Congratulations to all of our new employees. It is my great pleasure to welcome 55 of you here today as new members of Toyota Tsusho Corporation. On behalf of the executives and other employees of Toyota Tsusho, please allow me to extend our heartfelt felicitations.

I believe that the search by each of you to secure employment came amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with various uncertainties and restrictions on travel and interviews. For your having overcome many difficulties, choosing Toyota Tsusho of your own volition, and joining our company today, I say once again, congratulations!

Toyota Tsusho is now on the way to a "new stage". In the more than 20 years since the latter part of the 1990s, when many of you new hires were born, our company has considerably grown. Comparing the year 2000 and last year, the number of our employees has increased seven-fold from 9,400 members to 64,400, the number of our affiliates has increased seven-fold from 140 companies to 1,010, and our total market capitalization has increased 15-fold from 110 billion Japanese Yen to 1.64 trillion Japanese Yen. Although our company has grown beyond comparison in terms of scale, as well as in terms of our responsibility and need to contribute to society, our stance for how we approach our customers has remained absolutely the same--we still cherish "Genchi, Genbutsu, Genjitsu" ("On Site, Hands on, In Touch"), implement "Team Power" (Teamwork), and engage with a never-give-up spirit. So what kind of company will we be 20 years from now? Those of you who joined us this year will certainly play leading roles in our future growth.

We are now poised at the starting line of new growth. But we are also in the midst of major changes in the world, including a once-in-a-century period of profound transformation in the automotive industry, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the software revolution, the digital revolution, carbon neutrality, COVID-19, and a tense international situation. Against this backdrop, we are striving to be a "one-and-only presence" that leads the times. Toyota Tsusho has set "Be the Right ONE" as its global vision, and we aim to be an irreplaceable and indispensable presence around the world for our customers, suppliers, partners, shareholders, local communities, and future society.

We share this great aspiration and purpose with you, our new members. Let us passionately work together for the benefit of others in the world and the children of the future.

There are three things that I would like to ask of you today.

The first one is: Take on many challenges without being afraid to fail.
However, should you fail or make a mistake, never blame others. There is nothing to learn from blaming others. Growth comes not by way of blaming others but by taking responsibility and humbly looking back at ourselves, sincerely reflecting on the situation, and honestly continuing to learn.

The second one is: Strive to be a professional second to none in the domain of the work that you have been given.
As the saying goes, "Bloom in the place you have been given." Please aim to be a presence that is trusted by others in the role you that are given and a presence about which our customers and your colleagues will say they know that they can leave something up to you because you are you. To become a professional, I hope that you will continue to steadily and honestly learn much from your seniors, your peers, people at worksites, and history and books.

And, finally, the third one is: Be aware of your own health management.
For two consecutive years, our company has been designated as a Health & Productivity Stock Selection brand by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Stock Exchange, a designation that goes to one company per industry each year. I hope that all of you, as members of society, will be thoroughly aware of your own health management and lead healthy and energetic lives every day, both while at work and away.

I sincerely look forward to your success going forward and to working with all of you.

With this, I conclude my words of welcome.