Official Website ■ http://www.mitsubishi.com/mpac/e/monitor/back/index.html

The Mitsubishi Monitor is published by the Mitsubishi Public Affairs CommitteeMarunouchi Nakadori Bldg., 2-3, Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005, JapanPhone: 81-3-5218-8660 Fax: 81-3-5218-8661

©2013 Mitsubishi Public Affairs Committee

Volume 27 No.4

For more information about the Mitsubishi Companies, see “Mitsubishi Profile” ■ http://www.mitsubishi.com/mpac/e/activity/index.html

Started in 1990, the Mitsubishi Asian Children’s Enikki Festa is a program that seeks to promote literacy education and to stimulate cultural exchange among children by allowing them to learn about each other through “enikki ”(illustrated diaries).■ http://www.mitsubishi.com/mpac/e/activity/enikki/index.html

Grand Prix Winners

2010-201110th

This might be the computer age, but I still enjoy cooking.

My sister and cousin and I cook vegetables. We cook on Saturdays

and Sundays.

Jamia Mei TolentinoAge: 12, GirlRepublic of the Philippines

Sunday, July 18, Sunny

I was impressed with the protective gods at the gates to the temple.

They look brave and righteous, like heroes. They protect the temple

and the whole village. I love them.

Wu Tzueng-gengAge: 12, BoyChinese Taipei

Printed in Japan on recycled paper

We want your feedback! ■ http://www.mitsubishi.com/mpac/e/talk/form.html

＊ The Enikki entries above, when necessary, have been translated into English from the language they were originally written in.

2013

August & September

Powerful Ally in Disaster Situations

© AFLO

A solitary peak, Mount Fuji rises to 3,776 meters and is the highest mountain in Japan, straddling the prefectures of Shizuoka and Yamanashi. Beautifully

symmetrical in its appearance, it is renowned world-wide as a symbol of Japan. At the same time, it has continued over the centuries to strike awe among the Japanese as a malevolent volcano that could at any time suddenly erupt and cause untold damage. The mountain’s sacred and majestic shape has nurtured a very distinctive “Mount Fuji worship” in Japan, while at the same time it has been the subject of ukiyoe prints and many other works of art that have influenced artists around the world. An irreplaceable treasure, Mount Fuji became a registered World Heritage Site in June as a cultural heritage site worthy of preservation not only for the people of Japan but for the whole of mankind.

Mount Fuji Granted UNESCO World Heritage Status

© AFLO

Chiba

Saitama

Tokyo

Kanagawa

Yamanashi

Mt. Fuji

Nagano

Shizuoka

A Bimonthly Review of the Mitsubishi Companies and Their People Around the World

2 3

Mitsubishi Electric delivered the world’s first helicopter

satellite communication system (HSA40) to Japan’s Fire and

Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) at the end of March.

The HSA40 system can transmit high-speed and real-time

aerial video of disaster areas from helicopters. It began

operating in early April after installation of the on-board

components in Kyoto City Fire Department helicopter and of

ground station facilities at both the Kyoto City Fire Department

and the FDMA in Tokyo.

In the Heli-TV system currently used in disaster photography,

TV images are transmitted from the helicopter to a ground

relay station. This requires the establishment of relay stations

and transmissions are prone to disruption due to mountains or

buildings, sometimes resulting in blank image zones.

The new system has been devised to overcome such

problems. Video and voice data are sent from the helicopter

to a communications satellite and then transmitted directly to

ground stations without the need for relay stations.

The HSA40 system uses technology which synchronizes

data signals with the rotor blades to ensure stable and

uninterrupted transmission. It also uses the latest H.264/

MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding image compression

technology to realize high-resolution images. Other features

include bi-directional voice and data communication between

helicopter and ground stations, as well as retransmission of

video and information via ground

communication networks or ground

stations.

The system is attracting much

attention for its importance in the initial

stages of a major disaster when it

enables information from the disaster

area to be gathered rapidly and allow

the most appropriate emergency

measures to be taken.

World’s First Helicopter Satellite Communication System

News&Products

Cover Story】 Front LineThe Moai: A Symbol of Friendship between Japan and Chile

The people of Chile have donated a

Moai to the town of Minamisanriku,

Miyagi Prefecture. The Moai, carved

out of rock by the indigenous

people of Easter Island, serves as a

symbol of friendship between Chile

and Japan, and of reconstruction

efforts following the Great East

Japan Earthquake. A “Moai Project

Execution Committee1” was set up

to coordinate the presentation of

this gift.

The bond existing between

Minamisanriku and Chile has been

expressed through the Moai since

1960, when the Great Chilean

Earthquake triggered a tsunami that struck the Japanese

town. In 1990, a Moai donated by Chile was erected in

Minamisanriku to commemorate the disaster and serve as a

symbol of reconstruction and friendship. That Moai, treasured

by the townspeople, was washed away by the tsunami

following the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

The value attached to the Moai by the people of

Minamisanriku, particularly by students from the local

Shizugawa High School, became well known among Chileans

and so plans to present a new Moai were initiated in Chile by

the Esperanza Committee. Esperanza means hope, and this

Committee was established by private enterprises in Chile to

mobilize and coordinate assistance from Chile for the disaster

struck region. When Chilean president Sebastián Piñera

visited Minamisanriku in March 2012, he reiterated Chile’s

commitment to donating a new Moai to the town.

With the assistance of NYK, the new Moai arrived in Japan

at the end of December

2012. After being displayed

in Tokyo and Osaka, the

Moai was presented to

Minamisanriku at an official

ceremony held in the town on

May 25.

■

http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/2013/0328.html

New Tsunami Alert System Commissioned

NYK recently launched a Tsunami Alert System which sends

tsunami warnings to group vessels. The new system uses the

company’s existing NYK e-missions’1 system to send tsunami

warnings issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency and other

weather service providers by e-mail to group vessels. The system

should enable the company to identify and communicate with

threatened vessels and to work out the best course of action using

the Tsunami-Response Guidelines drawn up by the company last

year. As well as warnings issued for Japanese coastal regions, the

Tsunami Alert System will use warnings released by the Pacific

Tsunami Warning Center

and West Coast and

Alaska Tsunami Warning

Center, thus covering

the entire routes used

by NYK Group vessels.

Note 1: Provides information about the position of vessels at sea as well as weather and sea conditions for their intended routes.

Antenna inside the radome

On display in Tokyo in March. The new Moai is 3 meters tall and weighs some 2 tons.

■http://www.nyk.com/english/release/2446/002578.html

Japan

Japan

Unprecedented Move into Indian Market by a Japanese Company

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) recently concluded an

agreement with Indian state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

(BHEL), under which MHI will license its flue-gas desulfurization

technologies to BHEL. India’s largest heavy electricals manufacturer,

BHEL has 14 factories throughout the country. The licensing

agreement covers MHI’s EPC (engineering, procurement and

construction) technologies for limestone/gypsum-based and

seawater-based flue-gas desulfurization

systems for coal-fired boilers used in

power generation applications and for

industrial boilers. The agreement marks

the first time a Japanese company

will provide flue-gas desulfurization

technologies to a licensee in India.

The country’s air pollution problems

are becoming increasingly serious and

as the nation moves

toward tightening

environmental

regulations, demand for

flue-gas desulfurization

equipment is expected

to expand.

A flue-gas desulfurization plant removes from flue gas the sulfur dioxide (SO2) produced when fossil-fuel is burnt. MHI’s technology boasts superior SO2 absorption performance.

■

http://www.mhi.co.jp/en/news/story/1304041642.html

India

Feasibility Study to Produce Methanol and Dimethyl Ether in Trinidad and Tobago

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and Mitsubishi Corporation have

started a feasibility study for the manufacture of methanol and

dimethyl ether1 from natural gas fields in Trinidad and Tobago in

the Caribbean. The two Japanese companies, the Government

of Trinidad and Tobago and local partner, Neal & Massy Holdings

Limited, signed an agreement for the project in April this year. The

partners are aiming to reach a final investment decision during the

course of this fiscal year, with commercial operations scheduled to

start in fiscal year 2016. The project is expected to produce 1 million

tons of methanol and 100 thousand tons of dimethyl ether annually.

■ http://www.mgc.co.jp/eng/news/2013/pdf/130409e.pdf■ http://www.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en/pr/archive/2013/html/0000019454.html

Note 1: Dimethyl ether is attracting much attention as a next-generation clean energy source which will replace the liquefied petroleum gas and diesel fuel used today to power automobiles and in electricity generation.

Note 1: The Moai Project Execution Committee is comprised of representatives from Minamisanriku, the Embassy of Chile in Japan, the Japan-Chile Business Cooperation Committee and the Esperanza Committee. The Committee is chaired by Mitsubishi Corporation Senior Advisor Mikio Sasaki. In addition to other collaborators, the project received support from the following Mitsubishi Group Companies: Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Estate, Mitsubishi Estate Building Management Co., Ltd. and NYK.

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Dimethyl Ether Plant in Niigata, Japan

Mr. Patr ic io Becker, Min is ter Counselor, Embassy of the Republic of Chile and MC Senior Advisor Mr. Mikio Sasaki at the Moai uncrating ceremony. When Mr. Sasaki visited the tsunami-struck region in October 2011 to g ive encouragement to disaster relief volunteers he suddenly spotted the Moai among the rubble. Greatly moved by this, he proposed to the town hall that it be temporarily relocated.

Trinidad and Tobago

Union Bank N.A. Expands Chinese Yuan Transactions

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ’s U.S. subsidiary, Union Bank N.A.

added current saving accounts and on-line services in Chinese yuan

(renminbi) in February 2013. To accommodate customer hedging

needs against the risk of an appreciation in renminbi, Union Bank

began offering renminbi remittance and currency exchange forward

booking services in June 2011. And with the start in 2012 of time

deposits to meet customer renminbi investment management

needs, the bank has steadily expanded its portfolio of renminbi-

based products. Now with the addition of renminbi current accounts

and on-line transactions this year, Union Bank offers a full lineup of

renminbi related services.

Staff in the Global Capital Markets Division at Union Bank

Tsunami alert system on NYK e-missions’

U.S.A.

Japan

Chile

FDMA Helicopter with HSA40

Global Spotlight focuses on employees from the Mitsubishi Companies who are excelling in their respective fields around the world. In each issue we will get to know different employees, who will tell us about their hometowns, businesses, culture, and pastimes.

4 5

GlobalSpotlight

Spainfrom

from VietnamVietnam borders China in the North, Laos and Cambodia in the

West, and the Pacific Ocean in the East, and stretches approximately

1,600 kilometers from north to south, but is only about 40 kilometers

wide at its narrowest point near the country's center. With its unique

geography, it looks like a dragon standing on its head.

With such geographic features, the climate tends to vary considerably from region

to region. Temperature ranges vary less in the southern plains around Ho Chi Minh City

and the Mekong Delta, averaging between 21 and 28 °C over the course of the year.

Seasonal variations in the mountains and plateaus and in the north are much more

dramatic, with temperatures varying from 5 °C in December and January to 37 °C

in July and August.

In terms of history and economy, Vietnam has faced some difficult times in the

past. However, (pronounced [ ]), the economic reforms first initiated

by Vietnam in 1986 with the goal of creating a “socialist-oriented market economy,”

has played a decisive role, and contributed to the establishment of diplomatic relations with Western countries,

including the U.S. from 2005, and with East Asian countries in the 1990s.

Although economic growth stalled for a short time due to the Asian financial crisis in the late ’90s, and

the world financial crisis in 2008, Vietnam has maintained stable

growth to become one of the leading emerging economies in

the world. This is thanks chiefly to the positive effect of Doi Moi

policies for openness toward foreign investment, participation

in the WTO in 2007, the “China plus 1” trend of multinational

companies diversifying their operations beyond China, and the

efforts of the robust Vietnamese work force.

Our Job at Mitsubishi Electric Vietnam

To further strengthen its focus on this high potential market,

in July 2011 Mitsubishi Electric established Mitsubishi Electric

Vietnam Company Limited (MEVN). Located in the downtown

area of Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam, and with

a representative office in Hanoi, the capital, MEVN strives to

enhance the Mitsubishi Electric brand and provide high-quality products and services in this market.

Thanks to the cooperation of MEVN’s long-term customers since the era of Mitsubishi Electric’s previous

representative office, and the efforts of experienced people and other Mitsubishi Electric group companies

in Vietnam, such as Melco Elevator Vietnam Co., Ltd., an installation and maintenance services provider

of Mitsubishi Electric brand elevators/escalators, and Oriental Electric Industry Company, Vietnam Ltd., a

manufacturer of watt-hour meters, we have steadily built the Mitsubishi Electric brand and trust in our products.

Among initiatives taken to grow the company since its establishment, MEVN has expanded the Air

Conditioning and Home Appliances business and has also put the Factory Automation business on a full-

scale footing from this April. We are

confident that our manufacturing

technologies can contribute to

the development of industrialized

modern manufacturing technologies

in Vietnam.

Ms. Paloma Viñals GarciaGeneral Manager, HR DepartmentLegal Adviser●●●●

Mr. Tran Duc Tuan Senior Manager, Strategic Planning Section,Strategic Planning Department

Mitsubishi Electric Vietnam Company LimitedA group company of Mitsubishi Electric

Vietnam – Geography, History & Economy

Mitsubishi Materials España S.A.A subsidiary of Mitsubishi Materials

Spain is a nation full of contrasts, warm, friendly and

multicultural. We are located in the South of Europe and

we have spectacular weather, cuisine and landscapes that

attract millions of visitors every year.

Mitsubishi Materials España (MME) is located in Valencia, in the village of Museros; a stone’s throw away

from the beautiful Levante coast, famous for its bright blue waters, so characteristic of the Mediterranean

Sea.

Close to the city of Valencia, our factory is the only manufacturer of cutting carbide tools from the

Mitsubishi group on the European continent. Our goal is to meet the needs of this market.

Currently, we have a staff of 132 employees and we emphasize that our manufacturing processes cover

all product lines (inserts, drills, solid end mills and coating). At this moment, we are able to manufacture any

tool that our present and future customers may need.

We regularly make investments to

maintain our high level of technology. We

strongly believe in ongoing, in-company

training for our employees and consider a

good working environment and the welfare

of our workforce to be essential. We want

to be the best and that’s why we work hard

to achieve excellence in all our activities.

Work and Free Time

I've been working in the company for more than thirty

years and am a member of the MME Management

Council. We are a very dynamic team and enjoy a friendly

and relaxed relationship. My role is to manage the Human

Resources Department and General Affairs.

I mainly spend my free time enjoying two hobbies:

choir singing and hiking. In 2011, I walked, with some

friends, part of the famous “Camino de Santiago,” a route of about 120 km, in Northern Spain thoroughly

enjoying the scenery, full of history, the unique architecture and

the beautiful landscapes.

The routes between the mountains of the provinces of

Valencia, Alicante and Castellón are also worthy of a visit.

Understanding the nature and walk along these routes is a

unique experience that I recommend to everyone.

We invite you to visit Valencia. You will enjoy our beaches

and our trails and you can taste one of the jewels of Spanish

cuisine, the well-known “Paella”.

A Factory Near the Sea Ha Long Bay — UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ho Chi Minh City

Main FA products: from the left, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), AC Servo Systems and Motion Controllers, Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) and Power Distribution and Control Equipment.

Green Diamonds

6 7

Green Diamonds highlights the ongoing efforts of Mitsubishi companies to foster a greener, more sustainable planet and brighter, more vibrant communities through wide-ranging environmental and social initiatives.

Promoting Ecosystem Conservation and Sustainable Sourcing of Resources

In March 2013 the Kirin Holdings group launched

a new initiative — the Sri Lanka Producers Support

Project — for the company to work together with local

agricultural communities to improve further the sustainability

of local resources. Under the project the company provides

financial assistance to Sri Lankan growers of the black tea

which provides the great taste of Kirin’s Gogo no Kocha

(afternoon tea) bottled drink who are seeking to acquire

Rainforest Alliance Certification1 for

sustainable agriculture. In the initial stages

of the project, the company will provide

assistance to tea plantations already

engaged in the Kirin Beverage Sri Lanka

Friendship Project.2

Production Trial for Solar Plant Factory in Agriculturally-challenged Australia

Mitsubishi Plastics Agri Dream (MPAD), a group company

of Mitsubishi Plastics, and the KAITEKI Institute (TKI), a

wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings

Corporation, in partnership with Agriculture Victoria Services

Pty., Ltd. (AVS), an affiliate company of the Department of

Primary Industry (DPI) of the Victoria State Government in

Australia, have begun a production trial using MPAD’s plant

factory. In the one-year trial designed to help alleviate the

challenges posed by frequent droughts, the plant factory

will be used to grow spinach and other leafy vegetables at

an agricultural experiment centre owned by the Department

in Knoxfield, Victoria.

If the production trial proves successful, MPAD with TKI

intends to consider establishing a new business model

that will include setting up a local subsidiary to jointly

produce, process and sell plant produce as well as look

at possibilities outside the conventional model of providing

plant factory cultivation systems.

Project to Cut CO2 Emissions at Rang Dong Oil Field in Vietnam JX Holdings, Inc.’s group company, Japan Vietnam

Petroleum Company (JVPC), a subsidiary of JX Nippon Oil

& Gas Exploration Corporation, produces associated gas

along with crude oil at the Rang Dong oil field off the south

coast of Vietnam. Previously, the associated gas was flared

at the offshore platform, but JVPC has started the project

which recovers associated gas and supplies it to power

generation plants through a subsea pipeline. The project

has an effect on reducing the CO2 emissions and has been

registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)1

under the Kyoto

Protocol in February

2006. In February

2008 and April 2011,

the CDM Executive

Board has formally

approved a CERs

(Certified Emission

Reductions) issuance

of 6.63 million tons

for the emission

reductions achieved

by the project for

the period from

December 2001 to

2007.

Japan’s First World Ocean Council Member Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has become the first

Japanese company to join the World Ocean Council1 (WOC),

an international non-governmental organization. WOC is the

sole international, cross-sectoral industry leadership alliance

on responsible ocean use and through participation in WOC

activities MHI aims to acquire firsthand knowledge of policy

and practical issues affecting the future of ocean industries,

deepen its relations and dealings with responsible maritime

companies and organizations, and proactively engage with

other sectors on areas of mutual value. Through these

initiatives, the company looks to expand its established

floating wind power generation, LNG production, storage

and offloading

(FLNG) facilities

and other offshore

business as well

as to create

new business

opportunities in the

maritime sector.

■ http://www.nex.jx-group.co.jp/english/environment/ approach/index.html

The Rang Dong oil field in Vietnam

Note 1: A mechanism defined by the Kyoto Protocol for projects where an advanced and developing country work together on projects to reduce greenhouse gases in the developing country. The CDM Executive Board issues CERs after verifying that the project meets the requirements for CDM registration and after verifying the actual reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases.

Note 1: An international, cross-sectoral industry leadership alliance on Corporate Ocean Responsibility, this unique coalition is working to improve ocean science in support of safe and sustainable operations and other issues.

Note 1: Acquiring Rainforest Alliance Certification involves a stringent process requiring farms and other growers to meet some 100 environmental and social standards. Acquisition of Certification, however, allows the producer to use the RAC seal, which identifies that the products are eco-friendly and have been produced from products or ingredients sourced from certified growers, and to sell his produce at a fair price.

Note 2: Started in 2006 to mark the 20th anniversary of the launch of Kirin’s Gogo no Kocha bottled drink, this program donates books to children attending schools in Sri Lanka’s tea plantations.

Admiral Jonathan White, Oceanographer of the Navy, U.S. Navy making the keynote speech.

The Sustainable Ocean Summit held in Washington DC. MHI’s attendance at the summit marked the start of the company’s full participation in WOC activities. Attendees, from the left: Paul Holthus, Executive Director World Ocean Council; José María Figueres, former President, Costa Rica, Global Ocean Commissioner; Trevor Manuel, Cabinet Member, South Africa, Global Ocean Commissioner.

Knoxfield Agricultural Experiment Station, where MPAD and TKI will conduct market feasibility studies for the purpose of expanding the business, while AVS will collect data on nutritional components of experimentally grown and harvested vegetables.

■ http://www.mpi.co.jp/english/news/201304040591.html

■ http://www.mhi.co.jp/en/news/story/1304111644.html

Vietnam U.S.A.

Australia

Associated gas is recovered and supplied to local power generation plants.

pipeline

Consumption of conventional fuels by power generation plants is reduced.

Associated gas is flared. Electricity is generated in power generation plants using conventional fuels.

■ Before

■ After

Sri Lanka

Japan