B Corp™ #04 What It Means When a Factory Takes On the B Corp Challenge / Part 1

"B Corporation," administered by the American non-profit organization B Lab, is a worldwide certification system known as "B Corp." Companies with this certification adhere to rigorous environmental and social performance criteria, spanning governance, employee benefits, community engagement, and customer relationships. Because this certification examines the fundamental nature of a business, it necessitates meeting demanding benchmarks in areas such as transparency, public benefit, and accountability.

The certification process begins with the "B Impact Assessment (BIA)," a digital evaluation tool that assesses a business's performance in five key categories: governance, workers, environment, community, and customers. A company must achieve a minimum score of 80 out of 200 points to advance to the next stage. Following this initial assessment, the process includes a legal examination, a review of corporate operations, the alignment of internal regulations with BIA criteria, and a final interview with the assessment board. Once a company is B Corp certified, they are required to verify their B Impact score every three years. This process involves a reevaluation conducted through the BIA and the submission and public disclosure of a "B Impact Report" outlining their initiatives.

Nice Corporation became B Corp certified in April 2023. In this conversation, four key figures gather to reflect on what the certification has meant for the company and where they hope to go next: Ikuma Izutsu, CEO of Nice Corporation; Tatsuhiro Akashi, founder of Wired, a casual wear manufacturer in the same region currently working toward certification; Takayuki Yamatogi, an external advisor who supported the certification process; and Shuzo Okabe, architect and brand strategist, who played a pivotal role in launching the company's B Corp journey.

 

From the left, Takayuki Yamatogi, Ikuma Izutsu (Nice Corporation), Tatsuhiro Akashi (Wired)

Nice Corporation became B Corp Certified in April 2023. Can you take us back to what that process looked like?
 

Izutsu: Our work spans everything from high-fashion to luxury, casualwear, and workwear. We developed a unique, all-inclusive production style that covers everything from planning and manufacturing to shipping. But the truth is, the industry still doesn’t have a solid standard for fair pay that reflects the work we do. That’s been a big issue. I started thinking seriously about what it would take for the people who work here to actually live well. That’s what pushed me to take a hard look at how we’re doing things.

Okabe: When I first met you, you showed me around the factory and shared some of the struggles you were facing. Personally, I’ve always felt that manufacturing is incredibly valuable to society. But these days, fewer and fewer people are going into manufacturing. So the fact that this team still holds on to those skills is a big deal. That being said, I could see that this type of work wasn’t always being fairly recognized. And I got the sense that maybe some of the people on the floor were questioning it themselves—wondering if what they were doing was really enough or being seen for what it’s worth.

That’s when I brought up B Corp. It felt like a step that could help connect the day-to-day work in the factory with something bigger. As we talked more, it started to seem like this could be a meaningful new direction for the company. Looking back now, I think going through the process and receiving that validation—that objective look at what was already being done—really mattered. It gave shape and weight to something that had always been there but maybe hadn’t been fully acknowledged.

What are some merits or benefits you’ve noticed from being certified as Bcorp?
 

Izutsu: It’s been four years since I took over as CEO, and like with any leadership change, the character of the company has naturally shifted. One big thing we’ve seen since certified as B Corp is that it’s helped us bring in new people—not just more business, but actual team members. And that’s harder than finding new clients. People who share our values have joined us, and the team has definitely gotten younger. These days, when clients or partners visit the factory, they often say things like, “It feels really lively here.” That kind of feedback has become more common.

In terms of improving the work environment, we’ve started breaking down wages per task—writing them out in notebooks so everyone can clearly see what they’re doing and feel confident it makes sense. We’ve also put more thought into how we train people. There's now a clear direction in how we support our team members’ growth, including how we support skill development. We’ve also made a conscious effort to share what we’re doing, be it on our website or through media features that have highlighted how our factory seeks to make a positive impact on society through high-quality, creative work. That kind of exposure has helped more people learn about what we’re trying to do, little by little.

For example, we had a teacher from a fashion school in Osaka reach out to us after seeing one of those stories and actually came to visit us. Moments like that really reinforce how much of a difference B Corp certification has made.
 

Yamatogi: My role is to take the ideas of the CEO and the company’s external affairs, and translate them into something meaningful and relatable for the team. B Corp certification brought up the question: What does this actually mean for our employees?

It’s important to show what’s changed, and what kind of position the company plans to take moving forward. That’s why we started holding monthly “sales update meetings.” They’re not just about numbers—we use that time to share where the company stands and give employees a chance to reflect on their own work. Every six months, we also do a wider presentation, showing performance trends and explaining where we’re headed next. These sessions are visual, using slides, so it’s easy to follow. From there, we lay out our plan for the second half of the year.

In a company of our size, the CEO often has to be out meeting suppliers or partners, so it can be hard for employees to get a clear picture of what leadership is actually doing. That’s why these kinds of regular updates are so important. We also collect feedback through an internal “satisfaction survey.” The results come to me, and I take time to understand how people are really feeling about the company. If there are things we can improve, we work on them.

By keeping that cycle going—listening, sharing, improving—we’re creating a healthier, more integrated workplace.

Akashi: This is a really valuable conversation for me to be a part of. When I heard that Nice Corporation had become B Corp certified, I thought—they’re doing something genuinely interesting. The way you’ve approached improving the work environment and investing in people really stood out to me. Those are areas we’ve struggled with ourselves, so I decided to reach out and talk to Izutsu-san directly.

Izutsu: Since we’re both in the same industry and based in Kojima City, Kurashiki, we already knew of each other. But we hadn’t really had a deep conversation until then. There was one time when a brand we worked with was looking for a partner factory that could handle shirt production, and we introduced them to Wired. So there was already some connection, which made it easy to introduce Yamatogi-san when Akashi-san became interested in B Corp certification.

Our industry is a small, tight-knit one, and it’s not always easy to build open relationships with others doing similar work. But I’ve always appreciated the open dialogue we’ve had with Akashi-san.

Akashi: Absolutely. I’ve always felt like we shared similar values, so it was easy to talk things through. Our factory used to bring in technical trainees from China, but we stopped that about ten years ago. The main reason was that they’d go back to their home country after three years—just when they’d really gotten the hang of the job. Over time, the dynamic became unbalanced. The trainees ended up doing most of the work, while Japanese staff were pushed to the sidelines. Eventually, people started questioning whether we could even run things with just Japanese staff.

We gave it a shot, but it didn’t go smoothly. Production slowed down, and even when we tried hiring, no one would apply. It became this spiral we couldn’t break out of. Deep down, I knew the organizational structure was at the root of the problem—but we just couldn’t find a way forward. That’s when I decided to reach out to Izutsu-san for advice.

Is this difficulty specific to Kojima City, Kurashiki or to the industry overall?
 

Akashi: I think there’s always been a bit of a territorial mindset in this industry. It runs deep, especially in how people work.

Izutsu: I sense that too, especially in the generations above us. There just aren’t many lateral relationships—they’re almost nonexistent. That’s why something as simple as visiting another factory and saying, “Can I take a look around?” can feel like a big deal.

I’m really glad I got to visit Wired. There was so much I learned just by seeing how things run there.

Akashi: I felt the same. Having Izutsu-san visit our factory and talk with us—it was a really meaningful exchange. But that kind of connection doesn’t happen with just anyone. It’s because of who Izutsu-san is—his values, the way he carries himself—that the relationship works.

Izutsu: I think being able to connect and communicate with people that you share values wih is incredibly valuable. With B Corp, there’s a kind of shared baseline—a similar way of thinking, a shared framework. So when you talk about the work, there’s already common ground. There’s no formal association or union for people who run sewing factories, so it’s these small moments of exchange and collaboration that I hope can slowly push the whole industry forward.

Okabe: Exactly. Personally, I don’t really see B Corp as just a “certification”—I think of it more as a declaration. It’s a starting point. There’s value in stating clearly what a factory or organization stands for. If more people can see B Corp that way—understand and interpret it as a signal of intent—that would be great. B Corp started in 2006, and it’s still in the early stages here in Japan. Because of that, I think the companies going for it tend to be led by people who really believe in the philosophy behind it.

With becoming a certified B Corp, how have you changed the way you communicate the company’s business updates with employees?

Izutsu: In the past, out communication was very topdown, so we’re challenging ourselves to create a company that incorporate’s employee feedback. As Yamatogi-san said, we hold a biannual “satisfaction survey” – some responses show that people are happy, while others bring up new requests or concerns. A couple of concrete examples come to mind. At our Tamagawa factory, we renovated the old pit-style toilets and replaced them with modern flush toilets connected to a septic system. We also invited a labor consultant to hold an information session about paid leave—how it works, and how employees can make use of it.

 
By having a direct pipeline with the employees’ feedback, it seems like you’ve created a really open and transparent work environment.


Izutsu: Our company’s overall transparency has definitely improved.


Yamatogi: After the second survey, we started seeing an increase in requests like, “We want more time off.” That takes real courage from management to face head-on. Izutsu-san makes a point to gather everyone and openly share the feedback. If it’s just one-on-one, it can end up being a personal opinion, but bringing it up in front of the whole team is really meaningful.


Izutsu: Sharing the actual feedback makes it easier to align everyone internally. It’s also a chance for coworkers to understand what others are thinking. We’re still working on it, but we want to keep building a workplace where everyone feels good working here.


I can see that becoming B Corp certified smoothened the communication channels. Have you seen improvements on the technical side as well?
 

Izutsu: We started internal skill tests, and along with that, introduced an evaluation system. For example, we ask first-year employees to make a pair of five-pocket jeans once a year, which we use as a baseline assessment. Once they meet the delivery standards, we individually check if they’ve mastered more advanced sewing skills step by step. If they don’t pass, we give them retests until they clear it. After that, they move into more individualized practice. When they don’t know something, they take ownership by asking others, “How should I sew this?” and actively work to improve. I see these actions as a very positive step forward.

Akashi:  At our company, we create our own production manuals. We illustrate the steps with photos and put it all together in a booklet.

Izutsu:  You’ve got it all in a manual?


Akashi) Yes, before joining the production line, trainees spend three months, sometimes up to six, practicing cutting and sewing. Moving forward, we want to run tests every six months to a year to help everyone level up their skills.

Izutsu: Some of our employees have asked for manuals too.  A lot of our technical skills were passed down by word of mouth, very much feel-based. We even talked about filming videos and uploading them to YouTube, but that’s tricky. It’d work if we made the same thing all the time, but since what we make changes daily, it’s tough to create something that covers it all.

Akashi: It might be helpful to compile the basic steps into a manual of some kind.  At our company, for example, we might do that for staple items like regular-collar shirts or other basic pieces.
 

Okabe: Providing manuals and videos can definitely help push things in a positive direction. This might surprise people, but it’s been said that modern shrine carpenters (miyadaiku) are actually more skilled than those in the past. There’s this automatic assumption that the old carpenters were masters and today’s are somehow worse. That was true until recently, but now they collaborate with various specialists, exchange data, study old documents, and use computers to do what humans can’t — they’re blending traditional methods with modern innovations. Because of that, people have started saying, “Maybe they’re better than before.”

In the past, apprentices were often scolded for asking their mentors questions during training, but that attitude is disappearing. Nowadays, as long as someone’s motivated, they can research anything themselves and learn much faster. I think the whole industry is entering an exciting new phase. Maybe this industry could see the same kind of evolution.

Akashi) Definitely. Although there’s individual differences in how dexterous or suited people are for the work, those with a knack for it can probably learn sewing techniques just by watching videos.

Okabe) A small change like that could transform a lot.

Izutsu) It might be worth starting a project to compile and share videos for passing down skills.

Okabe) After that, it really comes down to individual effort.

The second part of the interview can be found in B Corp™ #04 What It Means When a Factory Takes On the B Corp Challenge / Part 2

Text：Seika Yajima

Photo：Shin Hamada