Taisaku Tokudo
Chairman of Shinju Quality /
Director of Tokyo Mutsumikai, a Social Welfare Corporation

Beginning

In the Shinjuku Ward, the "Shinjuku Ward Welfare Office for individuals with Disabilities Network Business" was launched in 2017. With the purpose of creating employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities working at 30 welfare establishments in the ward, activities were held to improve motivation to work, improve wages, create social participation, etc. These activities were not led by an administration, but rather mainly by us. We have received joint orders for work from the government and companies through the Shinjuku Ward Workers and Work Support Center, but by establishing a network, we are aiming to develop our business even more aggressively.

The nickname "Shinju Quality"(Note: "Shinju" means pearl in Japanese) was decided upon by publicly soliciting from users of registered business establishments. A professional designer was asked to create both the symbol mark and logo mark. Aiming for the high-quality work that was put into this nickname, we learned of examples of success and made it possible to realize things that could not be done alone until now, such as improving the product level and developing joint products.

The thing we were most conscious of in creating a network was "independence," and there were various gatherings until then. There was, however, some "feeling of being forced to do," and I also sometimes felt an atmosphere that if something happened, someone else would take responsibility. I also thought that because it was always looked at and dismissed as being “just welfare,” we weren’t really doing good work. In order to have people think " I'm glad I left it to them" and "I'm really glad I bought it," it is of utmost importance to change our own attitude and the workers of each business office should share the same feelings. If all businesses become better in understanding, the result will be that our business will also become better. Without this kind of thinking proper networking will not be successful.

In March 2018, the first sales event called "Shinju Quality Handmade Market" was held in Shinjuku Marui Main Building. This was a place where we could confirm that what we were doing was not moving in the wrong direction. This was done by gauging how we were accepted by society and evaluating what we had done until this point.

Meanwhile, as a new experiment, we proposed the Shinju Quality Honeybee Project and started a beekeeping business in 2019. Multiple business establishments with different disabilities were assigned various tasks such as "breeding," "bottle cleaning," "bottle filling," and "labeling," which were born from the beekeeping business. Then, by receiving these jobs, from the Shinjuku Ward Workers and Work Support Center, we were able to create a system that can distribute stable profits to more business establishments.

The reason for the proposal of ​​the beekeeping business was that the first western honeybee breeding farm in Japan was at the Naito Shinjuku Proving Ground (now Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden), which I heard of from the local population. Also, since honey from Ginza with urban beekeeping has just become a hot topic, so I began to think of the possibility for us to do this since we have a base near Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Besides, honey is not only a highly nutritious food, but also has the advantages of long shelf life. Honey also has a wide range of uses other than simply eating. It can be utilized in products such as cosmetics, etc. I thought that this business would be suitable for us simply because it would be hard for a welfare business to mass-produce anything.

However, this project, which could not easily be realized by only one business establishment alone, could be realized by making it a joint development project of “Shinju Quality.” The first breeding place (Yotsuya Civic Center 9th floor/planting area on the north side of the aisle) and volunteer instructors were also found with the help of the work support center and the cooperation of Shinjuku Ward. We could clear the cost of the initial investment such as purchasing the honeybees and their cages because the project itself covered these purchases.

During the first year, approximately 60 kg of honey was harvested. Fifty-gram containers of honey costing 800 yen apiece becomes very popular at event sales at department stores and welfare shops in the ward. In order to increase the harvest of honey, a place to keep more bees was installed on the roof of the welfare center in the Shinjuku ward. We were also able to prepare large containers of 200g for 2,800 yen and items such as comb honey (price is set by weight, about 5,000 yen).

Since this became such a hot topic in the event sales of the Shinjuku Marui Main Building, many contacts were made with various long-established traditional Japanese-style confectionery stores in the ward. Dora-yaki and pound cake using "Shinjuku Shi-Q Honey (Note: 'Shi-Q' is an abbreviation for Shinju Quality, which is the project's name)" were sold for a limited time at the Isetan Shinjuku store. Original products made from local honey produced by individuals with disabilities received a lot of attention and were very pleased that all the products sold out in a blink of an eye.

New Development-Full-scale cooperation with local companies.

In 2021, when we were unable to carry on beekeeping duties due to renovation work of the Yotsuya Civic Center, the Isetan Shinjuku store, which was introduced when selling Japanese-style confectionery, suggested the use of its building’s rooftop and the purchase of extracted honey. Through this, the collaborative project of “Shinju Quality x Isetan Shinjuku” was established with the help of local companies. The first original brand "MIEL ISETAN SHINJUKU" was launched in the food department of Isetan Shinjuku and made a deep impression on society in cooperation with "Shinju Quality" (= welfare office for individuals with disabilities). As for us, individuals with disabilities, we think that this was a unique opportunity to have people find out our potential. Even for the companies, we think that it has become a collaboration that can improve the actual profit and image for those companies

The first thing I felt when I hooked up with companies was the tremendous power of transmission. Information was given to people who had never been interested in the welfare of individuals with disabilities by such means as interviews in Isetan's specialized magazines and video distribution up to product development on YouTube. I was impressed by the ability to convey information and evoke sympathy.

Also, from September 15th through the 28th of 2021, 18 famous Japanese and Western confectionery stores that opened in Isetan Shinjuku produced sweets using this honey. For our users who cannot usually shop in Isetan, we asked Isetan employees to enter the store before it opened, take a tour, and greet incoming customers to the store with the regular salespeople as the store opened. This was a very memorable experience. 

In addition, we had Shinjuku Prince Hotel sell a lodging plan called "SHINJUKU Honey Stay" and we also were contacted by several companies belonging to Shinjuku Convention and Visitors Association.

In the future

The Shinju Quality Honeybee Project that is occurring now is probably helping the SDGs, and I think is well underway. However, in order to cooperate with companies, it is necessary to continue to create mutual benefits. It is also the company’s decisiveness that once it judges the reaction from customers is negative and not profitable, the business endeavor will soon cease.

From now on, the structure of society will change drastically, and I think we will be in an era where it will be difficult for welfare establishments to easily increase profits. Our project is a case that has been accepted by society and companies alike. This project has the added value of honey made by individuals with disabilities, which is rare in the city of Shinjuku.  We would, without stopping like to progress forward by continuing the idea that all the business establishments involved can create something that has social value and flexible efforts. We hope this will be an opportunity to create a new standard of society.

Shinjuku Shi-Q Honey and comb honey

Beekeeping work at the Isetan Shinjuku store building

PR display at the Isetan Shinjuku store