Happy New Year!

I would like to start by expressing my heartfelt appreciation to our 70,000 colleagues who worked hard at worksites around the world throughout all of last year.

We enter 2026 with the world becoming increasingly complex. Geopolitical risks and economic uncertainty, exemplified by the prolonged Russia-Ukraine situation and U.S.-China relations, create a state of affairs that forbids complacency. Also, since the advent of generative AI, AI has been evolving at a disruptive pace, making it difficult to imagine what the world will look like a year from now.

Despite being in such an environment, our company achieved a record-high net profit of 186.9 billion yen in the first half of our current fiscal year, and we have revised upward our forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2026 from 340 billion yen to 360 billion yen.

This achievement represents much more than simply having reached a certain number. It serves as a solid foothold for our company to achieve what we are calling "Dimensional Ascension". I am truly grateful to all of you for continuing to take on challenges without fear of change on the front lines. This year, too, will be extremely important for our company, as we find out whether or not we will be able to accelerate our current momentum and achieve Dimensional Ascension.

In our Mid-term Business Plan initiated in April last year, we declared our aim of increasing our corporate value through Dimensional Ascension. At that time, I conveyed that growth investments are the key to being able to do so as a uniquely competitive Sogo-Shosha (General trading company).

Looking back, several major events have already taken place during our current fiscal year. In the circular economy field, in which we aim to become the world leader, we accelerated investment in resource recycling businesses, including our acquisition of Radius Recycling, Inc. in the United States. We also made significant strides in our Africa business. In Angola, thanks to the long-term efforts of all involved, a port project was completed, contributing to the development of the regional economy through the improvement of logistics infrastructure.

At the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which took place in Yokohama in August, we strengthened our relationships with governments and private companies of various African countries, as well as with United Nations agencies, sowing seeds for new business.

Beyond the circular economy and Africa, we also need to continue our Dimensional Ascension by actively investing in our core businesses centered on mobility. Rather than aiming to score the average, let us thoroughly develop our strengths in each field and create value that no other company can offer.

Also, in our Mid-term Business Plan, I set forth our goal of achieving Dimensional Ascension among our people and organizations--in other words, awakening the DNA of each person and creating a dynamic organization that is like a thriving, living organism.

So I shall ask once again: Do you believe in the unique competitiveness of yourself and your organization?
And are you taking action toward Dimensional Ascension? Has your own Toyota Tsusho DNA awakened?
Is your organization alive and vibrant like a thriving, living organism with blood flowing through its veins?
By all means, please find your own answers and your organization's answers by communicating with those around you.

Additionally, we must review our business portfolios so that we can concentrate our limited management resources on growth areas. Please have the courage to decide to withdraw from businesses that have fulfilled their historical role or are being evaluated as teetering one way or the other. I hope that all of you--our employees, who matter the most to us--will play active roles in the businesses that will create the future.

Furthermore, our company's unique competitiveness also lies in the fact that we operate numerous businesses that can both help solve global issues and enhance our corporate value.

Last year, we received the highest rating of "S" in the GX (Green Transformation) category of The Nikkei newspaper's NIKKEI GX500 Decarbonization Management ranking and were honored with being ranked second overall.

This is the result of us being recognized by society for our sincere efforts to address global issues. As such, this year let us further develop our unique competitiveness, achieve Dimensional Ascension, and pass on a better Earth to the children of the future.

Finally, Toyota Tsusho's recognition among stakeholders is still far from sufficient. Going forward, we will focus on widely promoting our company's appeal and on activities for increasing the number of fans of Toyota Tsusho. I look forward to each of you, as representatives of Toyota Tsusho, spreading the word about the captivating qualities of our company.

Let me conclude my New Year's greeting by sincerely wishing that 2026 will be a year overflowing with smiles and filled with happiness for all of our employees and their families. Thank you very much.