THE INNOVATION

Ohashi Transport Co. is a medium-sized company with headquarters in Seto. They take pride in creating shared value by solving problems facing their customers and their local community. The company had been carrying out in-house health management programs to maintain the mental and physical wellbeing of its employees as a means to improve each person’s vitality and productivity. As time went on, they recognized that their experience could contribute to the promotion of health for their community. But in order to build an approach specifically for older people, they also realized they needed to understand the needs of the community and so they began to cooperate with the government. The result was the 0084 Community Health Project (the number 0084 in Japanese sounds like the company’s name, Ohashi),carried out in cooperation with the Seto Municipal Government and the Seto City Social Welfare, and with help from the Seto Police, Seto Asahi Medical Association, and Nagoya University.

There are three primary components of the program. The first is Community Health Seminars, which are held throughout the city and invite experts to raise health awareness among local residents on a wide range of topics such as nutrition, mental health, and end-of-life activities. As of 2023, the seminars were being held monthly.

The second component, which began in 2020, is the Chatting Square (Ohanashi Hiroba). This is a weekly meeting where local residents can casually gather, exchange information, and interact with each other. They also conduct health consultations with registered dietitians. In 2023, the Square was certified as a “yoridokoro” by the Seto Social WelfareCouncil—the term for a gathering place organized by local residents and organizations and subsidized by the city where residents can come together—and started providing expert consultations and mini-courses. The Square drew around 260 older participants in 2023.

And the final component was added in 2021 with Exercise Classes offered free of charge twice a month, including abalance ball class, a healthy tai chi class, and a yoga class. At first, the event was held in-house at the company, but later it was held in collaboration with the Seto City Council of Social Welfare, and the number of participants increased significantly. They engaged a total of 3,700 people in the first three years.

The project seeks ongoing participant feedback and input from its local government and other community partners to continually improve the project to respond to the area’s needs more effectively. The activities are all provided free of charge and Ohashi Transport uses a portion of its business profits for its community efforts. They have found that the activities have increased awareness of their brand and increased the level of trust with the government. That in turn has led to an increase in job applicants, opportunities for public-private partnerships, and increased business, thereby ensuring the sustainability of the project.