February 1, 2019
Office of the Governor for Policy Planning
Announcing the Winners of the Tokyo Financial Award!
As one project included in the “Global Financial City: Tokyo” Vision announced in November, 2017, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) is carrying out the new Tokyo Financial Award to recognize financial institutions developing and providing products and services that meet Tokyo citizens’ needs and challenges, as well as those who are contributing to the spread of ESG investment.
The winners of the Award have been decided. Details follow below.
* ESG (“Environment, Social, Governance”) refers to investment decisions based on an institution’s proactive efforts in combating global warming, empowering women, selecting outside directors, etc.
1 Winning Companies
Resolution of Tokyo Residents’ Needs Category
| Place |
Company |
Theme |
Submission Outline |
| 1st |
justInCase,Inc. |
Insurance
Applications for getting insurance money are inconvenient |
- Provides insurance products for smartphone at a low price, with services to complete procedures ranging from applications to claim filing via smartphone app
- Has already developed products such as one-day injury insurance coverage (such as riders for heatstroke). The company aims to cover claims within 90 seconds via an in-app chatbot
- Going forward, the range of insurance products will be expanded in cooperation with respective businesses
|
| 2nd |
TORANOTEC ,Inc. |
Asset Management
There are few services/goods that can be managed in smaller amounts |
- Provides a “change investment” service in which leftover money (from 5 yen) is automatically invested using purchase data collected from credit cards and e-money
- In addition, a new “real change investment” program is being implemented, allowing people to invest small change by depositing it at boxes set up in Tokyo
- Furthermore, an “invest at the register” service is planned for the future, with the goal of making investing anywhere easy
|
| 3rd |
GLORY LTD. |
Deposits and Withdrawals
It is inconvenient that there are some procedures which can only be done in bank branches, such as ID verification |
- Developing a customer verification platform, using face and voice identification, for practical commercial use
- This system will collectively handle transactions, allowing users to change between multiple financial institutions (banks, brokerages, insurance, and credit cards companies, etc.)
- Furthermore, the company aims to provide in-store “hands-free banking” service using this platform
|
ESG Investment Category
| Company |
Main ESG Promotional Activities |
| Neuberger Berman East Asia LTD. |
- Have been achieving results in ESG investment for nearly 80 years
- Proactively engages with private companies that are often difficult to engage with ESG, through the operation of equities and bonds
- Committed to spreading ESG and improving its transparency, including adherence to Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI*) and collaboration with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board in the US
|
| Robeco Japan Company LTD. |
- The RobecoSAM Group Company carries out over 4,600 projects worldwide in terms of sustainability assessment, cooperating with S&P and Dow Jones Indices in America to develop the famous Dow Jones Sustainability Index as an indicator for ESG investment
- Through the Active Ownership Team, the Operations Team and RobecoSAM’s Research Team practices engagement and exercises voting rights
|
| Sompo Holdings, Inc. |
- Provides unique ESG-related insurance, such as “Weather Index Insurance” for Southeast Asia and “Disaster Prevention / Disaster Cost Insurance” for local governments
- Contributes to the spread of ESG investment through activities such as participation in international conferences on climate change, the environment, etc.
|
| Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management Co., Ltd. |
- Has achieved engagement with 90% of companies listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in market capitalization
- Engagement focuses on marine pollution and plastics issues, and also offer biodiversity fund products
|
2 Judging Panel Members
| |
Resolution of Tokyo Residents’ Needs Category |
ESG Investment Category |
| Chairperson of the Judging Panel |
Kiyoshi Hosomizo
President, The Center for Financial Industry Information Systems |
| Judging Panel Members |
Kayo Oe
President, Office Libertas
Financial Planner |
Tomonori Uchiyama
Professor, Tokyo Metropolitan University |
Masaru Arai
Chair, Japan Sustainable Investment Forum |
Soichi Kariyazono
Chair, Japan Venture Capital Association |
Yasuyuki Kato
Professor, Graduate School of Management, Kyoto UniversityProfessor, Tokyo Metropolitan University |
Masakazu Masujima
Partner, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto |
Fiona Reynolds
CEO, PRI*(Principles for Responsible Investment) |
* Established in order to realize a sustainable society as proposed in 2006 by then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, PRI are principles that encourage institutional investors incorporate environmental, social, and governance issues into their investment decisions. PRI is also an international network of investors working together to put the principles into practice. |
3 Award Ceremony
Ceremony Information
- Date and Time
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 from 1:45 pm until 4:06 pm (planned)
* Venue opens at 1:15 pm
- Venue
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, Tower Hall, 49th floor, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
*For those who wish to participate in the award ceremony, please apply at the Tokyo Financial Award website, listed below.
4 Tokyo Financial Award Website
https://finaward.metro.tokyo.jp/en/
