YKK Corporation's Furusato-no-Mori (Hometown Forest) within the Kurobe Manufacturing Center (Kurobe City, Toyama Prefecture) has been designated a Nature Coexistence Site1 by Japan's Ministry of the Environment. Two sites in Toyama Prefecture, including Furusato-no-Mori, were certified out of the 122 sites (in 35 prefectures) certified for the first half of FY2023, the first year of the program.

This designation aligns with the "YKK Group Environmental Vision 2050" to promote coexistence with nature. The goal is to create a "factory in a forest" by planting 20,000 saplings of 20 species native to Kurobe City and restoring the forests and waterside areas on the Kurobe River alluvial fan by the company's 100th anniversary in 2034.

Factors contributing to the designation include:

Conservation efforts informed by local topography and river environment

Measures against non-native species and genetic makeup of the area

Independent and regular monitoring efforts through biological and tree surveys

Utilization as a site for environmental education