Marui Group Establishes Foundation for Social Intrapreneur Development

Marui Group, based in Nakano, Tokyo and led by CEO Hiroshi Aoi, has announced the establishment of a new foundation, the Social Intrapreneur Development Foundation. This initiative aims to foster social intrapreneurs—individuals who strive to create social impact while maintaining business profitability. The foundation will officially begin its activities on October 1, 2025.

Vision Behind the Foundation

In a recent message, Hiroshi Aoi expressed the motivation behind this foundation. Over the last decade, Japan has made significant strides in supporting entrepreneurs, yet the concept of social intrapreneurship remains largely overlooked. Aoi emphasizes that a vibrant society should empower both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. The current focus primarily on traditional entrepreneurship only taps into half of the potential available.

Given that entrepreneurship is often aligned with individualism, which is more common in Western cultures, Aoi argues that social intrapreneurship may resonate more with Japanese values of teamwork and harmony. The foundation seeks to nurture a new generation of social intrapreneurs who can contribute to a thriving society and enhance workplace happiness by effectively balancing social and corporate value.

Plans and Initiatives

The foundation plans to collaborate with notable programs such as the Social Intrapreneur School, run by external board member Peter D. Pedersen and intrapreneur Tatsuya Honda. By engaging with middle schools, high schools, and universities, they will dispatch intrapreneurs to conduct courses and workshops aimed at developing future talent.

Additionally, for working adults, the foundation will continue the Social Intrapreneur Forum and collaborate with the Japan Social Intrapreneur Initiative (JASII) to support aspiring intrapreneurs. This initiative is intended to create a movement that highlights the importance of social intrapreneurship within corporate structures.

Marui Group aims to enhance its corporate value by fostering intrapreneurs within its own operations. By working closely with the foundation, the company hopes to cultivate social intrapreneurs and ensure their growth into a larger societal movement.

Aoi warmly invites those who resonate with the foundation’s ideals to join in providing their support and collaboration.

Foundation Overview

- Name: Social Intrapreneur Development Foundation
- Location: 4-3-2 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo
- Chief Executive Officer: Hiroshi Aoi
- Activities: Educational activities related to social intrapreneur development and other necessary operations to fulfill the foundation's mission.
- Established on: July 30, 2025

Board Members

- CEO: Hiroshi Aoi, President of Marui Group
- Directors: Peter D. Pedersen (External Director) and Tatsuya Honda (Principal of Social Intrapreneur School)
- Advisory Members: Various prominent figures from academia and business within Japan, contributing to the initiative’s strategic direction.

About Marui Group

- Company Name: Marui Group Co., Ltd.
- Headquarters: 4-3-2 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, 164-8701
- Phone: 03-3384-0101
- Website: Marui Group
- Key Subsidiaries: Epos Card Co., Ltd., Marui Co., Ltd., M&C Systems Co., Ltd., etc.