2015

Mr. Kenji Yokoyama: The strength of the private sector has a very large impact on the revitalization of communities. The goal is for private-sector companies and local government, along with community organizations like mine, to come together as one and build our community. To do that, it's essential that we deepen our mutual understanding and develop very close communication. Now, Minebea is taking the first steps with Yonago City, and I have high expectations that your company will give careful thought to community contributions.

Mr. Takiichi Senoo: As a community association, we believe that trusted relations built on dialogue are very important. This is the first time that a company has provided us with a communication forum, so we are very pleased at this opportunity and we look forward to future opportunities to develop this exchange of opinions. Now that I have this opportunity, I would like to ask some questions about matters in which local citizens have a high interest. First, regarding our efforts to build a safe and secure community environment, what is the Yonago Plant doing to prevent noise and water pollution in areas surrounding the plant?

Mr. Shinro Korenaga: Regarding environmental measures, first we believe that we must diligently comply with all the laws and regulations set forth by national and local governments. Based on this approach, a third-party organization regularly evaluates our atmospheric and wastewater emissions as well as our soil impact to stringently confirm that there are no issues. In terms of noise and vibration, there are no residential areas around our plant, so we are considered outside the regulated area. If a citizen notifies us of a problem, however, we will respond to it appropriately.

Mr. Takiichi Senoo: On a different point, to what extent do you employ people from the local community? Additionally, would you consider holding cultural or sporting activities as community exchange events?

Mr. Yukihiro Nomizo: Currently, there are 186 employees working at the Yonago Plant, and of them, about 10% are from the local Minokaya district. For FY2015, there are four new hires at the Yonago Plant, and one of them is a Yonago City resident, while another graduated from Yonago National College of Technology. In the future, we plan to confer with the different departments of the plant on their needs and continue to regularly hire people from the community. In terms of sports, we have regatta, futsal, and badminton clubs at the company. We'd be pleased to consider opportunities to have community exchanges through these clubs. If there are requests to use our plant's facilities for community events, we will do our best to accommodate these requests.

Mr. Yasuo Tsukada: On the topic of cultural events, the local Iwao Citizen's Center holds an annual festival. If Minebea were to participate, you could set up a motor exhibit to explain how motors work, for example, and get children interested in the technology. Since you have so much great technology, I'd like to see you make opportunities to tell young people about it through various kinds of activities.