For Immediate Release
November 17, 2017
LIXIL Group Corporation

LIXIL Endorses the World Toilet Organization’s Japan Declaration onSanitation and Hygiene
The World Toilet Organization, LIXIL Group, Saraya, and ANA’s BLUE WING Program issue joint
declaration to mark World Toilet Day 2017
Tokyo, Japan – LIXIL Group Corporation (“LIXIL Group”), a global leader in the housing and building
industry, today endorsed a joint declaration with the World Toilet Organization, Saraya Co., Ltd., and theANA BLUE WING Program on sanitation and hygiene. The declaration outlines their joint commitment
to support the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): Ensure accessto water and sanitation for all. The declaration was announced at an event in Tokyo to mark World
Toilet Day.
Approximately 2.3 billion people around the world lack access to safe and sanitary toilets, of whicharound 892 million people are forced to practice open defecation. Every day, 800 children under five
years old die from diarrheal diseases due to unclean water or poor sanitary conditions. According to asurvey conducted by LIXIL Group and Oxford Economics, the economic impact of poor sanitation
amounted to $223 billion annually as of 2015.
As part of the declaration, LIXIL Group, the World Toilet Organization, Saraya, and the ANA BLUE WING
Program believe that in order to realize SDG 6, affordable and sustainable innovations and solutions
must be brought to market, and that Japan has an important role to play owing to its unique andadvanced toilet culture. The World Toilet Organization, LIXIL Group, Saraya, and the ANA BLUE WING
Program will utilize their accumulated knowledge and expertise to promote activities aimed at resolving
sanitation issues around the world.
Speaking at the Tokyo event, World Toilet Organization founder and CEO, Jack Sim, said, “Toilets areculture. With good toilet culture, behavior change will come. Japan has successfully exported many
aspects of its culture to the world, for example manga, Japanese food, kaizen; now is the time forJapan’s toilet culture. Today’s declaration is the first step. We call upon others in Japan to join thismovement. This will bring many benefits to those in the world who lack proper sanitation, and alsoenhance Japan’s soft power.”

1

LIXIL Group Executive Officer and Senior Managing Director, Jin Montesano, said, “At LIXIL we believethat access to safe and hygienic sanitation is a basic human right, and that the knowledge andtechnologies exist to tackle this problem. We are committed to playing our part to bring innovative andsustainable solutions to market, such as the SATO range of affordable toilet products, and enhancing
coordination with other Japanese stakeholders in line with today’s declaration.”
As a global leader in sanitary ware and water technology, LIXIL Group has pledged to improve access tosanitation for 100 million people by 2020. To achieve this, the company has established a dedicatedbusiness called Social Sanitation Initiatives that is developing and bringing to market innovativetechnologies aimed at the base of the pyramid. Among these is the SATO range of affordable toilet
solutions, which are already trusted and used by more than six million people in over 15 countries inAfrica, Asia, and Latin America.

-Ends-About LIXIL
LIXIL Corporation is a global leader in housing and building materials products and services. The foundation of LIXIL’s
success is our constant investment in technological innovation to improve the way we live. Delivering core strengths inwater, housing, building and kitchen technologies, our brand portfolio businesses LIXIL, GROHE, American Standard
Brands and Permasteelisa are leaders in the industries and regions in which they operate. LIXIL produces some of theworld’s most fundamental and innovative products and services, and our solutions are an integral part of some of theworld’s most iconic and cutting-edge living and working spaces. Operating in more than 150 countries, and employing
more than 80,000 people, we bring together function, quality and design to make people’s lives better, and moredelightful – wherever they are.
About LIXIL Group
LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company containing LIXIL Corporation, LIXIL VIVACORPORATION and LIXIL Housing Research Institute, Ltd. The Group, which is led by President and CEO Kinya Seto, isinvolved in a broad spectrum of housing-related businesses, ranging from the manufacture and sales of building
materials and housing equipment to the operation of home centers and a network of homebuilding franchises, andcomprehensive real estate service. LIXIL Group Corporation posted ¥1.89 trillion in consolidated sales in FYE March 2016.

2

TOKYO, JAPAN, 17 November 2017

World Toilet Organization

Japan Declaration on Sanitation & Hygiene
ENDORSERS:The World Toilet
Organization

LIXIL Group
Corporation

On the occasion of World Toilet Day 2017, we, the World Toilet Organization (WTO),
convened leading Japanese companies who share our commitment to tackling thepersistent and growing challenges facing global sanitation and hygiene. WTO andcompanies LIXIL Group, SARAYA Co., Ltd. and ANA Holdings Inc. BLUE WING
Program met to elevate awareness and understanding of this important issue anddiscuss the role that Japan can play to enable universal access to safe and clean
sanitation. These leading companies and WTO confirmed their commitment toaddressing the issue by signing the new Japan Declaration on Sanitation & Hygiene.
PRINCIPLES:SARAYA Co., Ltd.

ANA Holdings Inc.
BLUE WING Program

By endorsing this declaration, we recognize that today, despite the availability ofinnovative products, technologies, and solutions, some 2.3 billion people worldwide
still live without access to proper sanitation. Approximately 892 million people stillpractice open defecation, while 800 children under the age of five die every day fromdiarrheal diseases caused by dirty water, contamination and disease related to living
conditions created by poor sanitation.
We fully support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), in particulartarget 6.2, “By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation andhygiene for all and an end to open defecation, paying special attention to the needs ofwomen and girls and those in vulnerable situations.”
We note that, although significant contributions have been made by a variety of publicand private stakeholders, progress in tackling the sanitation and hygiene challenge
remains slow.
We believe, with the unique and advanced knowledge, technology and expertise thatJapanese companies possess in the field of sanitary ware and in particular toilets,
Japan can make a significant contribution in the development and offer of innovative
solutions to improving access to sanitation and hygiene across the world.
COMMITMENTS:
By leveraging our unique expertise, resources, skills, and networks, endorsersof the declaration commit to doing our part to:● Maintain and expand programs to develop innovative toilet and sanitation
solutions targeted toward the base of the pyramid and bring these to market
in a sustainable way, leveraging the high standards and technical expertise ofJapan’s unique toilet culture.
● Actively engage representatives in governments, development agencies andnon-governmental stakeholders to enable the trialing, testing and monitoringof such solutions in countries working to improve access to sanitation andhygiene.
● Enhance coordination on SDG 6 at the national and international level to work
more efficiently and effectively together and strengthen the contribution thatJapan is making.
● Enhance awareness-raising and advocacy initiatives to bring greater
recognition of the need for a multi-stakeholder approach and to build broadbased support.