[NTT WEST]Who is Yui Yachigusa? Midori Ippai Project Activities Annual Environmental Report NTT WEST - Telecommunications and ICT Services and Solutions

"Yui Yachigusa" Appointed as the New Environmental Mascot Character "Yui Yachigusa" Appointed as the New Environmental Mascot Character

To cultivate employees' awareness toward protection of the global environment and boost their sense of participation so as to achieve further development in environmental management, employees were invited to send in entries for NTT West Group's environmental mascot character, and "Yui Yachigusa" produced by Ms. Misaki Umeda of NTT Fieldtechno was chosen. The character of "Yui Yachigusa" was created based on a concept to value the diversity of nature and our connections with other people, and was designed to intuitively convey the importance of the global environment.

By offering the ICT services of NTT West Group through this mascot character, we hope to maintain a global environment that allows mankind to coexist affluently with nature, and to convey the day-to-day efforts that pave the way for our future in a clear and enjoyable way.

Voices of Our Staff

NTT Fieldtechno
Kansai Branch
Plant Department
Engineering Unit
Engineering Promotion IC
Misaki Umeda

Through the different goods and environmental efforts in the past, I came to learn about "Midori Nishino," the former environmental mascot character that was very well known and charming.
I always like to draw illustrations and think of characters, so I applied knowing that I could design a character to take the place of "Midori Nishino."
The experiences I gained from designing Yui Yachigusa has given me the opportunity to think of a design that allows one to feel the environment and nature intuitively.

If I were to simply incorporate my ideas about nature into the character, it would not be possible to produce a consistent or congruent design, and there were many instances where I lost track of what I wanted to express. When I got too fixated on the concept of environment while thinking of a design, I made it a point to go out for a stroll to refresh my mind and look at other things from a broader perspective such as by talking to different people. It was through some random opportunity during the process that made me realize that many things are connected to environment and nature.
It is a completely new and flattering experience to have a professional illustrator draw the character I designed and for it to become the mascot character of the Environmental Management Promotion Office. I gave my best shot and I hope it will catch the attention of many people.

Besides being a character that can be linked intuitively to environment and nature, it is also based on a concept of coexistence and connection between mankind and nature. I hope the character of Yui Yachigusa can help to convey the importance of mutual help between mankind and nature while at the same time allow others to become more familiar with this relationship.
Also, Yui Yachigusa is a lively and cheerful character, so I hope she will cheer up people who see her and play an active role in different fields.