Saitama JAPAN-DA Volunteer Team: the starting point
Sompo Japan operates six offices in Saitama Prefecture across its sales branches and claims service divisions, each responsible for a designated geographical area within the prefecture. Driven by the shared passion of employees who wanted to improve their communities, a cross-departmental volunteer organization was launched in 2023. Named the “Saitama JAPAN-DA Volunteer Team” after Sompo Japan’s mascot character “JAPAN-DA,” it was open to any employee interested in participating. Initially, the team focused on volunteer activities like supporting disaster-prevention events.
But through members’ enthusiasm and initiative, team activities expanded beyond volunteering to address a wide range of regional issues. As momentum grew, the group adopted the name “ONE Koba,” inspired by Saitama Prefecture’s mascot “Kobaton,” to better express a sense of unity with the local community. Today, it operates as a prefecture-wide Sompo Japan organization in Saitama.
From humble beginnings as the Saitama JAPAN-DA Volunteer Team, ONE Koba has evolved greatly in such a short span of time and is proud of its initiatives such as participating in the largest disaster-prevention events in the Greater Tokyo Area. The spirit of Saitama JAPAN-DA Volunteer Team continues to live on today as ONE Koba.
Current ONE Koba initiatives
In fiscal year 2025, we saw ONE Koba activities further accelerate. With the goal of addressing regional challenges through cross-sector collaboration, the first major initiative was the launch of a credit-bearing Regional Challenge-Solving Program at Saitama University, conducted in cooperation with Saitama City.
A total of 32 students participated in the program, while 25 Sompo Japan employees from six offices were involved in carrying it out. Together with Saitama City officials, participants examined real regional challenges faced by the city and presented their ideas in a contest format. Across four sessions during the program, participants engaged as active stakeholders in considering a wide range of local issues. This process generated ideas aimed at revitalizing interaction across generations and contributed to revitalizing the regional economy.
Beyond serving as inspiration to collectively address regional challenges, the program also contributed to the development of participating employees. On the other hand, students got a valuable opportunity to reflect on how they engage with society and to consider their future career paths.
Addressing shared challenges identified by Saitama University and Saitama City, such as coexistence with local communities and the creation of collaborative platforms, would be difficult through company-led initiatives alone. By working together across public, private, academic, and community sectors, we believe it is possible to discover new sources of shared value. At the same time, this collaboration generates a real sense of fulfilment and purpose for our employees.
Hiroyuki Tanada
Saitama Central Branch Manager
Sompo Japan
Today, ONE Koba’s activities have expanded to involve Sompo Care, Sompo Himawari Life Insurance, and other companies across the Sompo Group, evolving into a truly group-wide initiative. In December 2025, in collaboration with Sompo Care, a lecture was held at Saitama Prefectural University, further expanding the circle of group collaboration.
Looking toward the future
What began as a volunteer initiative has grown through multi-stakeholder, cross-sector collaboration, into an effort that supports the sustainable development of local communities.
Guided by SOMPO’s Purpose, we see our mission at ONE Koba as contributing to society as a whole, beyond the boundaries of our core business.
To this end, we are strengthening our collaboration with Saitama University and have been closely involved, right from the preparatory stage, in the Regional Resilient Society Research Consortium, which was established in fiscal year 2025. Leveraging our strengths in disaster prevention and mitigation, we are proactively co-leading the Regional Disaster Prevention and Communication Working Group within the consortium, in partnership with the university. Through this framework, Saitama Prefecture, Saitama City, the Sompo Group aims to enhance regional resilience by working with companies, government bodies, and NPOs both within and outside the prefecture.
By providing opportunities for students and residents to learn about Sompo Group initiatives, while engaging with diversity across multiple sectors, we hope to create new partners in addressing social challenges.
Hiroyuki Tanada
Saitama Central Branch Manager
Sompo Japan
We will continue to connect with diverse stakeholders and, as a central presence in these collaborations, contribute to the development of local communities.
