At the Caux Round Table Business and Human Rights Conference in Tokyo, I presented insights from WBA’s benchmarks on the human rights performance of Japanese companies.
Drawing on data from the Social Benchmark and the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark, I highlighted both progress and persistent gaps. While Japanese companies have improved significantly over the past five years, especially on human rights due diligence, comprehensive implementation remains rare. Many companies have taken initial steps, but far fewer demonstrate full integration across operations and supply chains.
The data also shows that companies engaging meaningfully with affected stakeholders tend to perform better across human rights indicators. Yet such engagement remains limited. Living wage commitments are another critical gap, representing a missed opportunity to reduce inequality and strengthen long-term resilience.
Encouragingly, Japanese companies have accelerated their performance in recent years, with notable improvements in meeting due diligence steps. However, compared to global leaders, there is still considerable room to move from policy adoption to consistent action and measurable outcomes.
The discussion in Tokyo reinforced a clear message: regulation, investor pressure, and collaborative initiatives all play a role in accelerating change. Data can illuminate the accountability gap. The next step is collective action to close it.
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