2018 was a year in which major disasters struck the Japanese archipelago.

The torrential rains that were recorded intermittently over a wide area from June 28 to July 8 caused damage such as river flooding, landslides, and other disasters, mainly in western Japan, resulting in 230 deaths and missing persons, 6,296 houses completely destroyed, 10,505 houses partially destroyed, and 30,000 houses flooded above or below floor level.

Zensho temporarily suspended operations at a total of 46 stores, including 28 Sukiya restaurants, mainly in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. In addition, the logistics of transporting ingredients to stores were significantly affected by water outages, flooding, and the closure of surrounding roads. With no prospect of highway repairs in sight, the impact extended to all of western Japan. However, thanks to the efforts of the transportation companies that Zensho Group entrusts with the transport of ingredients and the dedicated response of our employees, most stores were able to resume operations in just about a week, allowing us to support the local food supply.

In response to this disaster, Zensho Group conducted fundraising activities at its stores, headquarters, factories, and facilities from July 21 to August 31 to support recovery efforts, with participation from both customers and employees.

The total amount of donations received from customers, employees, and Zensho Labor Union was 24,329,209 yen.
The collected donations were entrusted to the three prefectures that suffered the most damage: Hiroshima, Okayama, and Ehime. Yoshiro Kunii, Managing Director of Zensho Holdings, visited Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, Okayama Vice Governor Yoshinobu Kikuchi, and Ehime Vice Governor Kazuhito Kanno, and donated 7,663,701 yen to Hiroshima Prefecture, 12,578,201 yen to Okayama Prefecture, and 4,087,307 yen to Ehime Prefecture.
They expressed their gratitude, saying, "The road to recovery will be long, but we will responsibly deliver the supplies to the victims."

In addition, during our visits to each prefectural government, we reconfirmed the extent of the damage at the time, and we also shared information about the meal support that Sukiya and Nakau provided at evacuation centers from July 14 to August 6.

Click here for detailed information on meal support.

In the event of a disaster, Zensho Group will always conduct business activities and support activities that are in close cooperation with the affected areas.