A manga based on Better Place CEO Morimoto’s book “How to Create a Future Without Money Worries,” “The Story of Nurturing Corporate Pensions,” is now available.
Better Place, Inc. Press Release: October 3, 2025 “The Story of Nurturing Corporate Pensions,” a manga based on the book “How to Create a Future Without Money Worries” by Better Place CEO Morimoto, has been released.
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“Understanding Through Manga! “Why is Hagukumi Corporate Pension So Popular? The Story of Hagukumi Corporate Pension” Published
URL:https://bpcom.jp/hagukumikikin/manga_ep02/?utm_source=other&utm_medium=web
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/74850/141/74850-141-dd890923b63c75a32c2d901f45c0158a-1190×1684.jpg ■Background and Purpose of Releasing the Manga Book In June 2025, our CEO, Mr. Morimoto, published his first book, “How to Create a Future Without Money Worries: Taking on the Challenge of Mutual Aid to Create a World Where Everyone Can Have Dignity.” This book tells the story of how Morimoto founded Hagukumi Corporate Pension, inspired by his childhood experiences of poverty and driven by his strong desire to “provide financial support to people who work hard every day and lead ordinary lives, eliminating their financial worries.” It also chronicles the growth of Hagukumi Corporate Pension, which has become needed by small and medium-sized businesses across the country, and has grown to over 100,000 subscribers and over 4,000 corporations in just seven years since its founding. This time, a manga version of the story of the creation of Hagukumi Corporate Pension has been created based on this book. By using manga to help readers understand the system’s structure and benefits, as well as the background and thoughts behind it that are difficult to convey through numbers alone, we have created content that is easy to understand and engaging even for those who find finance and corporate pensions difficult. We aim to inspire companies and their employees to approach money in a positive way.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/74850/141/74850-141-e1019efb7576a6fb593d620ae830e632-1447×2047.jpg ■Publication location You can view it on the service introduction site “Hagukumi Corporate Pension Navi,” the official Hagukumi Corporate Pension Instagram, and the “Hagukumi Corporate Pension” app (a corporate pension digital transformation system developed and provided by Better Place for subscribers). ・“Hagukumi Corporate Pension
Navigation” https://bpcom.jp/hagukumikikin/manga_ep02/?utm_source=other&utm_medium=web ・”Hagukumi Corporate Pension Navi” official Instagram ・”Haguku ONE” app (accessible from the top banner) ・”Resources/Manga/Videos” section in the “Haguku ONE” app ※Can be viewed from smartphones and PCs. There are currently no plans to distribute a paper copy. ■Book information Book Title: “How to Create a Future Without Money Worries: Taking on the Challenge of Mutual Aid to a World Where Everyone Can Have Dignity” Author: Shinji Morimoto, President and CEO, Better Place Co., Ltd. Publication date: June 25, 2025 Price: 1,650 yen (tax included) Publisher: Gentosha ISBN: 9784344044470 Amazon:
https://amzn.asia/d/1tSrYBh Rakuten Books:
https://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/18257112/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/74850/141/74850-141-de2f276f1b3d95147e0b2bb8f42e8a54-614×958.jpg ■About Hagukumi Corporate Pension Japan is currently experiencing a chronic labor shortage due to a declining working population caused by a declining and super-aging population. Furthermore, the most common reason young workers leave their jobs is financial reasons*1, and the number one concern for the working generation regarding retirement is money*2. Economic disparities arising from the size of the company one works for and the region one lives in have a significant impact on future asset formation and retirement savings. In order to primarily support small and medium-sized enterprises and their employees, we are promoting the introduction of the “Hagukumi Corporate Pension” corporate pension system, which benefits both companies and employees. “Hagukumi Corporate Pension” is a defined benefit (DB) plan that is open to employees (including non-regular employees) and executives who are insured under the Employees’ Pension Insurance. It allows employers to build corporate pension and retirement benefit systems while keeping costs down. We have received feedback that enhancing corporate pension and retirement benefit systems has led to increased employee satisfaction and reduced turnover. It has been particularly well-received as a “financial benefit” that allows employees to work with peace of mind in small and medium-sized enterprises and the welfare industry, where labor shortages are becoming increasingly serious. The benefits for employees include no need for complex investment knowledge and a guaranteed principal*³. Furthermore, compared to corporate DC (corporate defined contribution pension) and iDeCo (individual defined contribution pension), which generally require employees to be 60 or older to receive benefits, this plan is also based on the idea of saving for asset formation in old age. However, rather than receiving the benefits as a pension, employees can choose to receive them upon retirement, on leave, or during childcare or nursing care leave. This has made it popular with employees who anticipate childcare or nursing care in the future. Currently, 96% of adopters are small and medium-sized businesses with 300 or fewer employees*4, and approximately 40% are in the welfare, medical, or education sectors*5. *³If a shortfall occurs based on operational performance, the employer will make up the shortfall. Service introduction site URL: https://bpcom.jp/hagukumikikin/ (Source) *¹Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare: Overview of the 2023 Youth Employment Survey
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/dl/4-21c-jyakunenkoyou-r05_gaikyou.pdf *²Financial Services Agency, Financial System Council, Market Working Group Report, “Asset Formation and Management in an Aging Society,” June 2019 https://www.fsa.go.jp/singi/singi_kinyu/tosin/20190603.html *⁴This applies to 2,849 corporations that have implemented the system between April 2018 and September 2024, for which records of the number of employees’ pension insurance beneficiaries are available. *⁵Achievements from April 2018 to September 2024 (present) Image
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/74850/141/74850-141-9058acbd3b714f16888c88b9d58706dc-1175×646.png *Number of offices and subscribers: As of the end of June 2025 *Average personal contribution: As of the end of September 2024 *Based on average participation rate calculation Period: Introduced corporations in the most recent year (October 2023 to September 2024) (1,602 corporations/1,665 business establishments) Enrollment rate: Actual number of enrollees / Eligible number (number of insured persons deemed eligible for enrollment) ■Better Place Co., Ltd. Our corporate philosophy is “Through business, we create a society where parents and children can have hope.” We strive to create a society where ordinary people, even those not in the wealthy, can “work without worrying about money” and “be themselves.” Despite the important work they do that supports society, many employees of small and medium-sized businesses and essential workers do not earn as much as those working for large companies. Furthermore, because their employers often do not offer corporate pension or retirement plans, they are unable to fully enjoy their benefits. Worrying about future finances can lead to a decline in quality of life (QOL) and a psychological state in which you cannot feel secure in having and raising children, even if you want to. The “hope gap” for the future—Better Place is working to solve this issue. Provision of the corporate pension digital transformation system “Hug One” “Welfare Development Corporate Pension Fund” Corporate pension/retirement allowance system introduction design and support Corporate defined contribution pension introduction design and support Company Name: Better Place Co., Ltd. Address: Sumitomo Ichigaya Building 15F, 1-1 Ichigaya Honmuracho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Representative: Shinji Morimoto, Representative Director and President, Naruki Furuichi, Representative Director and COO Established: October 17, 2011 URL: https://bpcom.jp/ [Recruitment Information] At Better Place, we’re looking for people to join us in building a better future. If you’re even slightly interested, please feel free to contact us. Click here for recruitment information: https://bpcom.jp/recruit/
