With the Bridgestone Children's Eco-Art Contest, children draw pictures of how they view the environment, and we as adults subsequently reaffirm the importance of the environment. This contest began in 2003 and we have received entries from throughout Japan.

Aiming to tackle Japan's forestry problems, Bridgestone has maintained the B-Forest wooded area in Nasu Shiobara since 2005. From 2010, we expanded and upgraded our forestry conservation efforts under the program name ECOPIA's Forest. By the end of 2010, we were maintaining forests at four locations across Japan. Moreover, we use these forests to educate the public about the environment.

In 2008, Waseda University and Bridgestone Corporation launched a collaborative project to contribute to the resolution of environmental problems, which are shared by all mankind. In addition to alliances between industry and academia, the project also involves the participation of members of the public, including environmental NGOs and civic organizations. Accordingly, this project provides a framework for these three groups to work together in conducting of research and research-related activities. The results of the project's initiatives are carefully selected and information is distributed for use by a wide range of people. At the same time, the results are used to contribute actively to environmental conservation through their application in Bridgestone's environmental management activities. By the end of December 2010, a total of 40 projects had been selected as W-Bridege projects.

Bridgestone provides lessons about the importance of the environment at elementary schools throughout Japan. To raise awareness of global warming, Bridgestone staff visit schools to discuss environmentally friendly tires and cars. In addition, children make model cars to learn how the environmental impact of tires can be reduced.

In this lesson, participants learn from driving experts about the importance of tire safety and how tires contribute to safe driving. They also learn through actual driving lessons with the experts that focus on such areas as comparative test driving, new tires vs. worn tires, tires with appropriate air pressure vs. those with inadequate pressure.

Bridgestone brings its Safety & Eco Station to shopping centers throughout Japan to communicate safety and environmental points relating to driving, especially for families, in collaboration with the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF). It is our hope that the Safety & Eco Station will provide an opportunity for people to start thinking about safer and more environmentally friendly motoring.

Tire Safety Seminars are held at Bridgestone plants throughout Japan for the residents of each community. The participants learn about safety topics such as tires, seatbelts, etc.

To support the people close to us and each other, the Chobora Fund was started in Japan in August 2008. Teammates constantly put aside some of their salaries to contribute to the Chobora Fund, which supports to the social contribution activities that teammates and their family as well as retired ex-Bridgestone teammates participate in. This is a matching gift program (where the company matches yen-for-yen the contributions made by Bridgestone teammates).

Bridgestone developed artificial fins to enable an injured dolphin named “Fuji,” who had lost a fin due to disease, swim again. This project started as a volunteer project by Bridgestone engineers in 2002, before a project team was formed to take on this unique challenge. In December 2004, Fuji the dolphin was finally able to swim and jump out of the water with the aid of its artificial fin as it had done before losing its fin .

All of Bridgestone Corporation's operating bases took part in the Keep Trying! Campaign to Support Miyazaki initiative, which is helping Miyazaki Prefecture overcome the adverse effects of the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Unhelpful rumors related to foot-and-mouth disease have damaged the reputation of Miyazaki Prefecture's livestock farmers. In order to assist them in any small way that we can, we launched a campaign to include products from Miyazaki Prefecture in menus at employee canteens. Also, because there was a shortage of drinking water among those engaged in preventing the spread of infection, we donated to Miyazaki Prefecture 10,000 bottles of Hamakko Doshi The Water, which is extracted from ECOPIA's Forest Yokohama in Doshi.

The Bridgestone Symphonic Band Kurume is composed of teammates involved in tire production at Bridgestone's Kurume and Tosu plants. The band was formed in 1955 as one facet of the initiatives targeting social contribution through cultural activities of Bridgestone founder Shojiro Ishibashi. It is one of only a few bands in Japan composed only of company employees. The band has received many awards, including an award for distinguished service in contributing to culture in regional communities from the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Technology. Moreover, in addition to concerts and volunteer activities in Japan, the band also conducts a range of international activities, such as concerts in China and the United States. In accordance with Bridgestone's corporate philosophy, the band continues to promote exchange with local communities through music and cultural activities.

Bridgestone's founder, Shojiro Ishibashi, donated a number of buildings to the city of Kurume, the city in which Bridgestone was established. In addition, using the funds received from various environmental awards, the Kurume plant has continued this spirit of giving by donating cherry trees to local elementary schools. To date, donations of trees have been made to 35 elementary schools in Kurume city.

At the request of local elementary schools, the Kurume plant has instituted science classes on a variety of topics, including the production of tires and the recycling of waste. In addition, for elementary schools, the Kurume plant donates unicycles and provides material for educational purposes, such as sample tire cutaways, chemicals, and rubber to foster an enhanced understanding of and promote learning about Bridgestone founder Shojiro Ishibashi, the tire industry and Bridgestone.

Since 1995, the Kurume plant has been contributing to the beautification of the surrounding community by actively engaging in cleanup activities. Once a month, litter is picked up along Bridgestone Avenue, which runs in front of the plant. In addition, the leaves that have fallen from the Japanese zelkova trees along Bridgestone Avenue are collected and made into compost. This compost is not only used within the plant but is also offered to members of the community.

As of the end of July, we have given beetles collected from within the plant to between five and seven nearby nursery schools every year since 2007. The children love them and many send us thank you letters.

Every May since 1976, employees have picked tea leaves from the approximately 3,000 tea plants in front of the factory buildings. We deliver the Amagi Plant tea made from these leaves to public offices, nearby homes for the elderly, and facilities for the disabled.

At a firefly biotope built in 2008, we use the plant's waste water to raise fireflies. Every June, we invite local residents to come and enjoy firefly viewing.

Every year, approximately 40 employees clean up the local area by taking part as volunteers in the Sada River anti-littering campaign organized by Asakura City. Last year, 2010, marked the 23rd year that we have participated in this campaign.

Aiming to accentuate the Amagi Plant's position as a “plant in the forest,” we began decorating the trees on the plant's grounds with Christmas illuminations in 2008. This has proven very popular with local residents as well as employees and their families, and we plan to continue illuminating the area every December.

In 2005, we renovated our swimming pool, which we open to elementary and junior high school students as well as other local residents free of charge from the end of July to the end of August. Also, because the local area lacks a 50-meter pool, we host the Asakura City swimming competition at the end of July every year.

Bridgestone Corporation has been the uniform sponsor of the J. League Division 2 soccer team Sagan Tosu since 2006, and as a main sponsor holds a Bridgestone Day once a year. We entertain local residents with such events as having the Bridgestone brass band perform in the stadium as well as displaying F1 racing cars. Bridgestone Day has become a major event in the region's calendar. In 2008, attendance reached 21,029, the largest in the club's history. At the same time—aiming to promote the healthy development of local children through sport—we have hosted the Bridgestone Cup Youth Soccer Competition for the region's elementary school students since 2009.

Since 2008, Bridgestone Corporation and Sagan Dreams Co., Ltd., have jointly organized special annual lectures. We invite leading figures from a range of fields to give talks on the theme of developing people. As well as benefiting local soccer, through these lectures we aim to contribute to the region's cultural and educational activities. With a view to encouraging future progress, for the third lecture in 2010 we invited soccer commentator Masakuni Yamamoto, who was the manager of the Japan men's soccer team at the Athens Olympics, to give a talk. He delivered a lecture to an audience of approximately 1,100 people at the Tosu City civic hall.

As part of our efforts to benefit society by improving the environment, we began the Sagan Tosu Recycling Partner Initiative in 2008. In this initiative, we contribute to the local community through soccer. With the cooperation of collection companies, we donate profits from selling waste cardboard and other waste paper produced by our operating bases to Sagan Dreams Co., Ltd. In 2010, we used the proceeds to donate 20 soccer balls and 2 sets of soccer goals to the Sagan Tosu soccer school. Going forward, we intend to continue to facilitate resource reuse and invigorate the region through this initiative.

We used to conduct one single annual cleanup that coincided with environment month. However, this was not enough to continue to advance beautification throughout the year. Therefore, in 2008 we launched monthly cleanup activities involving the entire plant. We prepare a plan for the year, and then between 10 and 20 employees participate in cleanups every month. This has raised employees' awareness of social contribution. Also, we have extended the scope of cleanups from areas around the plant to now include areas of the plant's industrial estate where there is a lot of garbage. Moreover, exchanging information with local residents about where garbage has been dumped is helping promote increased communication with the local community.

In a project begun by the Saga Plant in 2008, all companies within the industrial estate work together to clean the estate up. In 2010, the third year of the project, 225 people from 21 companies participated in major cleanup activities.

We are using the nationwide Bridgestone Children's Eco-Art Contest to become even more closely involved with the local community. Every year, we receive more than 1,000 entries from nearby elementary schools. In addition to this contest, we established a unique local prize, called the Saga Plant Prize, in 2009. Also, we give extra prizes—eco-friendly bags and mugs—printed with entries painted by the children. Many local residents showed their appreciation when we printed the winning entry for the Saga Plant Prize on company vehicles in 2010.

With a view to helping students choose their future area of specialization or their future career path, and as part of our support for developing the next generation, we accept interns from Tosu Technical High School and Tosu Commercial High School. This year, two students from each school gained work experience on a real production line, giving them a sense of the responsibility and satisfaction of manufacturing.

To express our gratitude to the plant's local community, the Kurume Bridgestone brass band performs annually at the Kamimine civic center. This year saw the twelfth such performance, which was attended by approximately 800 people. Further, before the performance, members of the band instructed members of the Kamimine Junior High School wind instrument club.

As part of our efforts to vitalize the local community, we have held a swimming competition for local elementary school students every August since 1975. With approximately 250 children participating every year, it has become a tradition that is firmly rooted in the local community. The top three competitors receive medals, which many local elementary school students hope to win.

In collaboration with the Tamana police station and the Tamana Traffic Safety Association, we conduct bicycle safety classes for elementary school students through to high school students. For children living nearby the plant, bicycles are an important means of transportation. However, there are many traffic accidents involving bicycles. To address this problem, we implement road safety awareness initiatives that reflect the perspectives of both drivers and bicycle riders. In conjunction with our annual tire safety seminars in the Tamana area, we conduct these bicycle safety classes.

Since 1986, our employees have cleaned a local shrine that has strong ties with the Kumamoto Plant. Every month, between 30 and 40 employees take tools to the shrine and clean it. This initiative was originally begun by the labor union. Today, however, many employees, not just union members, take part.

The Shimonoseki city Government's Port & Harbor Bureau is conducting a campaign to protect the beauty of the sea. In support of the campaign, we are cooperating in the “Refresh Seto” initiative. With the participation of about 50 teammates from the Shimonoseki plant, cleanup activities are being conducted at locations on the coastline of the Seto Inland Sea.

The Shimonoseki plant teammates, along with other area industrial users, contribute to a local initiative to protect the water from the Koya River and to support afforestation in the area. The Shimoneseki plant teammates participate in this effort by planting seedlings and pruning cedars and Japanese cypress trees.

When damage was caused by torrential rainfall in summer 2009, 200 employees at the Hofu Plant participated in recovery support activities for the disaster-stricken area. These activities included carrying household goods out of homes that were damaged, removing the sediment that had flowed into houses, and offering transportation. Letters of appreciation were received from the mayor of Hofu and from people in the region.

Starting in 2004, in cooperation with the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) Japan, Bridgestone has been working toward the protection of the water resources by supporting fresh water ecological surveys of Lake Biwa.

In response to requests from a prefectural school for the disabled as well as a Shiga Prefecture support group for the employment and independence of the disabled, we remodeled part of the first floor of the Kumamoto Plant's gymnasium for use as an annex of a vocational training school for the disabled (work education center). The annex will begin operations in April 2011.

As part of training for new employees, approximately 50 new employees undertook volunteer work at a prefectural school for the disabled in order to deepen exchanges with the local community as well as give new employees an awareness of the Company's social responsibilities in the region. The employee volunteers helped with such gardening tasks as weeding and planting seeds.

We use the flowerbeds in the plant grounds to help one of the prefecture's agricultural high schools with practical agricultural training. Students transplanted 800 flowers—including begonia, salvia, and marigolds—from the school to the plant's flowerbeds. This practical training began after one graduate from the school joined the Company in 2010. The school has conducted this practical training twice, in both June and October.

During the spring road safety period in May, at the same time as tire safety seminars are held, we conducted a campaign aimed at raising safety awareness among local residents. We managed to attract more than 400 visitors to these events by holding them in conjunction with sales events for both the products of social welfare corporations and sales events for Bridgestone products. This allowed us to stress the importance of safety to local residents while they enjoyed the events that were held.

At the Seki plant, there are many teammates who are active in the volunteer fire corps organizations in Seki city and nearby communities. The plant supports the active participation of these teammates in the region's volunteer fire corps activities, and on April 1, 2009, the plant was awarded a certificate designating it as an officially recognized volunteer fire corps cooperating organization. Accordingly, Bridgestone will continue to implement activities to raise the level of disaster prevention capabilities at the plant, and at the same time, we will strive to contribute further to the region's disaster prevention activities.

Since 2002, we have enabled university students studying nursing within the prefecture to undergo practical training at the plant. This gives students a good opportunity to enhance their studies by gaining a practical sense of the meaning of work and health through direct contact with employees working at the plant site.

Our contributions to the community include giving tours of the plant to the students of local elementary schools. Students study such topics as the characteristics of rubber, how products are made at the plant, and how these products are used in everyday life.

The Seki Plant is situated in a peaceful, lushly green hilly area. In order to take care of this environment with the local community, we clean the area around the plant twice a year.

To show gratitude to the Kasuga Shrine, the shrine at which we pray for safety at the plant, we participate in cleanup activities in the shrine's grounds twice a year.

At the Iwata Plant, we outsource the dismantling and cleaning processes—indispensible for the reuse of indirect subsidiary materials used when manufacturing certain sizes of office automation rollers—to facilities for those with intellectual disabilities. Employees of the production engineering department visited these facilities, explained the processes, concluded contracts, and established a reuse system within the plant. In the five years since beginning full-scale operations in January 2006, we have sent more than 2,500 pieces of indirect subsidiary material for dismantling and cleaning. Today, we have contracts with nine facilities in four cities nearby the plant and outsource operations to approximately 160 people with intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, approximately 80 students from two of the region's schools for people with special educational needs work in this program as part of training for participation in society. Through these operations, we accepted third-year high school students as interns from these special needs schools in 2009.

Almost all of the Iwata Plant's employees commute to work by either car or motorcycle. As an automobile-related company, we conduct campaigns to prevent traffic accidents. We regularly collaborate with the members of organizations concerned with road safety campaigns, such as Iwata City, residents' associations, and the police. Since 2008, all employees have taken part on a rotation basis in publicity activities on the streets nearby the plant during the four road safety promotion periods that the region holds each year.

Every six months, employees clean the area around the plant.

We contribute to the conservation of the region's environment by having employees participate in Iwata City's thinning of cypress woodland, which protects the mountain forests to the north of the city.

Launched by Yokohama City's Totsuka ward, the forum to heighten the appeal of the Kashio River comprises organizations in the Kashio River's basin—including such entities as civic groups, schools, and companies. These organizations work toward the common goal of making the Kashio River more attractive. As a member of the forum, the Yokohama Plant undertakes cleanups of the river as well as organizes and hosts festivals and other events. Given that there are two elementary schools located in the basin, the forum also promises to educate children about the environment.

Concentrating on the Kashio River, we have cleaned the area around our plant since 1987. In recent years, however, we have extended the scope of these cleanups and made them an activity for all employees that we conduct twice a year. As well as maintaining the beautification of the neighborhood around the plant, regular cleanups heighten awareness of the environment among employees.

Urethane foam produced at the Yokohama plant is cut and donated to social welfare facilities (5-6 locations) in Yokohama city, Yokosuka city and elsewhere in Kanagawa prefecture. At these facilities, the foam is used in wheelchairs, cushions, toys, and posture-corrective devices for children with physical disabilities. Urethane foam is a soft, safe material, and a therapist who works with the children said of the foam that “it is very helpful for a broad range of children who have disabilities.”

At the plant, we collect used ink cartridges and toner cartridges and donate them to local elementary schools. The schools receive “bell-marks” based on the number of cartridges they collect. We began this initiative from October 2009 and had donated 1,374 cartridges by October 2010. This represents 36,365 bell-marks—1 bell-mark corresponds to ¥1—which schools use in their operations.

Local neighborhood associations that clean the areas along the Akuwa River and the Nase River hold the AQUA Festa as part of their efforts to ensure that Kamiyabe is a clean and comfortable place to live. To show our agreement with this goal, we contribute to the annual event, which began in 2007, by holding quizzes for children about rubber and promoting Bridgestone's environmental efforts.

For local elementary schools, we conduct factory tours that form part of the students' social studies curricula. We explain the characteristics of rubber as well as the role of the antivibration rubber that the Yokohama Plant makes for automobiles. Our goal in conducting these tours is to encourage as many children as possible to take an interest in rubber and further their understanding of work in general.

We take part in an initiative that collects PET bottle caps and through volunteer organizations delivers vaccines to children around the world. Beginning in October 2009, we collected approximately 270,000 caps in one year. We subsequently sold the collected caps for reuse as a resource and gave the proceeds—equivalent to polio vaccines for 340 children—to an organization that donates vaccines. Further, incinerating these caps would have produced more than two tons of CO2.

With over 5,000 people a year taking part in tours of the facility, the Tokyo Plant has become the flagship factory among Bridgestone's tire plants in Japan. Aiming to realize truly interactive factory tours—tours that go beyond passive factory tours in which visitors merely look at things and listen to explanations—we established ECOPIA Square, where anyone can take a test drive to experience the performance of fuel-efficient tires. In feedback from a wide range of visitors—from children through to adults—many people commented that the test drives enabled them to really feel the difference in performance.

Employees of both the Tokyo Plant and the Technical Center each conduct cleanup activities once a month, meaning that there are two cleanups a month. Approximately 200 people take part in these cleanups. Local residents appreciate these efforts because we pick up garbage nearby our operating base as well as from areas between the base and the nearest railway station.

Employees participate as volunteers in Kodaira City's campaign to improve smoking etiquette around its railway stations. Together with municipal employees and local residents, approximately 70 volunteers from Bridgestone called on the public to improve smoking etiquette and handed out campaign goods. (It was originally planned to conduct the campaign at two stations. However the campaign at one station was cancelled due to rain.)

Twice a year, we invite representatives of residents' associations in the area around our operating base to a meeting. In the past nine years, we have held 18 such meetings, which provide an opportunity for the plant manager and other employees from our operating base to communicate with local residents. Through these activities, we further their understanding of Bridgestone by reporting on the operational status of the operating base and conducting tours of the facility.

Table for Two, which began in Japan in 2007, is a program tasked with simultaneously resolving both the problem of famine in developing countries as well as health problems associated with overeating in developed countries. We introduced this program at our Head Office employee canteen from October 2010. A donation of JPY 20—enough to provide one child in a developing country with a school meal—is included in the price of each healthy, low-calorie meal. The money collected from the meals is used to provide children in developing countries with school meals.

We take part in an initiative that collects PET bottle caps and through volunteer organizations delivers vaccines to children around the world. In eight months, we collected approximately 150,000 caps. We subsequently sold the collected caps for reuse as a resource and gave the proceeds—equivalent to polio vaccines for 185 children—to an organization that donates vaccines. Further, incinerating these caps would have produced approximately 1.2 tons of CO2.

In a joint effort with the Enna District Forest Office, we undertook activities to protect the red pine woods along Nasu Road, which is the entranceway to the Nasu Imperial Villa.In March, we scattered approximately 380 sacks of charcoal in the area in order to improve the soil and thereby prevent withering of the pine trees. And, in October we picked up the fallen leaves to allow the red pine buds to sprout more easily.

After inviting children from local kindergartens to watch, we released 150 heike firefly (Luciola lateralis) larvae into a biotope at the plant. Through these fireflies, we want to impress upon children the importance of both water and nature.

We set up a booth at a local event, the Nasuno Makigari Hunt Taishonabe Shutsujin Festival, as well as displaying an F1 racing car and a customized three-wheeled vehicle fitted with ECOPIA tires. We also held a raffle prize draw.

We provided support at a local marathon held in the fall. Setting up our own water-supply stations along the route, we gave drinks and encouragement to approximately 1,000 runners.

Taking part in a concerted civic initiative to beautify the local area in the fall organized by Nasu Shiobara City, employees helped collect illegally dumped waste materials.

We are using the nationwide Bridgestone Children's Eco-Art Contest to become even more closely involved with the local community. Every year, we receive numerous entries from nearby elementary schools. The plant manager then presents prizes to the winners and gives a talk on the environment. Further, we print the pictures painted by the elementary school students and display them at a variety of events held at the plant. We also provide the prints to elementary schools.

In 2007, we launched the Nasu Plant Beetle Project, the participants of which built huts and raise beetles. Every year, approximately 300 children from local kindergartens come to have fun with the beetles. We explain to the children about the ecology of beetles, show them the huts, and let them enjoy touching the beetles. In 2008, the project participants delivered beetles to kindergartens in Tokyo.

As part of efforts to energize the town, every year from December to March the area in front of the local train station, Kuroiso Station, is made bright and cheerful by decorating it with illuminations. In December 2008, the Nasu Plant made and subsequently donated illuminations representing two cows. We chose cows because Nasu Shiobara City is the region's largest producer of raw milk.

In another initiative to brighten up the area fronting Kuroiso Station, approximately 20 employees and their families volunteer three times a year to take part in an event that plants flowers in flowerbeds and planters in front of the station and along the road fronting it.

Aiming to make the town pristine, employees periodically clean up the area surrounding the plant.

By producing and displaying a tire-throwing game that uses waste tires, we contribute to a local event themed on taking care of resources and the environment.

Since 2008, approximately 60 employees from the Nasu Plant and related operating bases have dressed up in samurai or animal costumes and taken part in the Makigari Dance, which is part of the Nasuno Makigari Hunt Festival. In response to a request from the local tourism association, since 2009 we have invited festival visitors into the plant to give them an overview of the Company and the plant.

Beginning in 2008, we have participated in the Kuroiso Bon Festival Dance, which has been held every year since the early twentieth century. Approximately 70 employees from the Nasu Plant and related operating bases practice before the event and give their all as they have a great time at the festival.

We have prepared flowerbeds for planting with narcissi alongside pathways in local parks since 2007. So far, we have planted more than 21,000 flower bulbs, and every year local residents look forward to seeing profusions of narcissi in bloom.

At ECOPIA's Forest Nasu Shiobara, we have held forest classes for elementary school students in the fifth and sixth grade at schools since 2009. Participating children stroll through the forest with a forest instructor, feel nature through all five senses, and learn about forest dynamics and their importance.

Since 2002, we have collaborated with the Ai Road Tochigi campaign organized by Tochigi Prefecture to beautify roads. Every year between March and September, we conduct monthly cleanups of nearby prefectural roads.

We take part in an initiative that collects PET bottle caps and through volunteer organizations delivers vaccines to children around the world. Since we began in 2007, we have collected approximately 180,000 caps a year. We subsequently sold the collected caps for reuse as a resource and gave the proceeds—equivalent to polio vaccines for 200 children—to an organization that donates vaccines. Further, incinerating these caps would have produced approximately 1.3 tons of CO2.

Bridgestone Empowerment, which was established in April 2004, conducts a variety of activities in accordance with its fundamental principles that include not only the employment of people with disabilities but also the development of harmonious relationships with local communities and other Bridgestone employees, as well as the creation of an environment in which employees with disabilities can live independently in society. Specifically, we are working in close cooperation with organizations related to the employment of people with disabilities located in regions where Bridgestone Empowerment has offices, such as at its head office (Tokyo) and branch offices (Nagoya, Yokohama, etc.). We are taking steps to build a company where people with disabilities can enjoy work actively; every year each employee sets new annual goals. Bridgestone Empowerment, which started with 7 employees, has grown to 67 employees in five years.

The teammates of Bridgestone Empowerment are voluntarily engaging in cleanup activities at the road nearby its head office in Tokyo once a week. In addition to keeping the road clean all year round, these activities also serve to increase teammates' awareness of the beauty of their surroundings. We will continue to implement these activities, with the objective of making the road completely free from litter.

We periodically accept students from special educational needs schools for two-week internships. Over the two-week period, the students are given the opportunity to experience the basic techniques and procedures of the cleaning works and to practice the greetings and behavior that are required in the workplace.

We have made donations of picture books about people with disabilities to 19 elementary schools in Kodaira city, the city in which its head office is located. These books, which are recommended by the IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People), contain stories about the daily lives of people with disabilities. The books are stored on classroom bookshelves in the hopes that they will be read by as many students as possible.

In response to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Miyazaki Prefecture in 2010, Bridgestone Tire Sales Nishinihon Co., Ltd., sought donations from employees and directly managed companies. As a result, we were able to donate approximately ¥660,000 to Miyazaki Prefecture, subsequently receiving thanks from the prefecture's governor.

We provided assistance toward the cost of a heart transplant operation for Shuki Aso, who lives in Fukuoka City and is battling dilated cardiomyopathy, an intractable disease. Our assistance took the form of supporting the efforts of an organization devoted to saving Shuki, which is run by the Japan Rugby Football Union. In November 2010, we appealed to employees to help with this effort at an in-house meeting. We set up donation boxes at all tire stores and sought contributions not only from employees but also from customers. In December, we were able to send a donation of ¥130,000.

At several tire shop outlets, tours of the workplace are offered to students from nearby elementary and junior high schools. Explanations are given of Tire shop's work activities and the types and importance of tires. Students can also watch the employees change tires. Through these activities, we would like to encourage children to have an interest in tires and cars and at the same time to deepen their understanding of the challenging, yet fun aspects of the work environment.

Severala Tire shops have registered themselves as “safe houses” for children with the respective precinct's police office. The local police stations consequently have provided guidance so that children from local elementary schools will be able to receive help from the Tire shops in case of emergencies. Manuals detailing emergency notification and child protection procedures were given to the staffs of these shops. Through these efforts, these shops are contributing to the peace and well-being of the community.

Leveraging its position as a provider of tires, which are directly linked to car safety and greener motoring, as well as automotive parts, the Niigata Yokogoshi GREEN PIT Tire shop has developed “Safety and Eco-Drive” stickers in cooperation with a local FM radio station. These stickers are being distributed at the store. The store also offers “Safe and Greener Motoring” advice during a radio program.

In order to protect the natural environment of Hirose River, which symbolizes Sendai's standing as a “city of forests,” and ensure that more residents become familiar with Hirose River, an executive committee comprising city residents, companies, and government agencies was formed to carry out related initiatives. The project's name refers to the fact that 10,000 people is equivalent to 1% of Sendai's population of 1 million. We participated in the executive committee from 2010 and took part in a concerted cleanup in September. Cleanups are held twice a year in April and September.

All employees clean the area around the company on the first and third Monday of every month. We communicate with neighborhood organizations and the employees of other companies, and as a result awareness is increasing that taking part in activities benefiting the local community is worthwhile.

Reflecting our desire to help in any way that we can to make the city a beautiful and pleasant place to live, we clean the environs of our operating base once a month.

e have held local cleanup activities once a month since July 2010.

At the beginning of every month, during the morning commuting period, all employees wave flags beside the road in front of the sales office in order to heighten awareness of road safety among both employees and passing drivers.

In order to support the environmental initiatives of local elementary schools, since June 2010 we have collected PET bottle caps and aluminum cans from the sales office as resources for recycling and given them to the city's elementary schools. Going forward, we want to continue working with the area's residents to encourage the effective use of resources.

We participate in internship programs organized by local high schools. For one week every summer, we accept five or six interns from one or two local high schools. We further the interns' understanding of work by giving an overview of the Company and enabling them to experience a wide range of work, including actual duties and environmental conservation activities.

We cooperate with local elementary schools' projects to collect garbage for reuse as a resource. The elementary schools use the proceeds from the collected garbage to help pay for teaching materials.

We conduct regular cleanup activities in the area around our operating base.

We conduct regular cleanup activities in the area around our operating base.

We conduct regular cleanup activities in the area around our operating base.

We donate part of the sales commission from beverage vending machines that are installed inside the company. We give the proceeds to the Higashi-Ward Social Welfare Council in Nagoya and the Red Feather Community Chest Movement. We plan to extend this initiative to other branches and sales offices within the Chubu Branch.

We take part in an initiative that collects caps from PET bottles—including those purchased at designated "Collecting Donations through Beverages" beverage vending machines—and through volunteer organizations delivers vaccines to children around the world. We sell the collected caps for reuse as a resource and give the proceeds to a group that donates vaccines. Along with the "Collecting Donations through Beverages" program, we plan to extend this initiative to other branches and sales offices within the Chubu Branch.

At the Gifu and Komaki plants, finishing work for urethane products is handled by people with disabilities from social welfare facilities. In addition, people with disabilities and we also jointly cultivate fruits and vegetables, and together they experience the fun of growing and harvesting crops.

As well as donating garbage bags to a local cleanup initiative in the area around the head office of Bridgestone Flowtech Corporation, we clean the area surrounding our operating base. In addition to these activities in the head office area, all other operating bases conduct similar cleanup activities.

We take part in an initiative that collects PET bottle caps and through volunteer organizations delivers vaccines to children around the world. We sell the collected caps for reuse as a resource and donate the proceeds to an organization that donates vaccines. To date, we have collected caps resulting in donations equivalent to polio vaccines for approximately 60 people. Further, incinerating these caps would have produced approximately 360kg of CO2.

We have been accepting students for work experience since 2005. In 2010, we accepted one student from a school for people with special educational needs and two students from a local junior high school. These work-experience programs enable students to appreciate the challenging aspects of work and learn basic social etiquette, such as appropriate greetings and language within a working environment.

We have cleaned the company's environs periodically since 2003. In 2009, we also began cleaning the nearby coastline, with approximately 130 employees taking part in this initiative in 2010.

All employees take part in efforts to clean up the local area. Although these are small-scale activities, we aim to continue contributing to the beautification of the local area's environment based on the mindset that picking up and separating garbage creates resources.

All employees take turns to clean the local area regularly.

Children use the roads nearby our operating base on their way to and from a local elementary school. When children are on their way to school in the morning, together with local residents we conduct road safety activities. Further, our efforts to support the safety of children on their way to and from school include registering our operating base as an emergency first-aid “house” for children.

Employees volunteer to take part in cleaning activities jointly conducted by several municipalities around our operating base. By picking up leaves and garbage, these activities aim to preserve the water supply for firefighting use.

Since 2010, we have provided elementary schools around our operating base with ink as an educational material. At the same time as contributing to children's calligraphy lessons, through this ink we hope to further understanding of our operational activities. The ink uses carbon black as one of its basic ingredients, which is a material that we handle.

We have regularly cleaned the terminus area of a rail freight line and the river embankments nearby our operating base since 2005. In 2009, we increased the frequency of these activities and have subsequently worked with local government agencies and other local companies to clear illegally dumped garbage.

In 1974, managers and other employees united to establish a blood donation supporters group. Since then, employees have donated blood every year. In recognition of 35 years of continuous donations, the governor of Niigata Prefecture presented the company with a letter of appreciation.

With three plants and 12 operating bases across Japan, Bridgestone Plant Engineering Co., Ltd., tackles cleaning activities at these respective locations, sometimes independently and at other times in conjunction with an adjacent Bridgestone Corporation tire plant.