Toichiro Nakashima (Founder) was deeply impressed by the following words that he encountered in his younger days: “It may seem that the lazy and sly get ahead in the world. However, the world is actually a place where the people who strive in sincerity and earnestness are the winners in the long run.” He held the belief that “the world is fairer than you imagine.” When faced with difficulties, Toichiro would consider what was true and what was right, and always strove for originality and ingenuity. Throughout his life he continued to show gratitude toward all those who helped him. These words inherited from Toichiro were included in the Kewpie Group corporate principles up to 1992.

Toichiro Nakashima, the founder of the company, expressed his fundamental beliefs with regard to work as follows:
I think job motivation comes from enjoying work with people who have the same ambitions and rejoicing together. The key aim must be to act on moral principles. In other words, one should make decisions based not on immediate advantage or disadvantage, but on what is true and right. However, this alone is not enough to achieve goals; originality and ingenuity are also required. The world is fairer than you imagine, so if you feel that it is unfair, try reflecting on your own behavior and asking whether you failed to act on moral principles, or whether you were perhaps lacking in originality and ingenuity. And another thing I ask of you is to observe your filial duty toward your parents; that means feeling grateful to your parents for putting you first, and trying to repay them for their dedication. I believe that people capable of observing filial duty toward their parents are people who can feel gratitude for the goodwill of others and repay that goodwill. These people attract others who interact with goodwill, and the company should progress of its own accord as a result.
Everybody at Kewpie is proud to have inherited Toichiro Nakashima’s beliefs with regard to work via our corporate culture.