SOMPO x Women's Soccer Co-creation Initiative 'OUR STORIES Project ~Turning Your Voices into Our Collective Story~' Wins 'U30's VIEW' at Internet Media Awards

The project 'OUR STORIES', promoted by SOMPO Holdings, Inc. (Group CEO, Director, President and Representative Executive Officer: Mikio Okumura), has won the 'U30's VIEW' at the Internet Media Awards organized by the Japan Internet Media Association (JIMA). 1. About the "Internet Media Awards" and "U30's VIEW" The "Internet Media Awards" recognize media businesses and individuals who communicate reliable information clearly and accurately, leading society in a better direction, and who pursue high-quality information transmission while taking on the challenge of innovation. Among these, the "U30's VIEW" recognizes outstanding works and activities selected from online content based on the sensibilities of a judging panel under 30 years old (entrepreneurs, artists, researchers, etc.) who will lead the next generation. *Official Website: https://jima.media/ima2026/ 2. Award Details "OUR STORIES" launched in March 2025 and aims to create an environment where female athletes can participate in sports in their own way. So far, taking seriously the voices of players from the soccer club of Fujieda Junshin High School (Shizuoka Prefecture) who said, "I'm worried about underwear showing through white uniforms" and "It's troublesome during menstruation," we have worked on developing new uniforms with navy blue half pants. The fact that it started from the real "voices" of the younger generation, involved many people, questioned the societal norms, and brought about change was highly evaluated by the "U30's VIEW" judging panel. *Click here for project details: https://sports.sompo-hd.com/ourstories In Japan, where the gender gap is still large, they have succeeded in getting women, especially of the younger generation, to speak frankly and specifically about the discomfort, unpleasantness, and unreasonableness they feel in their daily lives. I evaluated the appropriateness of that framework. The lack of women's changing rooms, the generalization of white uniforms, the difference in treatment between men's and women's sports in the media, unfairness in career paths, etc., are all issues that absolutely must be improved for the younger generation who will live in the future world, and through these, viewers are once again made aware of structural discrimination in society. It was also good that the players answering the interviews spoke with joy about what they are gaining through the sport of soccer. (Keiichiro Hirano / Novelist) 3. Future Outlook The SOMPO Group will continue to work on creating all kinds of social value while connecting with diverse stakeholders through sports, aiming for the realization of a future overflowing with "security, health, and wellbeing."