Harmony with Communities—Contributing to Promotion of Sports

Basic Policy

To promote sports, Daikin sponsors local sports teams and sporting competitions.

Examples of Initiatives

Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament

For over 30 years, Daikin Industries, Ltd. has been sponsoring the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament, the opening event of the Japan Ladies' Pro Golf Tour (hereinafter, "Daikin Orchid").

The Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament was inaugurated in 1988 as the opening round of the Japan Ladies' Pro Golf Tour. The slogan "Ever Onward with Okinawa," indicates our desire to join with Okinawa in continuously addressing the challenges of the future and work closely with local communities through interactions between business leaders in Okinawa and the rest of Japan.

The 35th tournament was held in March 2022 with strict observation of infection control protocols and a limit of 3,000 spectators at the official tournament, while the festival on the eve before the event and Pro-Am were cancelled with due consideration for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local Amateur Golfers Invited to Participate in Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament

The "Daikin Orchid Ladies Amateur Golf Championship (hereinafter, "the amateur tournament")" is held as part of Daikin Orchid based on a desire to contribute even just a little to the development and revitalization of the Okinawa golf world.

The amateur tournament qualifies amateur lady golfers from Okinawa or reside in Okinawa, with a total of 5,000 players participating so far. From this competition, 18 players such as Ai Miyazato, and Mamiko Higa, as well as Shinobu Moromizato and Hina Arakaki (both pro golfers affiliated with Daikin Industries, Ltd.) have become professional golfers.

Bridging Okinawa and the Mainland

The pro and amateur tournaments and the pre-tournament festival enable representatives of Okinawan and mainland businesses to interact in an informal setting and gain a better understanding of each other's perspectives. This has led to the emergence of the Okinawa Konwakai, an organization created to consider future development in Okinawa in 1990. The association, whose members include business owners from Okinawa and the mainland, organizes a variety of vibrant activities that include forums and presentations on how to further promote and develop Okinawa.

In addition to attracting the Okinawa Summit to be held locally in 2000, discussions at the Okinawa Konwakai gave rise to a commerce conference held in Okinawa in 2014. By making Naha Airport a hub of international distribution, it is anticipated to contribute to new foreign sales channels for specialty products from all over Japan. In 2019, the 30th Anniversary Roundtable was held. Since fiscal 2020, we have continued to host meetings between junior business owners in Okinawa and business operators on the mainland online even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The meetings allow for discussions on Okinawa's future vision.

Local Volunteers Contribute to a Successful Tournament

Local volunteers from the city of Nanjo can be counted on to provide their invaluable time and labor to help run the tournament since the program launched in 1997. We also had many volunteers helping at the 35th tournament held in March 2022.

The Orchid Bounty Foundation Supports the Culture and Sports of Okinawa

All competitors provide their assistance by raising money. These funds, augmented by donations from the sponsors, are used to aid the development of Okinawa Prefecture, the tournament venue. Specifically, funding is provided to public organizations and individuals promoting artistic, cultural, sporting, and educational activities.

In March 2022, Orchid Bounty donated ¥6.3 million to a total of nine organizations and individuals, bringing the contributions since 1995 to ¥172.5 million and total recipients of 255.

Local Junior High School Students Invited to Watch Tournament

Every year, many of the students from the local Tamagusuku Junior High School are invited to watch the tournament. This gives the students a valuable opportunity to learn about and experience the joy of golf.

Not only do the students get to see the women's pro golfers battle it out on the course, they also get a comprehensive look behind the scenes of the tournament as they observe the work of groups like the greens-keepers, mass media, and tournament organizers.

Efforts Overseas

Daikin also supports sports overseas.

For example, we have provided sponsorship and support to events such as soccer, volleyball and road bicycle racing in Europe. In recent years, we have expanded the horizon of our activities to include sponsorship of rugby games in Oceania, as well as supporting international speed skating tournaments.

Daikin Applied Americas Inc.

We provided sports programs and scholarships to Youth 1st, an organization that supports youth sports. We also provided support to the Owatonna Soccer Association to finance the construction of a soccer complex.

Soccer complex constructed with funding from Daikin