I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our users, business partners, shareholders, and all other stakeholders who have supported our Group since its foundation.
Back in 2000, when the Internet was beginning to spread fully throughout Japan, I realized that the world was on the brink of change. That is when I started an Internet-based business with my brother while attending university.
Through this endeavor, I was able to use my programming skills to make customers happy and receive payment for the value I provided.
Additionally, I found purpose in life by making trustworthy friends and connecting with society. Prior to this, I had struggled with finding my place both in my university and in society. However, this first work experience was so fulfilling that I became completely immersed in it. It essentially saved my life.
Through this experience, I developed a strong desire to create a society that enables as many people as possible to enjoy their work more and express their creativity fully and freely to achieve their dreams and aspirations. People spend over half their lives working, and that time should not be solely dedicated to earning a living.
Meanwhile, various social problems related to working environments continue to exist throughout the world.
There are many social problems in advanced nations, such as widening economic disparities, unemployment and irregular employment, gender inequality, exploitation of immigrant workers, and mental health problems. Looking at Japan in particular, there are problems such as the participation of men in childcare, delayed digital utilization, stagnant labor productivity, and average salaries that do not increase. There also continue to be problems in emerging nations such as working environments where occupational health and safety are not sufficiently taken into consideration and workers' human rights are not adequately guaranteed.
I believe that in order to achieve a sustainable society, we must strive for "decent work" that protects human rights, provides fair compensation, and enables workers to feel comfortable and fulfilled in their jobs.
Our Group will achieve work styles that are not restricted by time and place, as well as propel a frank and open culture by revitalizing communication, with business chat as our foundation. We will help create workplaces where everyone can enjoy working by spending more time doing what they really want to do by providing a wide range of DX solutions that support business.
I believe that this type of value creation will enrich the lives of workers, enhance corporate competitiveness, and help achieve an even better society. We will continue to create our own unique social impact toward a sustainable society, including achieving Goal 8 of the SDGs, by pursuing our sustainability vision: "A prosperous society full of creativity where everyone enjoys their work."