Aiming to be a company that keeps expanding along with the realization of a sustainable society
JPS Pharmaceutical has kept producing Kampo medicine for over 60 years. We need to make the best use of the blessings of nature for the production of quality kampo medicine. This pursuit could lead to the notion of sustainability. Sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” This is an attempt to create a society that does not destroy the planet’s environment or use too much of its resources but can allow citizens to lead a peaceful and affluent life. JPS Pharmaceutical regards sustainability as a grand framework that contains Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has striven toward it without setting a time limit. To realize sustainability, we have set the following five actions as key themes: Contribution to the good health of people, Contribution to local communities, Preservation of the consistency of the Earth, Promotion of diversity and inclusion, and Enhancement of employees’ satisfaction and wellbeing. We will work on these themes strategically as key issues and fulfill our corporate responsibilities.
5 themes
Contribution to the good health of people
When JPS Pharmaceutical produces kampo medicine, centrifuges are employed in the process of solid-liquid separation to split crude drugs and extract liquid. By using centrifugal force, the liquid can be taken out without squeezing the crude drugs too hard. Additionally, we take a very short time and use low temperatures to make the liquid concentrated, so that we produce bright-colored extract without losing its fragrance as if it were brewed in an earthen teapot. Besides providing such quality kampo in a stable manner, we are spreading the idea of self-prevention and self-medication and proposing lifestyles that are in harmony with nature, thereby helping people improve their health.
Integrated manufacturing in Japan
Our strength is that we can manufacture high-quality Kampo and crude drug preparations through integrated domestic manufacturing at our own factories, from the management of crude drugs to the production and packaging of extracts.
Carefully selected crude drugs
The raw materials and crude drugs for extracts, which greatly affect quality, are rigorously checked for each crude drugs, and purchased in a form as close to their original form as possible.
Commitment to water
We purify water at our own factories and always use clean water of constant quality for extract extraction. Wastewater is also purified with the help of microorganisms.
JPS Extract Logo Mark
Extracts considerably influence the quality of kampo products. We produce extracts, which are the core of our quality, with great care from scratch, having kept the obsession with extracts since our founding. The JPS Extract Logo Mark proves “JPS Pharmaceutical uses kampo extracts that are manufactured in its plant in Tochigi Prefecture; it does so based on the strict quality policy of JPS, the slogan of which is “JPS Pharmaceutical contributes to people’s healthy and affluent lives and the future of medicine” by offering pharmaceutical products.
Formulating a BCP
A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is a plan designed to prevent a company from going bankrupt or downsizing after the occurrence of an unforeseen event, such as a natural disaster or a pandemic of infectious diseases, ensuring that business can continue.
As a pharmaceutical company, providing a stable supply of medicinal products is one of our primary missions. Shrinkage in business will also impact our ability to employ staff.
The company’s BCP was thus developed to protect both people and business from such emergencies.
A crude drugs warehouse in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake
Protecting the Lives of Employees
To prevent damage from falling objects or overturned equipment, we took measures such as fixing in place all the shelves at our head office, factories and local liaison offices. We also prepared a disaster prevention manual to ensure that appropriate action can be taken in the event of a disaster.
Plant disaster drill (May 2024)
Rebuild on your own
Rather than receiving support, what JPS Pharmaceutical aims for is to be a company that provides support. To this end, we are maintaining stockpiles at each of our places of business so that we can carry out rescues, minor medical treatment and securing of food solely with our own forces. In addition, at Tochigi Plant, we also implement blackout start drills. A blackout start is a system that secures the minimum necessary power in readiness for a widespread power outage due to a large-scale disaster. We have confirmed the procedures in these drills and have prepared so that we can generate electricity without an external power source whenever a power outage occurs.
Stockpiles at Headquarters (only a portion)
Providing regional support
Tochigi Plant’s energy supply system, a cogeneration system, operates a gas engine and can generate a maximum of 390 kW of electricity. The electricity generated is supplied preferentially to critical processes at the plant to support stable operations at the time of a disaster. In addition, it will also be used for community support because it can be used as an emergency recharging station for mobile phones.
The Tochigi Plant cogeneration system
Our BCP will continue to be reviewed and revised on a regular basis to ensure that we are fully prepared for business continuity.
Contribution to local communities
Agreement on the supply of OTC pharmaceutical products in the event of disasters
One of our partnerships is the Agreement on the supply of over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products in the event of disasters. The agreement is part of our partnerships with Hagamachi (a town) and Moka-shi (a city) in Tochigi Prefecture, where our plant is located, to ensure the smooth provision of pharmaceuticals in case of disasters. The plant has adopted a cogeneration system and has an agreement with Hagamachi to offer the use of the plant as a venue for charging mobile phones and other devices for free during disasters.
Participation in Children’s Adventure College
We participated in Children's Adventure College 2024, which was organized by the Yokohama City Board of Education. During this event, which aimed to provide elementary school students in Yokohama City with opportunities to interact with people through various social experiences and think about friendly exchanges with other municipalities, the children experienced a traditional Japanese Kampo medicine quiz and made aroma bags with herbal medicines.
Joint activities with Haga Town
Haga Town Office asked us to help plant about 100 planters of marigolds at the Haga Industrial Park Transit Center (a transportation node where various means of transportation such as the Utsunomiya LRT, buses, cars and bicycles are connected). Although the work was done in the heat of the day, we were able to proceed in cooperation with the community.
Preservation of the consistency of the Earth
Utilization of crude drug residues
A pulpy matter made from crude drugs is generated in the production process of kampo medicine, and we offer it to farmers near the plant to use as an ingredient of fertilizers or composts. Two to four 2-ton truckloads of crude drug residues are generated a day, depending on the daily output. At present, the recycling rate of crude drug residues is 100%, but we have to keep looking for users in order to maintain their stable reuse.
Introduction of users of crude drug residues
1. Big Dream Oshima Bokujo (ranch)
Big Dream Oshima Bokujo, situated in Hagamachi, Tochigi Prefecture, raises about 60 cows. Mixing our crude drug residues with cow manure, rice husks, etc. to produce compost, the ranch uses it as a fertilizer for their grass. Milk from the cows there is very rich. This process establishes an almost perfect recycling system from cow to manure to compost to grass.
Healthy cows raised with grass fertilized by crude drug residues
2. The Kobanawa farming family
A married couple is engaged in farming. They mainly grow rice but also produce asparagus. Although it is said that the root of an ordinary asparagus plant can last about eight years, some asparagus plants with 17-year-old roots are thriving here.
Fully grown asparagus
3. Employee Home Gardens
Crude drug residues is also used as fertilizer in the home gardens of our company’s employees. Fertilizer with crude drug residues can help soil maintain good water retention and breathability, enabling vegetables to be grown with less fertilizer used overall. The vegetables that result have deep roots and a reputation for being very delicious. Some of the vegetables grown include tomatoes, eggplants, Chinese cabbage, radishes and rice.
Chinese cabbage
Eggplants
Rice
Wastewater treatment using microorganisms
Wastewater from the plant is collected in the wastewater treatment facility. The water is treated by aerobic bacteria, such as Pseudomonas and Bacillus, that absorb and decompose organic substances in the wastewater. In order to make these microorganisms work efficiently, we control the pH of the wastewater and the amount of organic matter flowing into the reaction tank and manage the oxygen concentration, turbidity, chromaticity and other properties. We also deploy sand filters and activated carbon adsorption towers to discharge the treated water. This effort can stop the water quality from deteriorating by preventing wastewater containing organic substances from flowing or leaking into rivers and soil.
Wastewater before purification
All the wastewater from the plant, such as water used for cleaning machines, wastewater from cooking or washing, and sewage, is turned into clean water before being discharged.
During purification
A wastewater treatment facility called an aeration tank uses microorganisms to decompose and purify pollutants in wastewater. The water becomes murky temporarily during purification.
Discharged water after purification
In order to discharge used water, the water has to be purified through 10 processes or more and further, satisfy strict standards.
Management items cover diverse fields, including daily management items, bi-daily management items, and weekly management items, and reporting is done monthly. On top of this, we commission specialist dealers to perform management and inspections on a regular basis.
CO2 Reduction Plan
Aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050, the Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association of Japan has announced a revision to its target that set “Net Zero CO2 Emissions by 2050” as its long-term vision and a “46% reduction of CO2 emissions in FY2030 from the levels of FY2013” as a Phase II Target. JPS Pharmaceutical has set its targets so as to achieve Phase II. At Headquarters, we achieved Phase II in fiscal 2022, and set new targets. Additionally, at the Tochigi Plant, we moved up our target achievement year for Phase II to fiscal 2025.
＊from the level of FY2013
Introduction of a cogeneration system
＊from the level of FY2013
Introduced electric vehicles
2020：
Achieved about 7% reduction in CO2 emissions, due to the introduction of a cogeneration system at our Tochigi Plant
2021：
Implement target of 46% reduction from FY 2013 levels by FY 2030
2024：
At the Tochigi Plant, we set our target achievement year to fiscal 2025
*Both headquarters and plant figures apply only to scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
Promotion of diversity and inclusion
*As of January 2025
We are implementing training so that JPS Pharmaceuticals' sustainability activities become more meaningful. We will use what we learn in training in the planning and proposal of initiatives that can contribute to society in a more ambitious manner.
Introduction to training content
Shiretoko training
We held sustainability training in Shiretoko, which is on the front lines of environmental protection. Witnessing the vitality of nature’s diverse flora and fauna, and their interdependence, we were reminded of the importance of conducting business in harmony with nature.
Enhancement of employees’ satisfaction and wellbeing
Review of the employee evaluation system
We conduct reviews of the employee evaluation system regularly.We encourage improvement of the motivation and engagement of each employee by holding individual interviews and giving feedback, and expect their further growth.We also aim for the promotion of transparency by improving communication within the organization further.
Implementation of harassment training
We implement harassment training for all employees with a labor and social security attorney as lecturer.The purpose is for employees to learn correct knowledge about harassment and prevent it from happening.As part of our survey of the actual conditions of workplaces, we also implement questionnaire surveys regularly and reflect the results in the content of training.
TOPICS
External assessment
The company has been evaluated by EcoVadis and CDP, external sustainability evaluation organizations. We acquired a Commitment Badge (FY2024) from EcoVadis and a B rating (Fiscal 2024 SME Score) from CDP. We will use these evaluations strategically and improve sustainability positively.
GREEN×EXPO2027
It has been agreed informally that the company will exhibit at GREENxEXPO2027, which will be held in Yokohama in 2027. Through this international event, we will communicate our initiatives for a sustainable future learning from nature and plants. We are currently being preparing the specific details of the exhibit, but we would like to provide a forum where we can share learning from plants with many people. We will inform you of further details as they become available.
4 / 2024
Upgraded to Superior in the Y-SDGs, the SDGs Certification System of Yokohama City.6 / 2023
We received financial support from Mizuho Bank to proceed with our SDGs.3 / 2022
Received certification of Y-SDGs, the SDGs Certification System of Yokohama City.
1 / 2022
Announced registration with the Tochigi SDGs Promotion Company System.25 / 6 / 2022
Received an SDGs promotion loan from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
