The ITOCHU group declares the spirit of “Sampo-yoshi” as our new corporate mission, which spirit originates from the message of our founder Chubei Itoh I (the merchant based in the former Ohmi Province of Japan (present-day Shiga Prefecture)).
This original business spirit has been passed down through the years from ITOCHU’s establishment in 1858 to the present day, and it will continue to be passed down to many future generations to come.
＊In Japanese, “yoshi” means “good”, and “sampo” means three sides, and these three sides consist of
(1) the seller (“urite”), (2) the buyer (“kaite”) and (3) society (“seken”). “Sampo-yoshi” is therefore:
“urite-yoshi” (meaning “good for the seller”)
“kaite-yoshi” (meaning “good for the buyer”)
“seken-yoshi” (meaning “good for society”)
We sincerely wish to contribute to solving social issues by not purely seeking to maximize our profits but also considering and responding to the expectations and trust of all of our surrounding stakeholders, including our customers, our shareholders and our employees. “Sampo-yoshi” is the business spirit by which ITOCHU aims to bring a positive effect into the world and to contribute to sustainable society for all.
(Note) The origin of “Sampo-yoshi” is that the merchants of Ohmi were permitted to promote business activities in the regions they visited due to their contribution to the economy of these regions with the spirit of “seken-yoshi” (meaning “good for society”) in addition to “urite-yoshi” (meaning “good for the seller”) and “kaite-yoshi” (meaning “good for the buyer”). Therefore, “Sampo-yoshi” can be said to be the roots of today’s idea of sustainability. This spirit is evident in the personal motto of Chubei Itoh I, “Trade is a compassionate business. It is noble when it accords with the spirit of Buddha by profiting those who sell and those who buy and supplying the needs of the society.”