• News
• Events

“Wacha! Wacha! So, What’cha Talking About Today?”
Introducing Talk Themes to Explore Differences and Similarities

Tokyo—June 1, 2026—Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc. is proud to announce its sponsorship of and participation in Tokyo Pride 2026, one of Asia’s largest LGBTQ+ events. The Hakuhodo DY Group will exhibit a dedicated booth during the Pride Festival held at Yoyogi Park Event Square and Outdoor Stage on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, 2026. Participating companies from the Hakuhodo DY Group include Hakuhodo Inc., Daiko Advertising Inc., YOMIKO ADVERTISING INC., Hakuhodo DY ONE Inc., SoldOut, Inc., OPT, Inc., ENND PARTNERS Co., Ltd., HAKUHODO Technologies Inc., Hakuhodo DY Corporate Initiative Inc., and Hakuhodo Product’s Inc.

In 2022, the Hakuhodo DY Group established its Human Rights Policy*¹, followed by its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Policy*² in 2023. The Group aims to create a society abounding in sei-katsu-sha‘s*³ aspirations and where they can live vibrant lives. We are an entity in which employees, each sei-katsu-sha themselves, connect with other sei-katsu-sha and society to take on a broad range of social challenges to invent the future through leveraging their own unique creativity.

Continuing from last year, Hakuhodo DY Holdings will sponsor this event and host a booth for the second consecutive year. At the booth, themed “Wacha! Wacha! So, What’cha Talking About Today?” under the statement “See the Differences. Share the Similarities,” we will introduce Talk Themes, along with illustrations, with the aim of sparking animated conversations about our mutual differences and similarities. Visitors who complete a short survey can turn the crank on a “gacha” machine to receive tea bags with cards featuring specific Talk Themes. The delicious tea will provide an opportunity to have an animated chat with someone important.

*¹ Hakuhodo DY Group Human Rights Policy: https://www.hakuhodody-holdings.co.jp/english/csr/social/humanrights_policy/
*² Hakuhodo DY Group DE&I Policy: https://www.hakuhodody-holdings.co.jp/english/csr/social/diversity_inclusion/
*³ “Sei-katsu-sha” is a term we use to describe people not simply as consumers, but as fully rounded individuals with their own lifestyles, aspirations and dreams.

■ Event Overview
Date & Time: June 6 (Sat) and June 7 (Sun), 2026, 11:00 am-6:00 pm
Venue: Yoyogi Park Event Square & Outdoor Stage
Booth Location: PURPLE 33 (Hakuhodo DY Holdings Booth)
Event Website: https://pride.tokyo/festival/ (in Japanese)

■ Booth Theme and Illustrations

Visitors who complete a short survey at the booth can turn the crank on a “gacha” machine to receive tea bags with cards featuring specific Talk Themes.

■ Creative Collaboration
– Supervision
Takahiko Morinaga (Associate Professor, Ritsumeikan University)
– Slogan, Statement & Activation Planning
Hiroshi Yamazaki, Takuya Hirano, Mako Ohno, Yutaro Kajikawa, Shiho Nagai, Yuichi Abe (Hakuhodo)
– Rainbow Logo Design
Kazufumi Nagai, Ren Fujita (HAKUHODO DESIGN)

< LGBTQ+ Initiatives at Hakuhodo DY Group >
Our Group conducts initiatives tailored to each company’s needs, such as the following, to create an environment that allows LGBTQ+ people to perform at their best.

– Statement of Commitment: We have established Group-wide DE&I and Human Rights Policies and are working to foster a deeper understanding of LGBTQ+ perspectives.

– Ally Network: We have begun activities to create opportunities for ally employees to connect, and learn and think together.

– Learning Opportunities: As a Group-wide initiative, we have created an environment for employees to learn about diverse sexualities, including distributing training videos and newsletters about LGBTQ+, and arranging talk sessions featuring external guests.

– System Improvements: We have expanded the definition of “spouse” to include common-law and same-sex partners, and apply personnel systems and benefits equally. Additionally, we respect individuals’ choice of their preferred gender and practice flexible responses reflecting the voices of transgender and non-binary employees.

– Consultation Desks: We are working to ensure a healthy work environment by establishing dedicated channels for consulting on sexual orientation and gender identity matters.

Hakuhodo was recognized for these initiatives with the highest Gold rating for the second consecutive year in the PRIDE Index, an initiative organized by work with Pride.
(work with Pride is a general incorporated association that supports the promotion and establishment of diversity management practices related to LGBTQ+ and other sexual and gender minorities in companies and other organizations)

 

Read news release