Corporate Philosophy

Become a person needed by society, as those needed by society can prosper

Our corporate philosophy, "Become a person needed by society, as those needed by society can prosper", represents the business philosophy of Naoji Iwatani(1903-2005), founder of the Iwatani Corporation.

Inspired by Darwin's theory of evolution, he has included in this philosophy the thought that both people and companies need to constantly strive to nurture and grow, as people do in rural societies, rather than act as people do as hunters.

In essence, "those needed by society" should value mutual cooperation and pursue the fulfillment of society's needs and the lives of those who live in society - Customer Satisfaction.

The LPG business is one example of what this means. Iwatani's LPG has been part of a domestic fuel revolution, one which has effectively reduced housewives' work in the kitchen. Today it is a clean, trustworthy source of energy for living, business, outdoor activities, and emergencies. Earth-friendly LPG is delivered all over Japan, as well as China and Southeast Asia.

We are moving from the search for ever cleaner energy to being able to use it, as our founder, Naoji Iwatani, always advocated; the commercialization of clean energy from liquid hydrogen as an ultimate energy source to supersede LPG.

On the other hand, activities which contribute to society in some way - "those needed by society" - tend to be unique. The Iwatani Naoji Foundation has achieved outstanding results in financing academic research in the field of resources and energy, and in assisting foreign students from China and Southeast Asia. In the arts, we have worked with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and have won the sort of acclaim that has led to our winning the prestigious Arima Prize and Mecenat Award.

The corporate slogan "Creation of a more comfortable space on the Earth is what Iwatani wishes and strives for", adopted in 1970, remains relevant today, and Iwatani's foresight and ability to get things done is likely to be called upon all the more.