In 1933, Yanmar’s founder Magokichi Yamaoka, succeeded in developing and commercializing the world’s first compact diesel engine, driven by his desire to reduce the heavy workload of farmers. Guided by the spirit of “To conserve fuel is to serve mankind”, he sought to enrich rural areas through diesel-powered labor-saving solutions that contributed to the development of society while wasting not even a drop of fuel. The founding spirit lives on in our brand statement declared on Yanmar’s 100th anniversary: “A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – New Value through Technology”.
Today, information spreads globally at unprecedented speed, and the commoditization of products and services is accelerating. Companies are increasingly expected to deliver high added value. For Yanmar, this means not simply manufacturing products but listening closely to the needs of the field and examining our customers’ challenges in depth. This approach often leads to the identification of issues that even our customers may not yet recognize. Drawing on the technical capabilities and expertise we have cultivated over the years, we remain committed to offering long-term solutions that benefit both customers and society.
Our Challenges in Food Production and Harnessing Power
Our strategic focus lies in the fields of “food production” and “harnessing power” as stated in our mission statement. With a shrinking agricultural workforce and decreasing arable land, meeting future food demand will require streamlining, optimizing, and modernizing agricultural practices. At the same time, energy demand continues to rise, especially in urban areas. As climate risks intensify each year, the use of untapped energy sources and a shift towards electrification are becoming increasingly important. The areas in which the Yanmar Group can contribute to society are expanding rapidly.
By combining our expertise in both food production and harnessing power, we launched the “SAVE THE FARMS by YANMAR” project in June 2025, to protect farmland for future generations. In the project’s first phase, we will apply technologies such as regenerative agriculture and agrivoltaics (solar sharing) to deliver optimized solutions tailored to each local community.
Going forward, we will continue to adapt flexibly to social trends and environmental changes, striving to address our customers’ real challenges not only in agriculture but across every field where we operate.
Fostering a Corporate Culture that Values and Encourages Challenges
The driving force behind Yanmar Group’s initiatives is none other than each and every one of our employees. For this reason, we believe it is essential to create an environment where all employees regardless of nationality, culture, religion, gender, or age, can thrive and demonstrate their full potential.
In 2024, we established the Sustainability Promotion Division, and led by the Diversity & Inclusion Group, began to strengthen diversity initiatives across the Yanmar Group. To further unify and accelerate these efforts, we also appointed a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSuO) for the first time.
Since our founding, Yanmar has upheld the belief in the potential of people and the value of supporting them to take on challenges. These values, which nurture both people and the future, serve not only as the foundation for internal talent development and innovation but also support activities to nurture the next generation and foster cultural initiatives such as sports and the arts. They form the foundation of all our business activities and drive our spirit of challenge. We will continue supporting initiatives across a wide range of fields to ensure that as many individuals as possible can realize their potential.
Yanmar group aims for a prosperous society where people and nature coexist in harmony. At the same time, we recognize that sustainability initiatives do not always yield immediate results. Like investments in product development, they require a long-term perspective and continuous commitment to realize a truly sustainable society.
We will continue to listen to the needs of our customers and society, creating new value and taking on challenges as one Yanmar. By combining the technologies and expertise we have built over the years, we remain dedicated to realizing a “new form of prosperity,” and advancing toward a sustainable future.
