Since its founding, Sekisui House has been striving to simultaneously reduce construction time and provide housing with stable quality and performance, and to this end has long produced structural components for housing in factories.
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 caused severe damage, leaving 104,906 houses completely destroyed and 144,274 partially destroyed, according to Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency's report in 2006. Although there were 29,592 Sekisui House buildings in the affected area, none suffered either partial or complete destruction. Natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons are common in Japan, so we must continue to provide housing that provides safety and peace of mind to ensure that people's lives and property are protected. This event cemented once again that this is our mission as a housing manufacturer.
However, many of the Company's houses were damaged, which led to many challenges. To confront these challenges, we created SHEQAS, our original seismic energy absorption system, in 2007. The spread of this technology has helped enhance the seismic resistance of our housing.
Sekisui House Group Human Rights Policy
In April 2020, we formulated and announced the Sekisui House Group Human Rights Policy (hereafter referred to as the "Human Rights Policy"). It was formulated with the advice of outside experts and approved by the Board of Directors of the Company.
The Human Rights Policy respects international norms, such as the International Bill of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and supports the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact.
In order to fulfill its social responsibilities, the Company has stated that it will respect the human rights of all stakeholders who may be affected by its business activities, including those in the supply chain.
Based on the Sekisui House Group's Corporate Philosophy and Code of Conduct, the Human Rights Policy complements and clarifies the principle of "Respect of human rights" outlined in our Corporate Code of Conduct.
Corporate Ethics
The Sekisui House Group Corporate Ethics Guidelines[1] have provisions relevant to human rights. There are provisions on "Respect of Human Rights and Prohibition of Discrimination," "Sexual Harassment," "Harassment Related to Pregnancy, Birth, and Childcare Leave, etc.," "Power Harassment," "Diverse Values," "Protection of Privacy," "Workplace Safety and Health," "Maintenance and Improvement of Employee Health," and "Compliance with Labor Related Act."
But there are also provisions related to "Contributions to Society" such as the following:
As a corporate citizen, based on the pillars of "environmental awareness," "training of the next generation," and "housing culture improvement," and "support of areas and people affected by disasters," strive to contribute and develop society through activities, such as support of culture and art, cooperation with local communities, participation in volunteer activities, contributions to international society, cooperation with and support for NPO/NGOs, educational support activities, and cooperation with regional communities and sociAeties.
Meter Module for Easier Living
Sekisui House's core product, the Sekisui House Model B steel frame, uses our Universal Frame System to allow the flexible placement of shear walls, enhancing design freedom while maintaining the building's strength, but there has also been one more breakthrough. This was the adoption of metric specifications using 1,000 mm modules.
The Japanese construction industry traditionally built housing using the conventional measurement known as "shaku" in shaku-based modules (approximately 910 mm). By using a meter-based rather than a shaku based module, we were able to create more generously proportioned spaces.
One example of these improved proportions was hallway width, which we were able to expand nearly 10 cm, creating more room for movement with luggage or wheelchairs. In 1981, Sekisui House was involved in the construction of Japan's first model house for people with disabilities, and started researching ways to make housing more accommodating for both people with disabilities and the elderly. The Sekisui House Universal Design (SH-UD) standards were established in 2002 based on the results of ergonomic experiments conducted at the Nattoku Kobo Studio (Home Amenities Experience Studio), part of the Comprehensive Housing R&D Institute, in the 1990s.
Nattoku Kobo Studio is being renovated and will be "reborn" as "JUNOPARK," a large-scale experiential facility specializing in cultivating children's sensibilities, in August 2025. It will be a "living education edutainment facility" that combines "learning" and "entertainment" in daily life. [2]
Living a Fulfilling Life in the Era of the 100-year Lifespan with "Health," "Connectedness" and "Learning"
Now, in the 21st century, progress has been made in the development of environmental technologies that improve both comfort and environmental considerations. Improvements in insulation performance due to the adoption of next-generation energy-saving specifications are helping prevent indoor heat shock for elderly people. The introductions of the next-generation room environmental control system SMART-ECS and the Airkis high-quality indoor air system, which helps reduce the intake and spread of pollutants and suppresses chemical substances, show more examples of new technology focused on the health of residents.
Furthermore, we have begun promoting the Platform House Concept, which provides services centered on the three themes of "health," "connectedness" and "learning." These efforts include the commercialization of HED-Net, an in-home early detection network for acute illnesses.
Going forward, Sekisui House will continue striving to make residents happy by offering value through housing, such as by promoting health as well as connections with friends and family and by cultivating a variety of experiences and skills.
Developing products that enable healthy living for children
Kodomo idokoro is a lifestyle proposal product developed in line with the principles of smart universal design to provide a variety of living spaces that help children grow and flourish. With a focus on safety, peace of mind and independence, Kodomo idokoro aims to create homes that nurture children's vitality. Kodomo idokoro is focused not just on the child rearing-oriented perspectives of parents, but also on the perspectives of children themselves with the aim of promoting their emotional, intellectual, physical and social development at each stage of growth.
Conclusion
In order to achieve our vision of "Making Home the Happiest Place in the World", we strongly hope to create happiness for all stakeholders through our various businesses. We express our commitment to fulfill our responsibility to respect human rights by practicing "love of humanity", which is a fundamental principle of our Corporate Philosophy.
For further information, please contact: Human Rights & Compliance Promotion Department, Sekisui House, Ltd., 1-1-88, Oyodonaka, Kita-ku, Osaka, 531-0076, Japan; www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/english/.
[*] This is an edited excerpt of the Human Rights Report, July 2024, of the Sekisui House Group (www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/library/english/company/sustainable/2024/human_rights_report2024_en.pdf).
[1] See full text of Sekisui House Group Corporate Ethics Guidelines in this link: /www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/library/english/company/info/philophy/Sekisui_House_Group_Corporate_Ethics_Guidelines.pdf.
[2] The Comprehensive Housing R&D Institute (Nattoku Kobo Studio) was established at Keihanna Science City (Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture). This city has numerous experimental facilities, including a structural testing site where seismic resistance tests on full-sized model houses can be conducted. Here, we verify and evaluate aspects of housing such as earthquake resistance, storm proofing, thermal insulation, soundproofing and air quality. At the same time, we are actively working on the research and development of new construction methods, universal and environmental technologies design. On Juno Park, See www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/company/topics/topics_2025/20250227_1/, and its website: www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/junopark/.