Against a background of heightened environmental awareness, in recent years the industrial sector has heralded the importance of greening activities. We have introduced a Green Basic Policy made up of 10 clauses all deriving from the legacy of our founder, Akira Murata, and his expressions of deep love of greenery and nature more than 30 years ago. This policy goes beyond compliance with the legislation specified under the Factory Location Law and stipulations by municipal authorities to aggressively promote greenery activities that create regional cultural atmosphere, and specify its preservation as our social responsibility as a corporation. Based on this policy, we encourage systematic greenery activities aiming for factories rich with natural greenery, in harmony with regional communities at our facilities across Japan.

Data relating to the trees and greenery we have planted, including plant names, varieties, areas where they are planted and numbers, for each Murata factory in every country in which we operate, is compiled in a database and used to formulate planting plans. We specifically feature the flora indigenous to each urban, municipal or rural district, arranged to highlight a shifting array of seasonal flowers, blossoms, fruits and berries, fragrances, foliage and hues. In addition, we carefully maintain and manage our grounds to attract a diversity of wild birds and insects. We also throw our gardens open to the public during peak seasons for cherry, camellia, rhododendrons and other blossoms and flowers.

In recognition of long years conducting such activities, during fiscal 2006 Murata's Head Office became the first facility in the electronic components sector to obtain certification under the Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System (SEGES^*). Our Yasu Plant, Yokaichi Plant and Yokohama Technical Center also underwent inspection and gained SEGES certification during fiscal 2007.

*SEGES: A system facilitated by an urban greenery fund under which a third party evaluates and certifies favorable green spaces created by enterprises or other entities, and the activities conducted in those spaces. Assessment and inspection criteria span land use sustainability and management and functional optimization of green areas, in addition to the approach to and progressive measures enhance greenery in corporate premises.