HONDA The Power of Dreams

Honda wishes to ensure safety for everyone who is at risk of encountering a traffic accident. The company strategically promotes systemized traffic safety education not only for drivers, but also for pedestrians, cyclists and all those who take part in the diversifying mobility society in Japan and overseas. Through this education and the spread of optimal safety and peace of mind in the community and the joy of mobility, Honda wishes to create a society with zero traffic accidents.

Ayatorii Hiyoko is an educational program developed for preschool children, who are taking their first steps in the mobility society, which allows them to learn the fundamentals of road safety. As the next step, there is also the program Learn Traffic Safety with Dekiru-nyan. Using the traffic safety mascot Dekiru-nyan, the program starts with an exercise that everyone can participate in and is structured to help participants learn about traffic safety in an enjoyable manner. This year, in addition to the component on how to cross the road, a new component on rules to observe at car parks was added to offer contents that let children think and understand safe behavior using examples of traffic accidents familiar to them so that they do not become involved in accidents. Local authorities, road traffic groups, and Honda car dealership associates use these materials to act as instructors and provide group learning to children in nurseries and kindergartens or when they visit Honda dealerships, asking the children questions and using two-way communication as they progress through the programs.

Since last year, it has been difficult to conduct face-to-face education due to the spread of COVID-19. There were less classes conducted in fiscal 2021 compared to previous years, with approximately 3,400 classes (approximately 64% compared to fiscal 2020) held across Japan. To improve this situation, a video edition of Ayatorii Hiyoko was created for children visiting automobile dealerships. The contents of the video edition allow them to learn individually by themselves using tablet devices and televisions found at the dealerships. Going forward, Honda will continue to accelerate the digitalization of the programs to enhance online education.

The Children’s Idea Contest seeks to enable children to experience the importance and joy of creation, and provide support for them to grow as members of society. Through the act of drawing their dreams and taking on new challenges, the contest is an opportunity for children to give shape to their ideas. The contest was held for the 18th time in 2020 with 7,707 works submitted. A cumulative total of 57,021 works have been submitted over the past 18 years. In 2020, with the spread of COVID-19, the final selection round that usually takes place at the Head Office was held online. There were many themes about issues faced in everyday life arising from an increased amount of time being spent at home due to the impact of COVID-19. There were also many works about social issues such as environmental issues, natural disasters, traffic safety, and the elderly. This year, there were also works submitted by the Hong Kong Japanese School as part of a special participation in the contest.

In addition, the Children’s Idea Contest is also held in Thailand and Vietnam. (The contest was cancelled in Vietnam in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19.) A cumulative total of more than 4,288,925 applications have now been submitted across all three countries. 

This contest gives us the opportunity to nurture the promising next generation who will become future customers in major Asian markets.

Honda held "The Power of Teen," an event organized out of a desire to support children to fulfill their dreams. The increasing spread of COVID-19 has forced children to give up usual activities that have been done every year. As a result, they are struggling to draft a blueprint for achieving their dreams or goals or have lost sight of them under the pandemic. Honda solicited from teenagers their dream ideas and what they are doing to realize them and selected six members. They participated in an online presentation to share dreams with viewers. They also joined online "sharing dreams" lectures by Honda's special guests. These lectures communicated the importance of learning from failures, having the courage to make a step toward a dream and taking up a new challenge. Other companies and educational professionals supported and widely publicized the event. With their help, these sessions were viewed for a total of more than 70,000 times and successfully conveyed the power of dreams to wide audiences from children to adults. Honda also held an event to give the six members an opportunity to board a HondaJet and actually feel Honda's power of dreams. Honda will continue to support children's efforts toward their dreams while flexibly adapting to changes in the surrounding environment.

In June 2021, Honda once again hosted the Honda C-card Charity Award Ceremony with the Japanese Red Cross Society and the Japan Committee for UNICEF.

Honda donates a fixed percentage of the total annual Honda C-card spend to the Red Cross and UNICEF, with zero burden on its customers.

Fiscal 2021 marked the 26th year that Honda has donated money to the charities, with cumulative donations to the two organizations now totaling approximately 990 million yen.