Promoting a Diverse Work Environment
Respecting Diversity and Equal Opportunity
At Nintendo, we respect human rights and hire talent, regardless of sex, age, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. We practice fair treatment and evaluation of employees based on the skills they demonstrate, supporting them to perform to the best of their ability. As our consumers' interests and preferences continue to diversify in the world of entertainment, leveraging a diverse workforce is crucial for raising the collective strength of the company.
In September 2018, we formulated the Nintendo Human Rights Policy, with reference to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This policy was adopted by a Board of Directors decision after receiving advice from an external expert. All employees are notified of the policy, which is included in the codes of conduct and compliance manuals for each country. It is also introduced to new employees of Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japan), as part of their training. Training on human rights is also conducted at our overseas subsidiaries. For example, at Nintendo of America, employees receive annual training on our Code of Business Conduct. Nintendo of America also conducts ongoing training and education on human rights for employees engaged with our supply chain and business partners. At Nintendo of Europe, in addition to training for new employees on the Code of Conduct, all employees receive training on Germany’s General Equal Treatment Act.*1 Nintendo Australia also regularly provides training on the Australian Modern Slavery Act*2 for all employees.
- *1 General Equal Treatment Act
- Legislation governing the prevention and elimination of discrimination based on race, religion, age, disability and sexual orientation.
- *2 Modern slavery act
- Laws that are enforced (in European countries including the U.K., and in Australia, etc.) to inhibit companies from becoming involved in modern slavery such as human trafficking, forced labor and sexual exploitation.
Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Introduction of a Partnership System
At Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japan), we want to create a work environment that supports and empowers each and every one of our unique employees.
We introduced the Partnership System in March 2021 as one initiative based on this philosophy. Although same-sex marriages are not currently recognized under Japanese law, this system ensures employees who are in a domestic partnership with a same-sex partner have the same benefits as employees in an opposite-sex marriage. We have also established that a common-law marriage between couples will be observed in the same way as a legal marriage.
In the Code of Conduct for our employees, we had already established that “we do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, nationality, ideology, religion, creed, origin, social status, class, occupation, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity,” prohibiting all forms of discrimination. In addition to introducing the Partnership System, we revised our internal regulations regarding harassment to clearly prohibit discriminatory comments based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as disclosing someone's privately held sexual orientation against their will.
Alongside the introduction of the Partnership System in Japan, we notified our employees about the issue of gender diversity with a message from our President as a means of raising awareness of what diversity means. In this message, the President called for all employees to adopt a renewed understanding that even speech and actions, which are not intended to harm, can cause significant emotional pain, asking for understanding and support to create an environment in which everyone can work comfortably.
By improving our company systems and conducting training, we will continue our work to create an environment where each of our many diverse employees can fully realize their talents.
Nintendo of America Inc.
Supporting Employees' Development and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Nintendo of America has provided a variety of virtual learning and engagement opportunities for employees. We offered employees a self-serve online education platform that provided optional video courses taught by industry experts in areas related to software, creative and business fields.
We also continue to offer Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) resources, including our ongoing “Disrupting Everyday Bias” virtual course, which helps employees understand how to identify unconscious biases and address them in everyday life.
In 2020, we hosted a variety of special forums in which attendees were able to share and listen to a wide range of personal and professional stories. Employees were exposed to a number of perspectives and conversations that helped deepen awareness of and appreciation for our different life experiences.
Employees were also invited to participate in a learning program to better understand how to engage in active practices designed to eliminate racism in all its forms. Hundreds of Nintendo of America employees participated and committed to taking action on a daily basis.
Employee Comment
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Like Corporate Social Responsibility, DEI is more than the work of a single person or team. Our DEI work took a significant leap forward in 2015 when Nintendo of America employees came together to create our Employee Resource Groups (ERG). Around this time, we also organized and began acting on our first official “Diversity and Inclusion” strategy. It was largely people-focused, centered on recruiting, and continued to support the development of our ERGs.
In 2020, we launched a new program, the “Forum for Understanding.” The Forum became a space to build trust through listening and learning. One conversation led to another, and today, our DEI Forums have become an avenue for ongoing learning as we share new perspectives.
We’ve also assembled a group of Nintendo of America leaders responsible for various aspects of DEI as part of their everyday duties. This DEI Council works with our Executive Leadership Team to ensure close alignment with the organization’s overall business objectives, and helps support and promote our DEI strategy.
Nintendo of America’s DEI strategy is organized into three pillars: People, Product and Process. These pillars help focus our DEI work and touch all areas, including how we recruit and invest in our employees, how we contribute to creating products that can be enjoyed by our many diverse consumers, and how we drive connections that help facilitate our DEI activities across the business.
People, Product, Process – three simple words, but in practice, concepts that require tremendous thoughtfulness and diligence. Going forward, we will continue broadening and deepening our efforts in each of these areas, integrating DEI principles into our business strategies and goals, and supporting the communities in which we live.

Human Resources
Nintendo of America Inc.
Nintendo of America Inc.
Initiatives for Diversity Through Employee Resource Groups
At Nintendo of America, we have established Employee Resource Groups (ERG) to drive initiatives that encourage mutual understanding and fellowship among our employees in which they come together based on their shared backgrounds, experiences and interests. These various groups support activities that promote DEI.
One ERG, Black at Nintendo Dialogue (B@ND), works to champion inclusivity through community outreach, employee engagement and talent acquisition. B@ND researches and creates volunteer opportunities for Nintendo of America and its employees to engage with the Black community and raise awareness of the company's DEI commitment.
In FY 2021, B@ND engaged in a variety of activities, including sponsoring charitable giving campaigns that featured the Northwest African American Museum (Seattle), Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (New York) and Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco). In 2021, complementing the Black History Month campaign theme of “Mind, Body and Soul,” B@ND focused on total wellness through activities that included boxing, dancing, cooking and health screenings offered in partnership with the onsite employee clinic. The month’s activities also featured a webinar discussion with Look, Listen and Learn, an organization that produces television programming aimed at elevating the importance of diverse representation in education.
In addition, B@ND provides opportunities and platforms for employees to have open conversations around DEI-related events and topics. Monthly meetings offer an opportunity to discuss a variety of topics ranging from popular culture, music artists and prominent issues in health and wellness such as mental health and the impact of COVID-19 in the Black community. To commemorate the celebration of Juneteenth on June 19, B@ND led activities that educated employees on the significance of the holiday and how they too could celebrate through food, fun and connection.
In support of diverse talent acquisition, B@ND attends recruiting events, such as AfroTech and the Game Developers of Color Conference, to increase the pipeline of diverse candidates.
Promoting Women’s Careers at Nintendo
Nintendo recruits and promotes employees regardless of gender or other factors. Empowering women is one important way to make the company more competitive, and since the software industry is said to include fewer women in general, we recognize the importance of creating an environment where female employees can give full play to their abilities. We are developing systems suited to the specific circumstances in each country.
Nintendo of America Inc.
Creating Opportunities for Women
At Nintendo of America, our employees come together based on their shared backgrounds, experiences and interests to create a variety of Employee Resource Groups (ERG). These ERGs work to support initiatives that promote DEI. One of our ERGs, Nintendo Women and Allies, continues to support female employees by offering a variety of empowering opportunities to, by and for women.
In 2021, professional development and wellness were key areas of focus for Nintendo Women and Allies. Beginning with Women’s History Month, the group embarked on a four-step learning journey inspired by the theme “Challenge Your Development.” Participants were encouraged to consider their future career goals, identify the skills and experience they need to be ready for opportunities, create a vision and action plan, and connect with others for feedback, mentoring and support. Development areas explored by the group were supported by women in management positions. Nintendo Women and Allies also partnered with fitness and nutrition experts to inspire healthy habits during a wellness campaign week for all employees. This included virtual exercise classes, mindfulness practices and cooking classes. The group also promoted a Women in Government (WIG) panel discussion on Building the Next Generation of STEAM Leaders that was sponsored by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
In addition, Nintendo Women and Allies partnered with Human Resources to produce a new Perspectives on Race Forum: Exploring Identity and Intersectionality, which explored the effect of being both a woman and a person of color. The employee panelists were women who carry multiple identities and the discussion helped raise awareness about the many dimensions of what it means to be a woman and the impact that race and gender may have when they intersect.

Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Policy on Promoting Women's Careers
Based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace enacted in April 2016 in Japan, Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japan) achieved its goal in FY 2020 of increasing by 5% the cumulative percentage of female hires from the prior five years (FY 2011 to FY 2015, roughly 20%) in the following five years, which started in FY 2016. With the revised Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace that was enacted in April 2020, we are starting new initiatives to increase the total percentage of female full-time employees hired or promoted to at least 30% over five years, starting in FY 2021.