Happy new year. I would like to offer my thanks for your great support throughout the last year.
I’d first like to offer my deepest sympathies to anyone who has been infected with COVID-19, and I am praying that you recover as quickly as possible. I’d also like to express my heartfelt reverence for those medical and nursing professionals who are working on the frontlines to protect the health of the people.

It’s been nearly a year since the contagion known as COVID-19 was confirmed. The world economy took a heavy hit due to the world-wide spread of infection. In Japan, the GDP growth turned negative, and the revenue from inbound tourism consumption that had been very beneficial to Japan’s economy for the past few years has seen a sudden drop due to entry restrictions. Additionally, a slump in the Japanese souvenir and food service markets has affected many businesses last year, including our own.

On the other hand, our current predicament has brought into sharp relief the societal issues we face today in the world. There has been much talk of food supply issues due to global overpopulation and world-wide environmental issues. Additionally, there has been a growing need among consumers for plant-based foods (PBF) and consumer interest in the environment is on the rise.

Last year, our company took a variety of measures to handle the demand for PBF. The healthy image that vegetables have in Japan is helping to further the spread of PBF, and demand for textured soy protein ingredients, like soy meat, has increased. To meet this demand, we finished construction of a new plant in Chiba Prefecture last June. We now have two plants producing textured soy protein, the Chiba Plant and the Hannan Plant. Additionally, our cheese-like ingredient made of soybeans (Mame-mage) and our soymilk cream butter (Soy Lait Beurre) have been garnering attention and praise from customers as a new genre of PBF.
As for environmental measures, we renovated our cogeneration facility last year by upgrading its high-efficiency gas turbine. Cogeneration is a system that uses gas or other fuels as the driving force for electricity generation, and then uses the exhaust heat generated in the form of steam or in other ways. We engage in production activities that give consideration to the environment, and with the introduction of this turbine, we expect to save even more energy and cut our CO2 emissions even more.

As the nation grows older, Japan is faced with big problems like the decreasing birthrate, ageing population and declining population. Additionally, COVID-19 is making people more health-conscious. We’re aiming to solve all of these issues through our production, development and sales business activities. For example, in extending a healthy lifespan, it’s necessary for both the body and the mind to be healthy. It’s said that the intake of protein is important for a healthy body, so I think that our company offering delicious soy protein ingredients is going to be a benefit to society. Additionally, our company’s DHA/EPA stabilization technology will be helpful in maintaining a healthy mind. While the DHA found in fish oil is recognized to reduce the risk of senile dementia, the strong smell limited its potential uses in food. Through our company’s techniques to stabilize DHA/EPA extracted from algae, it’s become possible to easily take DHA/EPA in with everyday meals through an oil that does not smell.

We were put through the wringer with COVID-19 last year, but I imagine the effects will continue into this year. In addition to that, world-wide disasters have been more frequent in recent years, and I think that BCP countermeasures are becoming even more important than before. The unprecedented circumstances that we have found ourselves in have changed our sense of values. Along with that, we in the manufacturing industry need to be able to quickly respond to the changes in the business environment. We should strive to face the myriad of societal issues coming in 2021 by flexibly meeting the world’s needs and with plant-based foods that have a basis in being “delicious and healthy.”

I hope 2021 is another year where we can continue to work with our whole company as one cohesive unit, as well as remain a company that is trusted by our customers and one that they want to choose. I look forward to receiving your continued guidance and support in the coming year.