#Japan #Tokyo #Cleaning Technology #Aeon Delight #team innovation

The 7th Aeon Delight Technology Contest

On November 12, 2025, Aeon Delight Inc., headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, hosted the 7th Aeon Delight Technology Contest focused on cleaning technologies. This event is part of the company's initiative to enhance technical skills and field capabilities in safety-oriented sectors like facility management, security, and cleaning, a contest that has been held annually since 2019.

In preparation for this contest, a 'workplace improvement activity' was initiated in 2014 to encourage cleaners to share insights and improvement ideas actively. The contest format was introduced in 2015, marking the beginning of an ongoing development cycle that has now reached its 11th round.

This year, the contest witnessed participation from 15 teams, selected not only from eight domestic offices but also from the company’s operations in China and various ASEAN nations. The teams showcased diverse initiatives and outcomes on enhancing engagement of cleaning crews, promoting the use of cleaning robots, and advancing digital transformation in their operations.

During the event, the Kansai branch's team, representing the event titled 'Osaka-Kansai Expo,' was awarded the highest prize. Their project illustrated innovative strategies implemented for maintaining cleanliness during the Osaka-Kansai Expo through several key practices:

• - Development of a Management App: A unique app was created to manage the complex schedules and multiple sites typical of the expo, enabling smoother progress tracking and information sharing, thus improving management efficiency.

• - Introduction of Aquatic Drones: To address the challenge of cleaning water areas at the expo site, aquatic drones were introduced. These drones facilitated safe and effective collection of debris from water surfaces, establishing new cleaning competencies for the team.

• - Employment of 20 Skilled Foreign Workers: To mitigate workforce shortages, skilled foreign workers were actively recruited, aided by an Indonesian team leader. Multilingual manuals and visual work instructions were developed to quickly adapt these workers to the work environment, making them a valuable asset in the Kansai branch's future key projects.

Additionally, the contest distinguished several other teams for their outstanding contributions:

1st Place Excellence Award

Team Clean Up (Kanto branch & Aeon Delight Connect Corp.)
Their focus was on expanding opportunities for skilled foreign workers and enhancing the quality of cleaning services. Under the leadership of Japanese staff, they established a high-quality routine cleaning team, implemented effective communication strategies, and developed optimal training methodologies through numerous collaborative projects.

2nd Place Excellence Award

Okonomi Clean Team (Chugoku Shikoku branch)
This team's innovative approach utilized Service Level Agreement (SLA) methodologies to tackle inefficiencies in facility cleaning, significantly reducing labor pressure and enhancing overall morale and service quality.

3rd Place Excellence Award

Delight Star Team (Evergreen River Management Team)
Focused on optimizing the river cleaning process, this team implemented a systematic area-based strategy for improving service quality, efficiency, and cost management.

Special Awards

The Tohoku branch and Hokuriku-Shinetsu branch teams received special recognition for their multifaceted business improvement strategies and contributions leveraging skilled foreign labor to streamline operations effectively.

In summary, the CEO of Aeon Delight, Kazunari Hamada, emphasized the importance of addressing operational challenges proactively and fostering an atmosphere of improvement throughout the organization. His reflections highlighted the necessity of high-quality services over mere cost considerations. Additionally, he encouraged all levels of staff to take initiatives and embody leadership in their respective teams.

Going forward, Aeon Delight remains committed to nurturing professionals equipped with both soft skills and technical expertise to enhance safety and reassurance in facilities and surrounding environments.