Social Contribution Topics 2012

December

"Make Your Own Chopsticks to Carry Along" being Held at KidZania Tokyo

On November 19th, ITOCHU launched "Make Your Own Chopsticks to Carry Along" using home-grown wood at the Eco Shop pavilion of KidZania Tokyo, of which ITOCHU has been an official sponsor.
This activity allows children to design and create their own original, easy-to-use chopsticks by selecting their favorite symbols and characters, inscribing them on their chopsticks with a special carving machine and polishing the chopsticks with a rasp and beeswax. The children can take home the tools so that they can work on their chopsticks at home and maintain and polish them, which has made this activity popular among both boys and girls.
A guardian who visited the pavilion said "My child uses the chopsticks at home for every meal. It was a wonderful activity which has led my child to have environmental awareness."
"Make Your Own Chopsticks to Carry Along" is going to be held until March next year. For details of "Make Your Own Chopsticks to Carry Along", visit:

In December, the symbol tree of the pavilion was redecorated for winter. In addition, Christmas trees and decorations are seen all around KidZania Tokyo.

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Chinese college students on a homestay program

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On December 1 and 2, four Chinese college students stayed at and exchanged with host family homes of four ITOCHU Group employees. This program was part of the "Visit Japanese Enterprises and Feel Japan", activities aimed at having Chinese college students deepen their understanding of Japan. It was the first home stay program in the second term of the activities, for which their contents were enhanced. It seems that the students deepened their understanding of our country by enjoying their host families' company and having meals with young ITOCHU Group employees, for example. At the farewell party held on the day they left Japan, the students said "We want to serve as a bridge between Japan and China."

Charity donations to WFP

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On December 5 and 6, we solicited donations to the UN World Food Program (WFP) in the reception area on the 1st basement floor of the Tokyo Headquarters and collected a total of 365,261 yen. At the venue, panels showing WFP's activities were displayed, and a limited number of special Santa Claus dolls were given to donators on a first-come and first-served basis. The money donated by the large number of ITOCHU employees will be used by WFP for activities around the world for eradicating hunger.

Employee volunteers support quake victims

During the four-day period between December 13 and 16, employees of the ITOCHU Group participated in the thirteenth volunteer action by ITOCHU Group employees to support the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. This time, the activities included interactions and joint work with disaster victims in the Takata district of Rikuzentakata. The disaster victims told the participants what it was like at the time of the occurrence of the disaster and their recent situations. This motivated all the participants to work harder in their volunteer activities. Above all, the volunteers were impressed by words from a person from the affected area, who said "We want people to come here. We would even welcome those who come just to have a look. We don't want to be forgotten."

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Japan Red Cross blood drive at the Tokyo Headquarters

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On December 19, the Japan Red Cross blood drive was held at the Tokyo Headquarters. Many employees including those from group companies came to the venue to offer their blood. A total of 97 people donated their blood this time, although people may not be allowed to donate their blood due to their health conditions on the day, period when they stayed overseas, or local regulations.

ITOCHU Korea Participate in Forest Clean Up on Mt. Gwanak

Park Jin Seong
ITOCHU Korea LTD.

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Park Jin Seong
ITOCHU Korea LTD.

CSR volunteer activities are a regular occurrence at ITOCHU Korea. Our sixth round of volunteer activities was held on September 1, and saw 25 employees from ITOCHU Korea and operating companies take part in a Mt. Gwanak forest care volunteer activity. Mt. Gwanak is a famous mountain among those that encircle Seoul, and is home to many cultural resources, such as Wongaksa Temple, Yeonjuam Hermitage, Sammaksa Temple, and Gwaneumsa Temple. The mountain is a favorite destination for city dwellers looking for a short getaway, but is also highly prized from an ecological preservation standpoint. Waterways are extremely important for mountains. Removing earth, sand and fallen leaves from them helps to prevent landslides triggered by rainfall, and also helps protect the surrounding ecosystem.

In the Mt. Gwanak forest care activity, ITOCHU Korea was responsible for cleaning the local waterways. Our team was joined by seven volunteers from the main sponsor of the event. Men and women alike took shovels in hand and worked hard to clear clogged waterways of dirt and leaves. Part of our work included carting dirt and leaves away to a flat area to avoid having them clog up waterways again after the next rainfall.

When the work was finished and we came down from the mountain, we looked like we had all been working in a coal mine, since our faces and bodies were darkened with a mixture of dirt and sweat. There were also a lot of people who found that their arms and legs had been attacked by mosquitoes.

It was harder than I thought to shovel the waterways clear as the sand and dirt was mixed in with tree roots and other material. But all of us who took part found ourselves smiling with satisfaction when we saw those clear waterways flowing.

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This year ITOCHU KOREA held its 6th volunteer activity

November

Employee volunteers support quake victims

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During the four-day period between November 8 and 11, employees of the ITOCHU Group participated in the twelfth volunteer action by ITOCHU Group employees to support the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Thirteen employees worked hard for clearing ditches, sorting debris, etc. near the former city hall of Rikuzentakata. While the employees were working, a person from an affected area said "Thank you" to them. After their three days of efforts for clearing ditches, which had been buried in soil and sand since immediately after the disaster, water finally started running again through them.

ITOCHU ran a booth with the MOTTAINAI Campaign at a jazz concert for children

On November 10, ITOCHU Corporation sponsored the "Kodomo no tame no jazz concert", an annual jazz concert for children held at Roppongi Hills, and exhibited a booth in collaboration with the MOTTAINAI Campaign, a worldwide environmental initiative. At the booth, children created their own furoshiki (Japanese wrapping cloth) using recycled materials.
The jazz concert drew about 1,500 people including elementary and junior high school students and their guardians, who enjoyed listening to authentic jazz. The jazz band also performed with elementary school children from an area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. This year, booths jointly run by companies and NPOs or other organizations were exhibited at the venue for the first time. The workshop held at the booth run by ITOCHU Corporation and MOTTAINAI Campaign was attended by more than 50 participants, or above the specified upper limit.
The participants included a two-year old baby, and not only children but also their guardians enjoyed creating their own furoshiki by using stamps of their choice. We believe that the workshop allowed them to feel the spirit of MOTTAINAI.
Children made bags by using their own furoshiki and they were first surprised at the execution of their own works. When the look of surprise turned into a proud smile, people around them applauded and smiled automatically.

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Borneo Tree-Planting Tour

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On November 22 to 27, the 4th Borneo Tree-Planting Tour was held and 18 ITOCHU Group employees from Japan and other countries participated in the tour. The first trees were planted three years ago, and the participants confirmed that some of the trees had grown large. In the burning heat, all the participants worked hard, aiming to plant 20 trees each, with a wish for reforestation. They also encountered a wild orangutan, which made all of them recognize the importance of conserving the natural ecosystems.

Small Concert of Ms. Mariko Miyagi and Nemunoki Gakuen Chorus

On November 29 and 30, a small lunchtime concert entitled "Mariko Miyagi and Nemunoki Children" was held as a special event at the head office of ITOCHU Corporation, to commemorate the Nemunoki Children and Mariko Art Exhibition, the first exhibition at the ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE.
The concert was held immediately before December 1, the anniversary of the establishment of ITOCHU Corporation. We had a valuable opportunity to hear from Ms. Mariko Miyagi that Chubei Itoh II went to Shizuoka to visit her by himself when she founded Nemunoki Gakuen 45 years ago and that he was the first supporter of Nemunoki Gakuen.
This allowed our staff members to reaffirm the significance of the fact that we as ITOCHU Corporation could continue to support Nemunoki Gakuen at Aoyama, Tokyo, by succeeding the spirit of Chubei Itoh II.

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ITOCHU Latin America, S.A. Participates in Reforestation Activity in Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces

Lilly Garay
ITOCHU Latin America, S.A.

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Lilly Garay
ITOCHU Latin America, S.A.

Based on the proposal of our colleague Arturo Sanchez, ITOCHU Latin America, S.A. (ILASA) decided to engage in CSR activities in October. After examining our options, we made contact with ANCON, which is a private non-profit organization founded in 1985 to conserve biodiversity and natural resources. ANCON has a program called "Reduce your carbon footprint with ANCON." We chose to participate in a reforestation activity in Parque Nacional Camino de Cruces. We were assigned an area of 500 m2 to plant 300 trees.

We arrived at the park very early, and were transported to the assigned area by pick-up truck. The adventure on the pick-up truck was exciting as the road was very rough. Many of us were screaming all the way. Our task was to plant the trees in holes (mahogany among others). I was taking pictures, so I was the cleanest at first, but I finished up just as muddy as all the others. Each of us planted about 5-20 trees. We were exhausted as the humidity was very high. However, the feeling of doing something good for the reforestation of our planet, even just planting a small tree, was priceless.

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41 members of ILASA including families

Message from ANCON

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We are pleased to provide our collaborators from ILASA with recreation space, environmental education and an opportunity to contribute to conservation efforts through a planned tour to the Camino de Cruces National Park, a protected area and buffer site of the Canal Watershed of Panama. We want our collaborators from ILASA to be aware of the importance of taking steps to mitigate polluting factors and prevent natural resource depletion.

October

An Eco Bag Contest Being Held at the Eco Shop of KidZania Tokyo

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At the Eco Shop of KidZania Tokyo, an ecological pavilion officially sponsored by ITOCHU Corporation, activities related to eco bags were started in August. As a part of the activities, the Eco Bag Design Contest is held every month. Based on the theme "a design which permits long use of the bag", children have reflected their unique views of the world in the elaborate designs of bags they created. The bags also let you imagine that children enjoy making them by imagining how they use the bags -- as gifts for their friends or families or second bags to bring to school, for example -- in addition to enjoying creating the designs. The contest will be until November.
In October, the symbol tree of the pavilion was redecorated for autumn. The color shades, which remind you of autumn leaves and apple tree, express bright autumn.

Employee volunteers support quake victims

During the four-day period between October 11 and 14, employees of the ITOCHU Group participated in the eleventh volunteer action by ITOCHU Group employees to support the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. 12 employees worked hard for clearing ditches, sorting debris, etc. Following the volunteer activities on the 12th, the employees visited Otomo Elementary School in Rikuzen-Takata City and also had an exchange with the Otomo-cho Volleyball & Sports Youth Team. These activities started when a part of the funds raised in the in-house fund-raising activities was donated to the Youth League for purchasing volleyballs. The employees spent an active day with children, practicing volleyball and playing games.

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Autumn Nature Observation Tour Held in Akiruno City!

On October 20, a nature observation tour was held in Yokosawairi area of Akiruno City, to which a total of 18 employees and their families participated. Grasshoppers, mantes, red dragonflies, and spiders...Children who ran on paths along rice field went home with a lot of hittsukimushi sticking on their outfit. There were groups who came to harvest rice on the day, and grownups enjoyed the landscapes of Satoyama inhabited by many plants and animals with a nostalgic feeling, while children found many wonders in the natural environment. By the way, hittsukimushi is a species of bush clover, pig's knee, etc., of which the seeds are distributed by hooking onto clothes of the people, etc.

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Opening Ceremony Held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

The opening ceremony for ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE was held on October 26, at 10a.m. The ceremony turned out to be a friendly and calm occasion under the clear sky, participated by Ms. Mariko Miyagi, the President of Nemunoki Gakuen that hosted the first exhibition Nemunoki Children and Mariko Art Exhibition and also the exhibition director, along with children of the school. All is cordially invited to visit the Nemunoki Children and Mariko Art Exhibition, which is scheduled to be held until December 25.

Related films

Website of ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

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ITOCHU India:Shining Light ("Jyoti") on Children with Disabilities by Donating to Their Care Home

Harish Milwani
ITOCHU India Pvt. Ltd.

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Writer, Harish Milwani In front of the Jeevan Jyoti Home

ITOCHU India Pvt. Ltd., (IIPL) India office has been contributing old cloths and food to a care home run by the Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa, known as Jeevan Jyoti Home. Jeevan Jyoti is a Hindi phrase, which has a very deep meaning! "Jeevan" means life and "Jyoti" means light. This home cares for 82 children with physical and mental disabilities. The children are cared for 24 hours a day by the Missionaries of Charity sisters who perform difficult tasks all day long to care for and nurture these kids. The work is constant and intense, as cleaning, feeding and helping these orphans, all with significant handicaps, is extremely challenging. Everyone at IIPL was warmed and humbled by the terrific work being done at this home for the joy of the small children. The sisters of the Missionaries of Charity are doing unbelievable work. We at IIPL look forward to contributing something to such Missionaries, even though it might be a small step.

September

Fund-Raising Activities Started a Year and a Half after the Great East Japan Earthquake

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On September 11, a year and a half after the Great East Japan Earthquake, ITOCHU Corporation started in-house fund-raising activities at its offices to provide support for areas devastated by the giant earthquake and tsunami. The campaign lasted until September 21, and money was donated by many people, including expatriate employees and ITOCHU Group employees, not to mention directors, executive officers, and employees of ITOCHU Corporation. ITOCHU added the same amount to the final campaign result and donated their sum, which was 607,230 yen, to the Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development (NICCO). NICCO will use the money to support children in the devastated area under the 'Supporting Children's Dreams' project in Tohoku.

For details of the project, visit:

Employee volunteers support quake victims

During September 13 to 16, nine employees participated in the tenth volunteer action by ITOCHU Group employees to support the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In the daytime, the volunteers cut the grass and made flowerbeds in Rikuzentakata. At night, they helped local people in Kesennuma -- the place of their accommodation -- with recovery from the disaster damage by eating and drinking at local restaurants, as ITOCHU volunteers always do. This time, they saw a person from an affected area whom ITOCHU supported in December last year. The person told them about the efforts he makes toward reconstruction. This made the volunteers want to continue the activities in the affected areas further.

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Mr. S, whom ITOCHU supported in December, his son, and grandchildren. Minna no Ie (a house for everybody) is being constructed behind them.

August

A cicada walk

As dusk fell on August 1, twenty-eight employees and their families participated in a walk to observe cicadas emerging in Hibiya Park. Under the guidance of employee volunteers and nature guides, the group observed the cicadas emerging from the ground, crawling up trees, molting and turning into cicadas. Both the adults and the children were surprised and pleased that you could see this happening in the middle of Tokyo. Participants also learnt a lot from the nature guides who explained about the importance of managing all forms of life.

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Employee volunteers support quake victims

During August 9 to 12, thirteen employees participated in the ninth volunteer action by ITOCHU Group employees to support the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In the daytime, the volunteers cleared water channels for paddy fields and engaged in other physical work in Rikuzentakata. At night, they helped local people in Kesennuma -- the place of their accommodation -- with recovery from the disaster damage mainly through interactions with them. This time, ITOCHU volunteers worked jointly with people from other companies and university students. However, when water channels that had been buried in soil and sand due to the disaster were cleared and water started running again, all the volunteers shouted with pleasure and shared the sense of achievement with each other.

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Summer Holiday Class for Children

On August 22, we held a Summer Holiday Class for Children on the 10th floor of the Tokyo head office. A total of 27 children, including students of Aoyama Elementary School, children from the local community, and employees' families, participated in the class. We started to hold this annual event in 1992 as the Summer Holiday Environmental Class. The class for this year, which was the twenty-first, was organized jointly with Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. with expanded content. In the first part of the class, children learned about money, enjoyed quizzes on money, practiced counting banknotes, and actually held up 100 million yen cash. In the second part, they were given explanations about the MOTTAINAI Campaign, enjoyed a picture-story show on pre organic cotton, created eco bags, and finally, were given beetles as gifts. The two-hour class was thus rich in content.
Above all, when real 100 million yen cash was shown to them immediately after a quiz question, "How heavy is 100 million yen?", not only the children but also their parents and guardians let out a cheer. Each one of them actually held up the cash, taking photographs eagerly. In the second part of the class, the participants gave such comments as "I was happy I could express MOTTAINAI with my own hands", "I enjoyed making the eco bag and now I want to do many more eco-friendly activities", "I want to buy products using pre organic cotton as much as possible because I know the hardship of producers." It seems that the class was not only enjoyable for the children but also gave them a good opportunity to start thinking about environmental problems in their own ways and taking actions accordingly. When beetles were offered as gifts at the end of the class, the children looked at the 40 beetles with shining eyes. Thus, the class will be remembered by the children as one of good memories of summer holidays.

  • Pre Organic Cotton: Cotton produced by farmers during a period required for the certificate of completing transition to organic production

[Reference]For details of the Pre Organic Cotton Program, visit:

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ITOCHU Singapore Activities With Under-privileged Children And the Elderly

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Jacqueline Neo
ITOCHU Singapore

ITOCHU Singapore has organized a Social Committee that provides opportunities for employees to participate in volunteer activities from the perspective of contributing to the local community. Since the year 2010, ITOCHU Singapore had been arranging outings for under-privileged children and also for the elderly.

In 2011, ITOCHU Singapore worked with the Asian Women's Welfare Association (AWWA) to arrange the outings with the under-privileged children and the elderly.

On December 16, 2011, about 10 volunteers from ITOCHU Singapore held a Children's Party at McDonalds for about 30 children. The party started with lunch that came with toys for the children. It was followed with games for the children and the volunteers joined in to encourage and support the children in the games. Balloon sculptures were also given to the children. At the end of the party, each of the children were presented with a goodies bag that consisted of a school bag and stationeries. You could see the expressions of delight and joy on the faces of the children.

On January 13, 2012, an outing with about 40 elderly people was arranged with about 10 volunteers from ITOCHU Singapore. The event started with a sumptuous lunch at the Oasis Restaurant. Following which the participants were taken for a ride on the Singapore Flyer, the world's largest observation wheel. They had a breathtaking, panoramic view of the island which they have never seen before. At the end of the event, the participants were each given a $20 Ang Bao, 2 oranges※ and a goodies bag that included toiletries and food. The volunteers could see the happiness and gratitude on the faces of the elderly participants.

At the end of these two activities, the volunteers realized that there are unfortunate and deprived communities in Singapore. The CSR activities that we organize, though small in magnitude, can go a long way in helping these needy communities.

  • In Singapore, oranges are said to be a lucky fruit that brings good fortune, and there is a custom during Chinese New Year of giving an auspicious even-numbered number of oranges.

Comment from Stakeholder

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From the MacDonald's Party

Mohammad Fandi Adam
Social Worker, Asian Women's Welfare Association (AWWA)
"I am taking this opportunity to thank the ITOCHU Singapore Team for organizing the wonderful MacDonald's Party! The children enjoyed the event and I hope your team did too. The children were also excited with the goodies bags, balloons and toys that they received. Last but not least, we look forward to working together with everyone again in the future."

July

English program at KidZania Tokyo Eco Shop

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ITOCHU is the official sponsor of the Eco Shop pavilion at KidZania Tokyo where the E@K Activity program of activities that are done in English from start to finish launched in July. Intended is to improve the ability to communicate with other people, the E@K Activity program takes place every Thursday at the Eco Shop. The current activity of making your own furoshiki (a Japanese wrapping cloth) has proven very popular.
The symbolic tree at the pavilion has also been redecorated for summer. Japanese furoshiki were used to create summery citrus fruits and to invoke refreshing breezes.

Employee volunteers support quake victims

Twenty-one employees went to Rikuzentakada to participate in the eighth volunteer action by Itochu Group employees to support the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. This time, we had a very varied group of volunteers from ITOCHU companies in North America, Osaka and a group company in Okayama, who all worked up a sweat in Rikuzentakada. Everyone felt that there is still a lot of work where volunteers are needed in the disaster-stricken area and they worked hard to get rice fields ready and to clear ditches.

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Lobby concert

On July 23, we organized the 21st ITOCHU lobby concert at the Tokyo head office attended by more than 700 current employees, former employees and their families as well as people in the local community. As we do every year, we also invited everyone from the Agape Center and before the concert, we organized a social event with the presenter Keiko Takeshita and ITOCHU Chairman, Eizo Kobayashi. Everyone had been looking forward to the annual event and were very pleased to socialize and have photos take to commemorate the evening. The performance by the New York Symphonic Ensemble was also extremely well received. At a mini-talk with Keiko Takeshita and Chairman Kobayashi, the discussion ranged from the efforts of the people in the disaster-struck areas to the assistance of the picture book program run by the ITOCHU Foundation. In its 21st appearance in the lobby concert, the New York Symphonic Ensemble gave a wonderful performance and were called back for two encores. Once again, we were reminded that music is the shared language of all people and regions.

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June

Chinese college students on a homestay program

On June 2 and 3, three college students visiting Japan on the Tenth "Visit Japanese Enterprises and Feel Japan" program for college students stayed at and exchanged with host family homes of Itochu Group employees. This program was part of the "Visit Japanese Enterprises and Feel Japan" activity hosted jointly by Japanese corporations operating business in China to invite prospective Chinese students to Japan each year. The three, all visiting Japan for their first time, visited Asakusa, Kanda, Harajuku and many other locations together with their host family, thoroughly enjoying their weekend in Japan and taking exciting memories back with them.

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Employee volunteers support quake victims

22 people participated in the Itochu Group employee's seventh volunteer action to support victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Many new recruits from food companies and chemical units participated in this round of action, which gathered the most participants ever. With new recruits taking advantage of their young strength and experienced employees of their own experiences, the action group worked on its first debris removal work after the quake on a slope at a junior high school. So many things, including daily commodities and motorbikes, were dug out of the earth. Everyone was convinced that more support is yet needed toward recovery.

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Third grade students of Aoyama Elementary School visit the company for extracurricular activity

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On June 25, 27 third grade students of Aoyama Elementary School near the Itochu Tokyo Headquarters visited our company and observed the surrounding view from its 10th floor conference room and 22nd floor Palace cafeteria. This was their class on "Observing the locale seen from a high location." Itochu Corporation has always cooperated in the school's activities. The children were excited even from the tenth floor, viewing the scenery and chanting "It's so high!" They were also vocally excited with the sight of the Tokyo Skytree that shows only a third of its upper structure.

Japan Red Cross blood drive at the Tokyo Headquarters

On June 28, the Japan Red Cross blood drive was held at the Tokyo Headquarters 10th floor conference room. As a result of many employees including those from group companies offering to come to the venue, 99 people donated their blood and 10 registered to the Marrow Donor Program. Japan Red Cross expressed their appreciation, saying they were able to collect the amount of blood they initially planned to. The next drive is planned sixth months later with the cooperation of yet many more employees.

The 100 Children's Books aid

The 100 Children's Books aid that we conduct together with our shareholders has starting arriving at a volunteer organization in Tohoku. This activity transfers paper and postage costs saved from shareholders approving electronic registration of their information to the Itochu Foundation that runs novel book aid. With our company donating the same amount, we have delivered 15 sets (1 set = 100 books) of children's books in fiscal 2012 to an organization operating at areas suffering the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake to be used effectively for reading aloud to children.

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The Europe Machinery Group:Aiming to Create Next-generation Power Grids

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Tsuguhito Shimpo
Europe Machinery Group

The Europe Machinery Group, together with the Battery Systems Section of the Tokyo headquarters, is aiming to optimize power grids with European energy major E.ON AG. In this endeavor, we are conducting a demonstration project combining Smart Homes and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) business models as key components. Since the Fukushima nuclear power accident in Japan, countries in Europe have been re-examining nuclear power generation as a source of electricity. Along with the expansion of renewable energy, the construction of next-generation power grids that are safer, more efficient and have a lower environmental impact has been accelerating.

We believe that one of the key elements of this will be the construction of a distributed energy network. Such a network would optimize the economic performance and safety of power grids. It would use small-scale wind power, solar power and other forms of renewable power generation as the energy source, as well as using electricity storage systems in homes, housing complexes and elsewhere, and electric vehicles (EV) for storing power to compensate for the fluctuations in the amount of electricity that is generated via renewable energy.

ITOCHU and E.ON plan to work with EV manufacturers to jointly build an electricity service model for next-generation power grids and a business model for the reuse of batteries. They will test optimal ways of using batteries and performance degradation in the UK, Sweden and Germany using lithium-ion batteries produced by companies such as EnerDel, Inc. in which ITOCHU has an equity interest.

The Europe Machinery Group is cooperating broadly with E.ON in business fields related to a low-carbon society, aiming to help create next-generation power grids with a small environmental footprint.

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E.ON Smart Homes and EV
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E.ON representatives inspect the Green Crossover Project being conducted by ITOCHU in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture

May

Employees' Volunteer Activities for Supporting Areas Devastated by the Earthquake and Tsunami

ITOCHU Group employees engaged in the sixth round of volunteer work for supporting areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami this month. Employees who took part in this round of post-disaster support activities totaled 14. On the first and third days of volunteer work, the employees cleared land for cultivation together with local residents affected by the earthquake and tsunami. The locals touched the hearts of the participated employees with their forward-looking attitude. On the second day, the volunteers removed rubble from gutters next to an elementary school scheduled to have a field day soon. They worked together as a team for the sake of children at the school.

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ITOCHU Group Takes Part in WFP Walk the World

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On Sunday, May 27, the ITOCHU Group took part in the WFP Walk the World, a charity walk the World Food Programme (WFP) is organizing all over the world for ending children's hunger in developing nations. Part of the fee paid for participation in the event will be used for a WFP program for bettering school meals.

ICN and ILC Plant Trees and Make Donations to Aid a Local Community

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Wan Jing
ITOCHU (CHINA) HOLDING CO., LTD.

In the East Asia Bloc, since last year ITOCHU has been engaged in planting trees in Donghongyu Village of Fuping Prefecture, Hebei, some 300 kilometers from Beijing, and in donating school supplies for local children.

This year on April 14, about 80 people comprising employees and their family members from ITOCHU (CHINA) HOLDING CO., LTD. (ICN) and ITOCHU LOGISTICS (CHINA) CO., LTD. (ILC) joined in these social contribution activities in the local community.

As soon as they arrived at Donghongyu Village, the volunteers started digging holes for the trees and carrying in the saplings to be planted. After about an hour's hard work, they had a great sense of achievement when they looked at the rows of young walnut trees on the mountain sides that they themselves planted. They knew that as well as providing the benefits of greenery, the walnut trees will also help the local people in their attempts to pull themselves out of poverty. After they'd finished with the trees, the group visited a nearby elementary school to give the children some new books and 25 sets of stationery. They were also able to chat with the children, who responded with smiling faces that took away all the accumulated day's tiredness of the group. All the participants felt they'd spent a very worthwhile weekend.

During a ceremony held for the donations, Shuichi Koseki, CEO of the East Asia Bloc, spoke about ITOCHU's mission, which the Company has expressed as "The ITOCHU Group respects the individual, society, and the future in its Commitment to the Global Good." He added that he hoped the town would grow more beautiful and prosperous so that the children could grow up strong and healthy in a good environment.

Through these CSR activities, the participants could feel the lifestyles of a deprived local community that hasn't experienced the abundant resources available in a city like Beijing, and could go on to grasp the reality of how ITOCHU's mission of being "Committed to the global good" can benefit society at large. Moreover, the happy faces of the local children strengthened the resolve of those of us involved with CSR activities to widen our support in the future.

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Together with elementary schoolchildren
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Wang Xing
A senior staff member from the administrative office of the Fuping Prefecture government

Comment from Stakeholder

The ITOCHU Group is both developing business activities in China and working to support the poorer local regions. By means of these CSR activities, contributing to tree planting and children's education, I can keenly feel that ITOCHU is a global company making efforts in line with its strong sense of responsibility. I'd like to express my deep gratitude to ITOCHU on behalf of both the prefecture government and the town.

April

ITOCHU Opens 'Eco Shop' at KidZania Tokyo

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Photo show a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Eco Shop.
Einosuke Sumitani, president of KCJ Group Inc., left, and Masahiro Okafuji, president of ITOCHU Corporation, center

The opening ceremony for the Eco Shop, an ecological pavilion sponsored by ITOCHU Corporation, was held at KidZania Tokyo on April 3. Five children who were first to experience the Eco Shop's workshops for crafting ecological goods, such as Japanese wrapping cloths, eco bags and chopsticks for personal use, took part in the opening ceremony for the new pavilion. The children shared their impressions of the workshops at the ceremony. One of them said, "It was a lot of fun to make private eco goods. I will use them with care."

Click the following web link for more information on the Eco Shop at KidZania Tokyo.

Springtime Nature Study Gathering

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ITOCHU Fureai Network*, Nature Appreciation Group organized the Springtime Nature Study Gathering at the Sinjuku Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on Sunday, April 8. A total of 23 people, including ITOCHU Corporation employees, their families and the company's former employees, took part in this event. They felt the arrival of the spring thoroughly at the park, admiring many flowers, including kobus magnolias, yulans and red and small Japanese maples, and opening buds.

  • A volunteer organization set up and operated by ITOCHU employees.

March

In-House Fund-Raising Campaign on the First Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake

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On March 12 and 13, one year and one day and one year and two days after the Great East Japan Earthquake, ITOCHU Corporation organized an in-house fund-raising campaign based on its policy of sustaining support for areas devastated by the giant earthquake and tsunami. The campaign raised 638,171 yen (including donations made at ITOCHU's Tokyo Head Office and Osaka Head Office), thanks to a high level of interest employees expressed.
One ITOCHU employee who cooperated in this campaign said, "One year has passed since the earthquake, but news programs I saw gave me the feeling that we must support affected areas much longer. I'll keep doing what I can."
ITOCHU plans to add the same amount to the final campaign result and donate their sum to programs for supporting the affected areas.

Employees' Volunteer Activities for Supporting Areas Devastated by the Earthquake and Tsunami

ITOCHU Group employees engaged in volunteer work for supporting areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami twice this month, first from March 15 to March 18 and second from March 22 and March 25. A total of 25 ITOCHU Group employees took part in these two rounds. The two work occasions represented the fourth and fifth rounds of such support activities by ITOCHU volunteers. Poor weather restricted their activities at times, but the ITOCHU Group employees who took part in the two rounds worked together to carry out their activities, such as scooping rubble from gutters.

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February

'Fund-Raising Campaign on St. Valentine's Day'

A fund-raising campaign titled "Let's Send Love to Devastated Parts of the Tohoku Region by Donating Our Money" took place at ITOCHU Corporation's Tokyo Head Office and Osaka Head Office on February 14, which was St. Valentine's Day. This campaign started with the idea of "sending money kept for buying gifts for St. Valentine's Day and the so-called White Day (a Japanese invention for returning St. Valentine's gifts) to people in affected areas," conceived by volunteers among ITOCHU employees, and spread from them to people in the entire company.
At the Osaka Head Office, volunteer ITOCHU employees collected goodwill donations energetically in elevator halls and at their respective places of work in the morning and at lunch time. At the Tokyo Head Office, many ITOCHU employees began donating their pocket money to the fund-raising campaign during their lunch break, spurred by the "first donation" President and C. E. O. Masahiro Okafuji made as the first thing in the morning. ITOCHU will donate 378,817 yen raised through this campaign to a public service corporation called Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development (NICCO), which has been undertaking reconstruction support activities in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures since the period immediately after the earthquake and tsunami, requesting the aid-supplying corporation to apply the donations to programs for supporting schools in devastated areas.

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Employees' Volunteer Activities for Supporting Areas Devastated by the Earthquake and Tsunami

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ITOCHU Group employees engaged in volunteer work for supporting areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami from February 16 to 19. It was the third round of such support activities the ITOCHU Group had launched last December.
On this occasion again, a group of 10 ITOCHU employees worked hard at a support site in Rikuzen Takata City, Iwate Prefecture, during the daytime, undaunted by a low February temperature. They assisted reconstruction by eating and drinking at a restaurant in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, at night. All participants in this third round of support activities were ITOCHU Group employees, but most of them met others in the volunteer group for the first time. The 10 volunteers became one team from the first day and kept working as hard as they could for three days.
ITOCHU will continue these support activities by volunteer employees.

Miyagi Prefecture Thanks ITOCHU for Its Post-Earthquake Support with a Letter of Appreciation

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On February 21, Vice Governor Masahiro Wako of Miyagi Prefecture visited ITOCHU Corporation's Tokyo Head Office to hand a letter of appreciation for support ITOCHU had provided to the prefecture since the period immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Representatives from Yayoi Foods Co., Ltd., an ITOCHU Group company continuing to support manufacturing activities in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, also came to the Tokyo Head Office on this day. Concerned ITOCHU officials and the Yayoi Foods representatives listened to various topics Vice Governor Wako covered in his speech, including on-site progress toward reconstruction and the need for sustained assistance. On the occasion, Vice Governor Wako also thanked the ITOCHU Group for its continuing practice of sending volunteer employees to a support location within Miyagi Prefecture on a regular basis.

January

Community Cleanup of Aoyama-dori

On January 19, first-year employees of ITOCHU Corporation participated in a community service cleaning up a segment of Aoyama-dori (a major thoroughfare) in the vicinity of the Tokyo Head Office. This was the ninth time the first-year employees cleaned the sidewalk and gutter as part of the social contribution activities they launched for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. On this occasion, despite the cold weather, a group of sixteen young women from ITOCHU joined neighborhood organizers, local police and volunteers from other companies in the area to clear the street of debris and hand no-littering reminder leaflets out to passersby. A troop of thirteen volunteers from ITOCHU Group company CI Shopping Service Co., Ltd. also lent a hand to participate in the social contribution activity. In all, more than 30 volunteers from the ITOCHU Group showed up, including the organizers, much to the gratitude of the other participants. They were offered warm words of praise for a job well done from the passersby and the police on guard at the Crown Prince's palace. It was a cold day out, but we were all warmed by the sense of com-munity we felt as we participated in the cleanup.

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Taiwan Business Partner Donates Blankets to Ogatsu-cho District of Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture

Soon after the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred last March, Eastern Microelectric Lab Inc., an ITOCHU business partner in Taiwan, donated about 1,500 blankets to ITOCHU as emergency relief supplies. Although this was a warmhearted act of support, a huge amount of blankets had already been given by bodies in Japan and overseas, and at the time it wasn't possible for us to deliver this donation immediately to the stricken area. However, the first winter since the earthquake came round. On the two days this year of January 21 and 28, we delivered these warm blankets directly into the hands of local people with the help of an NPO active in the area called Sweet Treat 311. The blankets were given to people living as evacuees in their homes and the residents of temporary housing complexes at nine locations centered on the district of Ogatsu-cho in Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture. On these two days, some ITOCHU employees volunteered to join in and give out the blankets. ITOCHU continues to sincerely hope that this region can fully recover as quickly as possible.

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