• About the project
  • What is WLB support?
  • Activities
  • Survey Results
  • Links

About the project

HOME > About the project

In October 2008, the University of Tokyo Institute of Social Science launched a Research and Workplace-based Intervention Project for the Realization of a Work-Life Balanced Society in cooperation with private companies.
This project was transferred to Chuo-University and started as the research project of the promotion of work-life balance and Diversity.

Objectives

  • Formation of a base for promoting and researching work-life balance (WLB) in Japan.
  • Providing industry and individual corporations with information about the need to support WLB, measures to take, benefits and effects for corporate management and human resource utilization, etc.
  • Executing of WLB promotion "model projects" in corporations (raising awareness in management, work style innovation, making the workplace receptive to programs such as parental leave and family care leave, linking such programs to the employee benefits system).
  • Cooperating with overseas organizations researching or promoting WLB support.
  • Based on the research results, advice on policy measures for advancing and promoting WLB support and achieving broad acceptance of this concept.

Project overview

Activities
  • Joint research is being carried out with private corporations (currently eleven corporations).
  • Based on personal interaction and information exchange between participating companies and researchers, the project is conducts surveys, shows model projects, publishes information, and offers policy proposals.
  • In addition to members with survey and research experience, researchers are involved in practical trials and those advising governmental and other agencies on various policies also take part.
Participating corporations The Asahi Shimbun, AEON CO., LTD., NTT DOCOMO,Inc., Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Konica Minolta Business Solutions Japan Co., Ltd., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Taisei Corporation, TEIJIN LIMITED, TOKYU HANDS INC, Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. , TOKYO ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, TOSHIBA CORPORATION, NHK(Japan Broadcasting Corporation), JAPAN POST Co., Ltd., Pacific Consultants Co. LTD., Hankyu Hanshin Express Co.Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Transport System, Ltd., Hyogo WLB center, Poppins Co. Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Marubeni Corporation (currently 22 corporations)
Project term The first term was from October 2008 to March 2011.
The second term is from April 2011.
The third term: from April 2011 to March 2017.

Members

  • Hiroki Sato (Professor, Graduate School of Strategic Management, Chuo University) : Project Representative
  • Emiko Takeishi (Professor, Faculty of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies, Hosei University) : WLB Research leader
  • Yoshie Komuro (President and CEO, Work Life Balance Co., Ltd.) : WLB Practice leader
  • Yukiko Asai (Research Associate, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo)
  • Shingo Ikeda (Vice Senior Researcher, The Japan Insitute for Labour Policy and Training)
  • Naoko Ishihara (Editor in chief of "Works" magazine, Recruit Works Institute)
  • Misa Takasaki (Project Researcher, Graduate School of Strategic Management, Chuo University)
  • Shizuka Takamura (Project Researcher, Graduate School of Strategic Management, Chuo University)
  • Tamie Matsuura (Senior Analyst, Social Improvement and Life Design Research Department, NLI Research Institute)
  • Mitsuyo Matsubara (Visiting Professor, Faculty of Economics, Gakushuin Univeristy)
  • Yoko Yajima (Principal Research Analyst, Diversity Management Strategy Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd.)

Chuo University

▲back to top

Copyright(C)2012 Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo. All rights reserved