This year's report emphasizes readability, aiding readers with many photographs and headlines. This displays Murata's motivation to communicate with a diversity of stakeholders using the CSR report, an aim I expect to see achieved. The inclusion of many “Employee Perspective” sections is a further characteristic of this year's publication. It is most important for a CSR report to display the faces of the employees who actually carry out activities-with additional benefits in terms of in-house motivation. In the future, including similar perspectives from customers, clients and local society members would enhance the report's functionality as communications tool.

Murata's fiscal 2006 environmental performance largely achieves the targets of its Third Environmental Action Plan. Coverage regarding production facilities development to realize energy savings is worthy of note (see page 31). However, targets for total VOC emissions, which relate to production capacity increases, were not attained. In this regard, Murata should investigate its combination of targets for total emissions and for unit emissions to devise an achievable scenario when setting of targets for corporate activities and reduction figures on a total basis. Furthermore, development of such environmental management indices embracing overall environmental protection activities could be investigated.

With regard to the environment, Murata sets clear targets, as evidenced above, and follows through with PDCA activities. However, I suggest setting similar targets for social endeavors, albeit qualitative goals. If this is done, the CSR Report could present results of assessment and promotion of CSR activities when reviewing the year. In this case, it becomes necessary to investigate thoroughly what are important issues for society and important issues for Murata, and this process itself will boost Murata's CSR capacity.

A single corporation cannot resolve environmental and social problems; this requires the combined understanding and support of society as a whole. It is important to communicate that this is the reason why Murata puts such emphasis on environmental study and communications. Explaining Murata's advanced environmental awareness and activities broadly to society forms the social infrastructure that in turn supports Murata. I expect the CSR Report to be fully utilized as an important medium to this end.