Despite a decline in the number of large-scale public 
sector projects, total domestic orders edged up 2.4% 
to ¥282.9 billion. This gain was underpinned by 
favorable demand in the electronics and information 
fields, due primarily to the establishment of the 
Digital Visual Research Institute in Kobe as part of 
earthquake reconstruction activities, as well as 
healthy demand for industrial and construction 
machinery. Overseas, although we secured orders 
for a direct reduction plant in Egypt and a cement 
plant in Vietnam, orders declined 3.5%, to ¥77.8 
billion. As a result, total orders rose 1.1%, to ¥360.8 
billion. The backlog of orders at March 31, 1996, 
stood at ¥250.2 billion. 
  Even though overseas plant sales decreased, 
smooth growth in domestic plant sales, together with 
increases in sales of electronic and information-
related products, construction machinery, and 
cutting tools, led to a 7.4% rise in sector sales, to 
¥375.8 billion, in comparison with the previous fiscal 
year.