Community Investment

The LY Corporation Group (the “Group”) upholds "Create an amazing life platform that brings WOW! to our users." as its mission. The Group will bring positive impact to society through its businesses and promote sustainability management that takes responsibility for future generations by addressing social issues, including the global environment and human rights.
From the perspective of community investment, the Group aims to address disasters and the digital divide, which it identifies as one of its material topics, and has set indicators for initiatives centered on disaster preparedness, mitigation, and recovery support and pandemic response, bridging the digital divide through IT literacy education, enhancing convenience through digitalization, and the development of local communities. To achieve a prosperous society, the Group collaborates and cooperates with a diverse range of stakeholders, including local communities, governments, universities, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and nonprofit organizations (NPOs).

Disaster preparedness, mitigation, and recovery support and pandemic response

With disasters expected to become increasingly severe and frequent in the future, the LY Corporation Group recognizes its responsibility as a leading company in IT society to offer various forms of recovery support through its online services. The Group aids recovery through activities related to the prevention and reduction of disasters, the provision of information during disasters, and through its e-commerce services and donation drives. 
For more information, please click here (Japanese only)

Launch of Disaster Relief Fund Raising

In the event of a major disaster in Japan or abroad, a special webpage dedicated to disaster relief fund raising is promptly opened at Yahoo! JAPAN Internet Fund Raising to raise funds for nonprofit organizations that carry out disaster relief activities.
For disasters that have caused large scale damage and require long-term recovery efforts such as the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, dedicated pages are opened to provide continuous support.
After the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, a fund raising page was set up to support victims and areas impacted by the disaster.

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Yahoo Japan Foundation: Emergency Disaster Relief Fund and Saigai Fukko Mirai Bokin (Disaster Recovery Donation for the Future) Matching Donations

The Yahoo Japan Foundation launches Emergency Disaster Relief Fund in the event of a large-scale disaster and permanently maintains Saigai Fukko Mirai Bokin (Disaster Recovery Donation for the Future) as part of preparations during normal times. Matching donations from LY Corporation are applied to these funds, with the Company contributing an amount equal to each donation (up to a specified limit) and donating it to the Yahoo Japan Foundation. The funds are used through the Foundation to support affected areas and people impacted by disasters. 

Support Record: Disaster and recovery support (Japanese only)

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Measures to prevent and mitigate disasters through industry-government-academia collaboration

The former LINE Corp. established the Council on Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Resilience in 2019, in collaboration with private companies such as (the former) Yahoo Japan, research organizations such as the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and central government ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the Cabinet Office of Japan. Through industry-government-academia collaboration, the Council on Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Resilience conducts research and demonstrations on disaster prevention initiatives using AI and social media.
As a result of such collaborations, the Council offers systems that use the LINE app to collect information from residents in times of disaster and provide training, as well as to confirm the safety of and collect information from firefighters. These systems have been adopted and put into practice by several local governments, including Kobe City.

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LINE as a Tool for Conveying Information in the Event of a Disaster

After the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016, Kumamoto City used the LINE app as a tool for confirming the safety of its employees and for sharing information. Under an agreement between (the former) LINE Corp. and Kumamoto City, the City conducted disaster drills and issued reports verifying their effectiveness.
In the 50th Sakurajima Volcano Explosion Comprehensive Disaster Drill conducted in 2020, OpenChat was used to coordinate information among organizations. Many of these entities and business operators, including Kagoshima City, the Self-Defense Forces, the Kagoshima Coast Guard, the Kagoshima Prefectural Police, lifeline operators, and DMAT, participate in this drill to verify its effectiveness.

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Support Activities Through Yahoo! JAPAN Ishinomaki Base

In July 2012, the former Yahoo Japan opened Yahoo! JAPAN Ishinomaki Recovery Base in Ishinomaki, a city which was severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Three or more employees were stationed to engage in disaster recovery in the Tohoku region. The base was later renamed as Yahoo! JAPAN Ishinomaki Base in 2016, moving on from disaster recovery to regional revitalization in the Tohoku region.
While the base was closed in March 2021, a decade after the Great East Japan Earthquake, Yahoo Japan will continue to leverage the knowledge, experience and connections that it has cultivated during the past ten years, and work to resolve issues faced by the areas affected by the disaster in Tohoku and other regions.

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Bridging the digital divide through IT literacy education

LY Corporation carries out various initiatives including Yahoo! JAPAN Kids and literacy education to ensure that not only children but also people of all generations can use the Internet safely and securely.
Furthermore, Yahoo Japan believes it is necessary for the continuance of its business to develop human resources that can understand and use IT.
Through technology events, Yahoo Japan supports the development of personnel who can actively use IT.
For more information, please click here (Japanese only)

Hack U: An event for students

With the aim of developing next-generation IT creators, LY Corporation holds Hack U, a development event for students.
In this event, students can experience the joy of creating by presenting their ideas and methods for realizing them, while receiving advice from LY Corporation employees.

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Dispatching Internet seminar lecturers to Yokohama Family Court

LY Corporation sends lecturers to the seminar, "Risks and appropriate use of SNS," provided by the Yokohama Family Court for juvenile offenders and their guardians. The seminar aims to engage both parents and children to think and learn about the characteristics of the Internet as well as implications of posting/diffusing information.
Recently, SNS-related crimes are especially increasing among Internet-related juvenile crimes. The seminar places its emphasis on broadening the future possibilities of the youth, and teaches the juveniles who unfortunately used the Internet in a wrong way and became perpetrators, and their guardians, to not simply stay away from the Internet because it is harmful, but to use it as a tool on the basis of understanding its characteristics.

Yahoo Japan Foundation: Matching Donations to the Internet Mirai Fund

The Yahoo Japan Foundation supports initiatives aimed at solving social issues through the use of the Internet and information technology, as well as efforts to realize a sound and secure Internet society. Donations made to the permanently established Internet Mirai Fund are matched by LY Corporation, with the Company contributing an amount equal to each donation (up to a specified limit) to the Yahoo Japan Foundation. The funds are used through the Foundation to support highly public-interest activities in the IT field.

Support Record: Support for solving social issues through IT (Japanese only)

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Sponsorship of SDGs for School

To assist in the spread of SDGs, LY Corporation has sponsored SDGs for School, one of the activities of the General Incorporated Association Think the Earth, since 2018. SDGs for School is a project that supports teachers and students who practice education to create a sustainable society.
In addition to the free distribution to elementary and junior high schools throughout Japan of the "Goals to Change the Future: The SDGs Idea Book," which explains the 17 goals of the SDGs, an ongoing activity since the beginning of this project, the Company has expanded the scope of its activities in recent years: including the production and distribution of "SDG Targets New Translation" booklets and audio translations of the 169 targets for each of the 17 goals, "Teachers Gatherings" for school personnel, and events such as the "Mirai wo Tsukuru Cho-Culture Festival" (Build the Future ­– Super Culture Festival) in which companies and NPOs participate beyond the school framework.
The Company will continue to support activities that offer opportunities for future generations to learn about and deepen their knowledge of SDGs.

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Sponsorship of NPO Waffle

LY Corporation supports the activities of Waffle, a non-profit organization that provides IT education opportunities for female junior high and high school students and advocates policy changes to promote environmental change. We dispatched employees to volunteer as mentors at events hosted by Waffle. The career lectures by female employees were particularly well received by the participating junior and senior high school girls, who could easily visualize them as role models for their future.

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Enhancing convenience through digitalization

LY Corporation aims to leverage its strengths in IT and the internet to positively impact society through its businesses.
For more information, please click here (Japanese only)

Free provision of LINE Official Accounts to central and local government agencies

LY Corporation provides one free LINE Official Account to each government ministry and agency in Japan. The accounts have been used by the ministries for their public relations and other purposes, and in fiscal 2020, the usage increased among the ministries as they used the accounts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. LINE also provides one free LINE Official Account to each local government as part of its "Plan for Local Government Agencies."

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Redesigning data solutions service for business operators to meet the needs of the government agencies

The former Yahoo Japan started offering its data solutions service to business operators in October 2019. The cumulative number of companies/local governments that adopted the service exceeded 1,000 by October 2022, and Yahoo Japan has underpinned Japan's data-driven initiatives.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yahoo Japan began providing the service to the prefectural governments and ordinance-designated cities across Japan. This provision is free of charge for up to one year. In addition to the normal service plan, Yahoo Japan began providing a plan dedicated to government agencies/local governments in July 2020, and a plan for educational/research organizations in July 2021.  LY Corporation will continue to support governmental agencies and local governments with their promotion of data usage to deepen public understanding and enhance regional value, as well as to develop the next generation of human resources in the field of data science.

In the face of the growing need for DX and big data applications by companies and government agencies, LY Corporation will continue to add and improve functions of its data solutions services.

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Organizing online seminar to support DX in accordance with the diversity of local governments

As part of the activities of LODGE, the former Yahoo Japan's open collaboration space, the company started holding online seminars in June 2021, targeting local government officials in charge of DX promotion. LY Corporation continues the former Yahoo Japan’s efforts to provide diverse content tailored to the various issues faced by local governments and their characteristics, such as: lectures on open data, which can be utilized easily by anyone free of charge; knowledge-sharing among stakeholders in charge of municipal DX; and introduction of case studies of DX initiatives. By utilizing LODGE as a hub for people, goods and services related to municipal DX, LY Corporation will contribute to the revitalization of local communities through the use of data and digitalization, as well as improving the convenience of residents.

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Information Technology Federation of Japan (IT renmei)

In order to contribute to the sound development of the IT industry in Japan and to develop the world's most advanced IT society, the Company has been acting as a general supporting member of the Information Technology Federation of Japan, which was established with the aim of contributing to the enhancement of the Japanese economy, society and people's lives by actively making proposals while realizing bilateral communications with the government.
In 2025, IT renmei submitted policy requests titled “Digital Policies to Revitalize Regional Areas and Industries” to Masaaki Taira, Minister for Digital Transformation, as well as to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. The policies aim to balance economic security with the promotion of digital transformation (DX).

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Development of local communities

The LY Corporation Group considers it important to contribute to society through its internet service business and e-commerce business.
As a member of regional communities, which are the foundation of corporate activity, and together with the Group's stakeholders, the LY Corporation Group will provide a wide range of support by leveraging its personnel, IT technology resources, and more, to respect the regions' traditions and culture and pass them on to the next generation. By doing so, the Group aims to achieve a prosperous society.

Natural Environment Conservation Activities

The LY Corporation Group is working to conserve and restore the natural environment with the aim of realizing sustainable local communities.
At LY Corporation’s headquarters in Kioicho, Tokyo, the Company is engaged in developing a biotope for the purpose of conserving biodiversity in urban areas. Aiming to create an environment where fireflies inhabiting the inner moat of the Imperial Palace near the office can also live, the Company has continued biotope development since 2016. As a result, the emergence of fireflies has been confirmed every year since 2017.
ASKUL Corporation is implementing the “TSUSHIMA×ASKUL Project” in collaboration with Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture. Focusing on resource recycling and measures against marine plastic waste, the project includes activities such as making donations funded by a portion of biomass-blended plastic bag sales, conducting local cleanup activities, and developing products using collected plastic waste. Through these efforts, ASKUL is working with local communities to solve problems together.

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Initiative in Fukuoka City

LY Communications Corporation works  with Fukuoka City under a comprehensive cooperation agreement on regional joint projects to promote the development of Fukuoka as a smart city. More than 1.90 million users have registered themselves as friends of Fukuoka City's LINE Official Account. The account has many functions including one for notifying problems with roads and parks and an evacuation aid function in the event of a disaster. LY Communications has also been collaborating with local companies and organizations in Fukuoka City to promote the development of a convenient and enriched city by utilizing the LY Corporation's technologies.

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Initiatives in Chiba City

ZOZO Corporation, headquartered in Chiba City, is working closely with people in the community to contribute to the development of the area. ZOZO has concluded a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Chiba City and Chiba University, and is promoting community development for the future by making use of the resources and expertise of both parties.
ZOZO also participates in an industry–academia–government education consortium and implements school outreach programs for career education. Furthermore, to help revitalize local communities, ZOZO collaborates with restaurants and other businesses near its offices to offer ZOZO Connection, a special benefit program for community-based employees.

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Contribution to Local Communities through Volunteer and Pro bono Activities

LY Corporation respects employees’ desire to “contribute to society” and actively engages in initiatives aimed at addressing diverse social issues.
In October 2023, the Company launched the Pro bono Project to provide employees with opportunities to participate in pro bono* activities during their non-working hours, with the goal of helping to solve social issues. This project plays a role in supporting the matching of nonprofit organizations working to address social issues—such as in disaster-affected areas—with employees who wish to contribute to society by applying the skills and experience they have gained through their work.
Following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January 2024, the Company focused on pro bono activities to support victims and affected areas in the Noto Peninsula. In January 2025, in collaboration with the Noto Public-Private Partnership Recovery Center, the Company announced the launch of “ProboNoto,” a platform that matches companies seeking to provide technical support on a pro bono basis with organizations in the affected region. This initiative has extended the circle of support for Noto beyond the Company to other corporations.
The Company believes that such activities, in which corporations contribute to society- including local communities- not only promote sustainable growth for the Company itself, but also encourage employees to reflect on their own work and foster a more proactive attitude. According to a survey conducted in fiscal 2023 among LY Corporation employees, between approximately 50% and 90% of those who participated in volunteer activities reported an improvement in their “Work Well-being.” This is an index used by the United Nations and the Cabinet Office of Japan.
*The term “pro bono” originates from the Latin phrase Pro Bono Publico, meaning “for the public good,” and refers to activities in which individuals use their professional skills and experience to contribute to society for social or public purposes.

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