--- description: Building a Better Place to Work title: Global Kigyo - TIME - Partner Content - Building a Better Place to Work image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt53acc5702504ace4/6a45ccc978ebb76f76708d7e/Page_11_image_2.png?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9%2Coffset-x0.00%2Coffset-y0.00 --- # Building a Better Place to Work  Nodaki’s newest products are at the forefront of workplace reform in Japan.  In recent years, “workplace reform” has become a major topic of discussion, particularly within the manufacturing sector. Making sites safer, cleaner and easier to work in has become an increasingly pressing concern as employers grapple with looming labor shortages. In Japan, the issue is especially pronounced due to rising temperatures and an aging population. Japan’s increasingly severe summers have made heatstroke a growing challenge across industrial workplaces, particularly in factories and outdoor worksites where air conditioning is limited, with close to 100,000 heatstroke-related hospitalizations recorded annually. After repeatedly hearing accounts of workers collapsing from heat exhaustion, trading house Nodaki began searching for practical solutions. The Nagoya-based company, founded in 1907, has played a role in supporting Japan’s industrial development for more than a century, working hand-in-hand with suppliers and clients to identify the best products and solutions for individual needs. With teams spread across Japan visiting client sites daily, Nodaki has become increasingly focused on promoting awareness around healthier workplace practices and introducing practical solutions to improve well-being. “I frequently visit client sites, and have heard firsthand about workers falling ill due to heatstroke,” said President Noritsugu Noda. “Many factories do not have sufficient air conditioning, and we found that staff are lacking in salt and electrolytes. After consulting with a large confectionery maker, we came up with an easy-to-use product for factory workers, contributing to their health and wellbeing.” Those concerns ultimately led to the creation of the company’s latest product, “Genba no Aibou,” a vitamin- and electrolyte-infused jelly designed for workers operating in harsh environments. Nodaki has already received strong feedback on the new product, alongside its lineup of GABA-enhanced probiotics and specially designed insoles for workers who spend long hours on their feet. A common thread running through these products is fatigue reduction, an area Nodaki is keen to promote as it further expands into overseas markets. “As we already have an office in Thailand, we are now looking at regions such as India, Vietnam and Indonesia. With products made in Japan and the E.U., we believe we can leverage our strong reputations surrounding quality and logistics channels in these regions,” said Noda.  Global Kigyo - TIME - Partner Content - Building a Better Place to Work ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/building-a-better-place-to-work/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/building-a-better-place-to-work/"},"headline":"Building a Better Place to Work","datePublished":"2026-07-02T02:31:38.508Z","dateModified":"2026-07-02T02:30:59.904Z","description":"Building a Better Place to Work","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/building-a-better-place-to-work/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/building-a-better-place-to-work/","name":"Building a Better Place to Work"}}]}] ```