"We are honored to be recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for thirteen consecutive years," comments Michitaka Sawada, President and CEO of Kao Corporation. "Our culture of Integrity has remained the same since Kao began business 130 years ago. We live in times where great volatility and change are the norm and so the demand for leadership in compliance and ethical business is greater than ever before. Integrity will continue to be the cornerstone of our company's existence."

The Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think tank focused on developing and sharing best practices in business ethics and corporate social responsibility. For the World's Most Ethical List, it surveys and evaluates companies the world over in five categories: ethics and compliance programs, corporate citizenship and responsibility, culture of ethics, governance and leadership, and innovation and reputation.

"Kao is the only company in Japan that we have honored on the World's Most Ethical Companies list every year since the award's inception," said Ethisphere's Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Erblich. "It underscores their commitment to integrity that is in tune with increased expectations of society for companies to uphold high ethical standards. We hope Kao will continue to lead their industry across the globe in advancing ethical standards and practices."

The Kao Group will promote its unique ESG (environmental, social and governance) activities on a global level for the wholehearted satisfaction and enrichment of the lives of people worldwide and to contribute to social sustainability.