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Marui Group's Golden Achievement at WELLBEING AWARDS 2026

Marui Group, headquartered in Nakano, Tokyo, led by President Hiroshi Aoi, has made headlines by winning the GOLD award in the "Organizational and Team Category" at the WELLBEING AWARDS 2026. This significant recognition is granted by the Well-Being Action Execution Committee, which is primarily composed of Asahi Shimbun Company members. The awards aim to spotlight instances that have significantly contributed to creating a society that acknowledges diverse values of happiness and health in various products, services, and organizations.

Understanding the WELLBEING AWARDS

The WELLBEING AWARDS celebrate undertaking contributions toward promoting a society that fosters well-being by shining a light on noteworthy examples from all domains—be it products, services, activities, or organizations—that effectively address diverse values of happiness and health. Through this initiative, the goal is to spread awareness and inspire actions that enhance individual and collective well-being in society.

Marui Group's Flow Project: Balancing Happiness and Profit

In its pursuit of a balance between social impact and profitability, Marui Group has dedicated itself to the creation of an organization that enables employees to enter a "flow state" through their work. The group has set a clear target for the ratio of employees who can easily enter this state, evaluating and defining measurement indicators while conducting company-wide surveys. The jury recognized their comprehensive approach to creating workplaces conducive to flow through the cross-company Flow Project, which was initiated in 2024.

The Flow Project welcomes members from all departments. In its first phase, it involved approximately 1,500 employees across 42 workplaces. Every three months, surveys measuring twelve metrics, including the ratio of employees in a flow state, were conducted. Based on these survey results, teams collaboratively examined hypotheses and shared lessons learned during monthly meetings, all while deepening their understanding of flow theory.

Through repeated hypothesis testing across workplaces, the project members discovered that the key to fostering a creative environment and challenging mindset lies in how flow elements can be embedded into daily operations. This awareness has led to innovative initiatives that connect employees' tasks to the company's objectives, reforming job-training frameworks to enhance personal growth experiences. Furthermore, the project addressed obstacles that prevent employees from entering flow states, focusing on task prioritization and refining processes. As a result, the overall flow ratio at the company jumped from 41% before the project's initiation to an impressive 57%.

Following successful experimental phases, the knowledge gained about creating flow-friendly organizational environments is expected to ripple through the company culture. Currently, the second phase of the project involves approximately 2,500 employees, continuing the quest to cultivate a work environment conducive to flow.

Marui Group's Vision for Well-being Management

The essence of Marui Group's well-being focus is a belief that if each individual experiences joy in their challenges and growth, work will no longer be viewed as a burden, leading to greater societal happiness. By underscoring the creation of a society that fosters employees' flow, Marui Group channels its mission into actionable strategies.

The organization defines its vision of well-being not just as achieving employee health, but as generating new societal values that foster a thriving and joyful environment. They aim for each employee to contribute to the collective happiness of society, achieving personal well-being as a result.

Moving forward, the group is striving for a corporate culture that boosts creativity and a challenging mindset. To transition into a solutions-oriented enterprise, achieving the ambitious goal outlined in VISION 2050 of overcoming the dichotomy between impact and profit requires an environment where every employee can unleash their creativity. Marui Group is committed to championing initiatives that cultivate autonomy among employees while continuing to foster flow-enabled work environments.

About Marui Group

• - Company Name: Marui Group, Inc.
• - Headquarters: 4-3-2 Nakano, Nakano City, Tokyo 164-8701, Japan
• - Phone: +81-3-3384-0101
• - Website: Marui Group Official
• - CEO: Hiroshi Aoi
• - Major Affiliates: Epos Card Co., Ltd., Marui Co., Ltd., M&C System Co., Ltd. and more.