Fulfilling our mission as a "Public Entity of Society"

Recently I was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board of Councillors, and I am determined to make every effort to contribute as best I can.

Since March 11, everything has completely changed in society and in the economy of our country. On this occasion, I would like to express my most sincere sympathy to all of the people who have been affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Almost 5 months have passed since the earthquake occurred, but I believe that we still have to brace ourselves for the long road that lies ahead to recovery and reconstruction.

In the wake of this earthquake disaster, I was again reminded that if there is a breakdown in even one part of the supply chain, companies are forced to suspend operations and it is very difficult to complete the restoration work. Also, I felt great concern that the confidence which our customers place in the quality and safety we provide might unexpectedly collapse. I think that it is extremely important for us to work out countermeasures, assuming that we may encounter even more difficult circumstances, and at the same time, be well-prepared for things to occur that are beyond our assumptions. I also believe that being flexible in our thinking, we need to take this opportunity to review how well we are prepared in all of our operating sites.

Facing this current crisis, we are now being asked what the essential role of a company is - what we should do as a "Public Entity of Society." In addition to lending assistance to people in the afflicted areas, the most important responsibility that a company has is to restore itself to normal operations as soon as possible, and to provide the products and services which communities need. I believe that the contribution we make through our business activities will be lasting and will lead to further progress, and will certainly help the people in the afflicted areas return to normalcy.

What we should especially pay close attention to is finding solutions to environment and energy problems. People are looking for us to come up with innovative initiatives to deal with the earthquake disaster. We need to establish an advanced model for the efficient use of energy through various initiatives, including initiatives that promote the widespread use of equipment which "creates, stores and saves energy," and initiatives that propose new lifestyles in which we effectively manage such equipment. I believe this is a mission that companies must pursue.

In the past as well, Japan experienced numerous crises, including the situation we faced in reconstruction after World War II, the oil crisis, the recession caused by the strong yen, and the collapse of the bubble economy. However, we overcame those difficulties with the technology and knowhow we acquired, and through the persistent efforts we made. It is my strong belief that we have the fundamental strength to overcome the very difficult situation we are facing today. Now is the time for us to collect wisdom from all across Japan, and do what it takes to survive the crisis we face, a crisis that is truly national in scope. I certainly believe that it is we in industry who must take the lead in this endeavor.