YKK AP Opens "Aoi Tori Nursery School," Its First In-House Childcare Facility, at Tohoku Plant
YKK AP has opened "Aoi Tori Nursery School," its first in-house childcare facility, at its Tohoku Plant. This initiative aims to support employees in balancing work and childcare, facilitating a smooth return to work from childcare leave, and is part of the company's D&I promotion to create a comfortable working environment. The facility utilizes YKK AP's own products, ensuring high safety and comfort.
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- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 22:30
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YKK AP Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Akira Uozu) constructed a childcare facility at its Tohoku Plant (Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture) and held an opening ceremony today with stakeholders in attendance. This facility will open on April 1st as "Aoi Tori Nursery School," YKK AP's first in-house childcare facility for YKK AP Group employees, with the aim of supporting employees' smooth return from childcare leave and balancing work and childcare.
YKK AP has formulated "Evolution 2030" with the goal of becoming a "global leading company" by 2030, and one of its policies is "Employee Happiness Management." We are also promoting diversity and inclusion to create a company where each employee can fully demonstrate their individuality and abilities, and are working to create a comfortable working environment for everyone. As part of this, we have established an in-house nursery school to support employees raising children and help them balance work and childcare. The name "Aoi Tori Nursery School" (Blue Bird Nursery School) combines "Blue Bird," which symbolizes our purpose, "A company that makes society happy with Architectural Products," with the "Blue Bird of Happiness." We hope that by promoting the happiness and growth of children through childcare, we can bring smiles to employees and their families, as well as everyone involved with the nursery school, and make it a facility that connects the community and the company.
The concept of the building is "Harmony with nature, feeling the four seasons." By arranging the building in an L-shape, it achieves both good sunlight and wind protection, and also considers energy saving. Inside, it features flexible nursery rooms with movable partitions, various activity spaces, a kitchen for in-house cooking, and an artificial turf garden.
Furthermore, YKK AP's resin windows "APW 430" and "APW 330," and entrance doors "Venato" and "Concord" were adopted, ensuring high insulation performance equivalent to insulation performance level 7 and high seismic resistance equivalent to seismic resistance level 3, capable of withstanding seismic intensity 7. In addition, interior fittings with a special finger-pinch prevention function were implemented for "Aoi Tori Nursery School" to enhance safety, and security cameras and privacy fences were installed to ensure security, realizing a safe and comfortable space.
In terms of operation, we emphasize child safety, reducing employee burden and increasing peace of mind, and creating a childcare environment that values connections with parents and stakeholders. We plan to implement thorough security, provide allergy-friendly meals, offer sick child care and "hands-free" drop-off, as well as organize workplace tours and events that prioritize connections with parents.
YKK AP will continue to listen to employee voices and strive to realize a comfortable and rewarding working environment where employees can thrive through dialogue, and promote diversity and inclusion.
