Noriko Ishizaka
President of Ishizaka Inc.
Born in Tokyo in 1972. In 1992 she joined Ishizaka Inc. founded by her father. When the media reported that crops near Tokorozawa City in Saitama Prefecture had been contaminated with dioxin, Ms. Ishizaka approached her father about taking over from him, saying: “I will change the company.” She became president in 2002 with the aim of establishing a company where employees would want their own children to work. Leveraging female sensibility and innovative intelligence, Ms. Ishizaka transformed the industrial waste management system based on an approach of “visualization, the five senses, and ISO.” Ms. Ishizaka has received numerous awards, including the Nikkei Woman of the Year Award in the Passionate Business Leader category, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun’s “35th Special Award” and “Excellent in Business Award,” Zaikai magazine’s “2018 Management Award” and the “Social Innovation Award” as part of AVON Awards to Women 2018. She is a member of the 2017 Expert Committee on the Promotion of Environmental Education (Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and serves as a director of the Saitama Environmental Industry Promotion Association.
Judge’s selections
New Resource Product Prize
Fair, circular solar panel
Biosphere Solar
New Resource Product Prize
The Fossilizator
Néolithe
New Fair Trade Coffee Prize
Mikafi Roasting Platform
Mikafi GmbH
New Type Natural Capital Prize
True Circulation; death connects birth.
Group：Keio University SFC, BIOTA inc.
The unique point of view expressed here is that we have the option of becoming a natural resource ourselves as members of a free society. This addresses social issues in Japan such as the allocation of land for cemeteries and the long-term management of graves. There will likely be some legal issues around burial laws, but I hope these can be resolved so that this unique idea becomes widely circulated.
Eco Friendly Product Prize
Toothpaste Paper & Bamboo Toothbrush as a earth friendly choice
HOWA.INC / MiYO Organic
Among so many products, here’s one with real global potential. Toothpaste Paper reduces plastic use by 98% and makes you wonder what would happen if we made the switch to paper worldwide. It’s also lighter and more portable, which can help to reduce the environmental impact of the hotel and travel industries. The idea of toothpaste that doesn’t come out of a tube has applications to other products such as paint. I wanted to try it for myself, but unfortunately it was sold out when I went to buy it. Hopefully there’s enough demand for it to reach the mass market in the future.