Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo to Launch Community Currency Program

Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, one of the 23 wards comprising Metropolitan Tokyo, will launch a pilot program from July 2005 to issue a community currency named "Chiyoda Volunteer Ticket." It is specially designed for use in the ward, with the aim of fostering community welfare.

Under the program, Chiyoda Ward will issue the tickets to employees of the corporations in the ward in return for their volunteer activities at volunteer groups and welfare facilities. The companies will collect the tickets from their employees and in accordance with the number of the tickets collected, they make donations, which are distributed to host organizations by the Chiyoda Ward Council of Social Welfare. The companies will then report on their employees' social contributions in corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports.

The daytime population of Chiyoda Ward is estimated at 850,000 while its nighttime population is about 40,000. The program aims at community-building by encouraging companies and their employees to join volunteer activities with local residents. It also aims to improve quality of life by promoting collaboration between people who reside, work and study in Chiyoda Ward.

Chiyoda Ward hopes that the companies will consider employees' contributions to the community through this program as part of employee performance reviews. It also hopes that universities will participate in the program in the future.



Posted: 2005/08/05 03:41:42 PM
Japanese version