Developing the Next Generation Sustainability

With technology and expertise developed over many years as a sports wear manufacturer, the Goldwin Group conducts a range of activities to support children as the custodians of the future. In addition to supporting the dreams of children as they take on the world through competitive sports, we provide inspiration and opportunities for children to unleash their potential and shape a beautiful future. This includes outdoor activities in the middle of nature and art classes using materials found in nature.

Since 2000, Goldwin has been a special supporter of the GOLDWIN FIS YOUTH JAPAN CUP, an alpine ski competition (organizer: National Standard Race) that lays the groundwork for youth to become alpine skiers, and expands the athlete population. Top finishers in this event earn the right to compete in the FIS WHISTLER CUP for children, and the opportunity to spread their wings on the global stage. From 2020, the GOLDWIN FIS YOUTH JAPAN CUP has become an official International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) event for U14 and U16* skiers for the first time in Japan, offering opportunities for Japanese skiers to compete with others from around the world.

In FY 2023, the event scheduled for March 8-9 at Naeba Ski Resort has been canceled due to rising temperatures and rainfall in the region, which have made it impossible to ensure the necessary snow levels for safely conducting the competition. However, eight children racers selected at the Goldwin Nastar Race Youth Dream Grand Prix 2024 held in Bibai, Hokkaido in March were sent to the FIS Children 31st Whistler Cup 2024 in Canada, where Japanese skiers achieved excellent results, including a victory.

* U14: 12 to 13 years old / U16: 14 to 15 years old

We have held THE NORTH FACE KIDS NATURE SCHOOL, where children and their parents learn while experiencing nature, since 2014. The school awakens a sense of adventure in children, which develops experiences and knowledge through contact with nature, the joy of growing together with friends, and the curiosity to challenge their own limits. The school also provides time for many children to nurture their ability to live close to nature and connect this to their dreams for the future.

In FY 2023, we held one online school and seven field schools across Japan, including Tokyo, Hokkaido, and Nagasaki.

We have held the GOLDWIN Junior Challenge Golf Tournament since 2010 at GOLF CLUB GOLDWIN, the golf course in Oyabe City, Toyama Prefecture operated by group company GOLDWIN Development Inc. The aim of the tournament is to offer junior golfers, from elementary to high school, opportunities to not only improve their competitive golf skills but to also learn golf rules and etiquette through competition.

In FY 2023, twenty-three junior golfers from Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures gathered on August 10 to hold the 14th tournament.
It was scheduled to be an 18-hole stroke play competition, but due to the record-high temperature of 39 degrees Celsius in Toyama Prefecture, it was abruptly changed to a half course tournament. An intense competition took place, and the top players in each age and gender class were awarded prizes.

PLAY EARTH KIDS is a project that aims to both investigate and create the future of children and the Earth through play. While respecting the imagination and energy of children’s perceiving the world and the environment through free play, PLAY EARTH KIDS offers ideas and methodologies that bring a fresh perspective on the world.

As part of this project, in November 2022, we carried out various activities at PLAY EARTH KIDS , which serves as our base. It is our first editorial store themed “nature, children, and play” situated on the first floor of the Yebisu Garden Place Center Plaza (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), and it carries a wide range of kids’ items.

The store began selling the first products of GREEN BATON, a sustainable label that buys children’s clothes that no longer fit or are no longer worn and repairs them as one-of-a-kind items before putting them on the shelves for sale. The store also stocks original PLAY EARTH KIDS products that create play for children and enrich and expand their relationship with nature.

In FY 2023, from July 28 to July 30, we held the second PLAY EARTH PARK event, a play space for children organized PLAY EARTH KIDS, at Yebisu Garden Place, and various workshops throughout the year to bring out children’s creativity.