs for Brazilian students in Japan since 2005. Through these activities, Mitsui is helping to expand future options for young people while developing next-generation human resources capable of succeeding in Japan, Brazil, and the global community.

Faced with the shrinkage of its working population due to a falling birthrate and demographic aging, Toyota City is working to facilitate the participation of young people with overseas roots as human resources with the capacity to support the growth and development of local businesses in the future. Through this collaboration, Mitsui and Toyota City will together enhance career support in the educational environment and further enable local businesses to create jobs and secure human resources.

Upon the signing of the Agreement, as part of this collaborative initiative, Mitsui will support Japanese language programs and career education for students with foreign backgrounds attending public schools in Toyota City, by using educational programs, materials, and expertise accumulated through its support for Brazilians in Japan. Specific initiatives under consideration include the matching of employers and students through introductions to local companies and work experience programs, the expansion of career information resources, the presentation of career models, and other types of career support. Mitsui will also explore enhanced support approaches to Japanese language studies, such as the provision of intermediate and advanced learning content to prepare students for advancement to higher educational institutions.

Mitsui's corporate mission is to "build brighter futures, everywhere." We will continue to contribute to sustainable regional development and the creation of a society built on multicultural coexistence through initiatives that realize the potential of young people with foreign roots and provide opportunities to harness that potential to thrive in society.

Mitsui's Support for the Brazilian Community in Japan

As a company with extensive business operations in Brazil, Mitsui has been providing various types of support since 2005 to foster reciprocal understanding between Brazil and Japan and find solutions to issues affecting the Brazilian community in Japan. Its major initiatives include the provision of scholarships for students at Brazilian schools in Japan and Brazilian students at Japanese universities, the hosting of career seminars, and the development of Japanese language study apps. Through support in the areas of Japanese language and career education, Mitsui is working to expand higher educational opportunities and future career options for Brazilians in Japan.