The Honda Foundation was established in December 1977 by donations from the founder of Honda Motor Company, Soichiro Honda, and his younger brother, Benjiro. The Foundation was established as a result of the first DISCOVERIES International Symposium that had been held the previous year.
DISCOVERIES is the acronym for "Definition and Identification Studies on Conveyance of Values, Effects and Risks Inherent in Environment Synthesis." At this first symposium issues on how to harmonize human activities with the earth's environment were actively discussed from the perspective of a broad range of different fields. The response to this approach was huge with mounting requests to continue and expand these discussions. The Foundation was thus established in 1977 to address these issues.