Receiving a letter of appreciation from an APO Representative
On November 28, 2025, Mercari’s Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) Team welcomed 46 representatives from the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), an international organization consisting of 21 member countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region.
The interest of 46 leaders from various countries—including government and ministry officials, business executives, and consultants—in Mercari's promotion of I&D as a best practice in Japan demonstrates that Mercari’s initiatives can contribute to solving global challenges.
Why the APO chose Mercari
This visit was conducted as part of a training program focused on women's empowerment and active participation in Japanese society. Mercari was the only private-sector organization that the APO selected, together with public-sector institutions such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
The APO chose to visit Mercari because of the strong leadership of our CEO Shintaro Yamada, who has promoted I&D as a core management strategy driven by the critical question, “Is management comprised exclusively of Japanese men enough to be globally competitive?” This is because Mercari sees I&D not just as a way to boost its corporate image but as something essential for achieving our Group mission, “circulate all forms of value to unleash the potential in all,” and believes it directly links to business growth and innovation.
Moreover, while many companies typically adopt a quota system to promote the inclusion of women in business operations, Mercari was recognized for its unique approach of focusing on the process of promoting inclusion—ensuring that diverse talent has equal opportunities in recruitment and promotion without specifying any numerical targets. At Mercari, we call this “process KPI.” Instead of focusing only on the final results, we set targets for candidate pools to improve the selection process and boost diversity within the organization.
Lectures and Hands-on Workshops
1. A talk on Mercari’s I&D initiatives
CHRO Ai Miyakawa gave a talk on why Mercari is dedicated to I&D, and how the company has built a culture that truly embraces diversity and transforms it into a real strength. The session drew significant interest from the participants from various countries, sparking some truly lively discussions.
Feedback from participants
“I realized that inclusion isn’t something that happens on its own—it takes real, intentional action. It's a skill we each need to foster to strengthen organizational creativity.”
“Ai explained that the I&D initiatives at Mercari originally started with a bottom-up approach by volunteer members. What’s really impressive is how they’ve managed to get management, including the CEO, fully on board and fired up about it.”
The focus on inclusion—valuing not just visible traits but also each person's unique perspectives and experiences—particularly struck a chord with the attendees.
Mercari CHRO Ai Miyakawa giving her talk
2. Earning a global standard certification
Mercari has been awarded the EDGE Assess certification, an internationally recognized benchmark for gender equality. This is a rare example among Japanese companies, and it showcases our strong commitment to meeting global standards. Participants from UN Women praised Mercari for being the first Japanese company to receive this certification and for leading the industry.
Ms. Ma. Rosalyn Mesina, Representative of UN Women Philippines (center of photo)
3. Unconscious Bias Workshop experience
To wrap up the program, we held a sample version of our unconscious bias workshop (UBW) at the participants' request.
UBW is a key training program that Mercari offers to all managers, and we consider it foundational skill-building for inclusive decision-making. Despite the limited time, the session prompted participants to reflect deeply on the possibility that their own perceptions and judgments could be influenced by unconscious biases.
Reflections on the APO visit
Hosting the APO delegation provided an opportunity for us to reaffirm that Mercari’s I&D efforts aren’t just making waves in Japan—they’re also helping tackle big global challenges like boosting productivity and empowering women across the Asia-Pacific region.
Mercari will keep striving to build an organization where members with diverse talents and backgrounds can reach their full potential. We'll keep bringing our own brand of I&D to life, step by step, growing our team of like-minded partners as we go, all while boosting our corporate value and making a real difference in society.
Author: Misaki Nakata
English translation by Global Operations Team
