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Contributing to Society

As a member of society, the Kobe Steel Group interacts with local communities and contributes to their welfare on an ongoing basis. This spirit of service extends to the international community as well, taking such forms as assistance to the victims of the Sichuan Earthquake in China.
Kobe Steel

Kakogawa Works
Sponsoring Volleyball Tournaments for Elementary School Girls in Kakogawa
Twice a year, in the spring and summer, Kobe Steel's Kakogawa Works sponsors Shinko Kakogawa Cup Girls' Volleyball Tournaments at the Shinko Kakogawa Gymnasium. Participating teams are comprised of girls who attend elementary school in the city of Kakogawa. The spring event is an open tournament for about 520 girls on about 40 teams. The summer event focuses on 320 girls on 24 teams who must first win preliminary matches to qualify. These tournaments were instituted in 2002 and were held for the seventh time in 2008. The spring tournament was held for two days on May 3 and 4; the summer tournament was held on August 24.

The city of Kokogawa places a high priority on promoting sporting events for elementary school students. For promising young athletes, the Shinko Kakogawa Cup Girls' Volleyball Tournaments have become major events.
Kakogawa Works
Sponsoring Sports Days with Welfare Institutions
Working jointly with welfare institutions such as Wakaba Gakuen and Crayon, the Foremen's Association at Kakogawa Works sponsors an annual sports day for the disabled at Shinko Kakogawa Gymnasium. A total of 93 people participated in this event in 2008.

Participants from Kobe Steel worked with facility residents to make the equipment and national flags used in the sporting events and spent time getting to know them. By working up a sweat together, everyone involved reaffirmed the importance of considerateness and richness of heart.

In addition to the sports day, the Foremen's Association provides items for both institutions' charity bazaars and sponsors New Year's rice pounding events.




Fujisawa Industrial Operations
Holding an Annual Commemorative Ceremony with the Local Neighborhood Association
There's a historical monument on the grounds of the Fujisawa Industrial Operations called Yatsushima Kabuto Matsu (Yatsushima Helmet Pine). Each year, plant personnel cooperate with the local Miyamaecho Neighborhood Association to hold a commemorative ceremony marking two historical events associated with the monument. About 300 local people participated in the commemorative ceremony in 2008, joined by about 50 executives from Kobe Steel and affiliated companies. While the head priest recited sutras, participants took turns offering incense, after which everyone enjoyed a light social gathering under a clear blue sky. Held every year in October, this ceremony helps to ensure that, no matter how the times change, the history of this area is treasured and preserved.

The Yatsushima Kabuto Matsu where the warlord Nitta Yoshisada prayed for the souls of the warriors who fell under his command in his victorious battle to topple the Kamakura Shogunate (1333) was reputedly located on the grounds of the Fujisawa Plant. Centuries earlier than that, the general Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa, who had unified the Fujisawa region under his rule, buried his helmet at the foot of a pine tree here to mark his gratitude to the gods for his victory in the Gosannen War (1083-1087). Today, both of these historical events are commemorated in a single ceremony held on the Fujisawa facility grounds every year.

Commemorative ceremony held on the grounds of the Fujisawa Plant
Commemorative ceremony held on the grounds of the Fujisawa Plant
Nadahama Science Square
Observing Soil Organisms Added to Nature Classroom Program
Nadahama Science Square, located next to Kobe Steel's Shinko Kobe Power Station in Kobe, is a hands-on learning facility that promotes interaction with the local community. One of its programs is the Nature Classroom, which is held on different themes each year. Participants in this program interact with the natural world immediately around them, and develop a greater awareness of the importance of the environment. In fiscal 2008, 18 Nature Classrooms were held with the participation of about 1,200 people.

As a new addition for the summer season, Nadahama Science Square has also initiated a program called Observation of Soil Organisms. Participants look at springtails, mites and other tiny creatures that feed on fallen leaves, and discover through hands-on experience how the recycling process works in forests. The drama of the life of creatures in the soil is truly exciting to the children who participate.
Children become intensely involved in the Observation of Soil Organisms program
Children become intensely involved in the Observation of Soil Organisms program

Group Companies
Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
Assistance for the Victims of the Sichuan Earthquake in China
On May 12, 2008, a devastating earthquake hit Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province in China. Kobelco Construction machinery Co., Ltd. has a subsidiary located in the local city of Chengdu and continues to provide various kinds of aid to the ravaged area. KCM and Kobe Steel together have donated a 20t excavator and other construction machinery valued at 4 million yuan (approximately $60,000), and contributed 1 million yuan (approximately $15,000) to the Chengdu Economic Council. Working with its subsidiary, KCM has also provided about $120,000 earmarked for the reconstruction of an elementary school in Chengdu, which will be used to rebuild the school building and buy supplies. In addition, the subsidiary has transported desks and chairs to an elementary school in neighboring Meishan City, helped to establish a temporary school there, and provided other assistance. Elementary school under construction in Sichuan, China
Elementary school under construction in Sichuan, China
Kobelco Training Services Co., Ltd.
Giving Children a Close-up View of Construction Machinery
At various training centers around the country, Kobelco Training Services invites students from nearby elementary schools and preschools to see and ride in construction machinery and help them make drawings their experience. The kids are delighted to get up close to the machines, which they normally only see at a distance. For company employees who work with the construction equipment every day, it's a delightfully fresh experience to hear children gasp in wonder at the size of the large machines and to watch them draw their pictures with such obvious enthusiasm. Young boy on an excavator at the Amagasaki Training Center
Young boy on an excavator at the Amagasaki Training Center

Children sketching an excavator at the Gifu Training Center
Children sketching an excavator at the Gifu Training Center
Kobelco Research Institute, Inc.
Women's Tug-of-War Team Encourages Local Interaction
Kobelco Research Institute's Women's Tug-of-War Team is a top competitor in Japan that has won worldwide medals. Its members actively disseminate the appeal of the sport to people of all ages. One way they do this is through joint practices and the training guidance they give to the student athletes of Suzuhara Elementary School in the city of Itami, who won the Japanese Grand Championship in the Junior Division.

In January 25, 2009, at the request of the Kobe Outreach Training Society, the team visited the Kobe Municipal Eastside Welfare Center for the Housebound Disabled, where they provided training for disabled athletes preparing to compete in the Pull League Tug-of-War Tournament. On March 8, 2009, the team participated in the 6th ASPF Smile Cup Tug-of-War Tournament sponsored by the Amagasaki Sports Promotion Association, where they gave a demonstration and provided coaching to athletes in the elementary school division. In these and other ways, the team uses tug-of-war contests to deepen interaction with local communities and actively pursue volunteer opportunities.

Shinko Engineering & Maintenance Co., Ltd. (Shinko EN&M)
Clam digging with children in foster facilities
Working with the Shinko EN&M Kakogawa Safety and Health Association, Shinko EN&M sponsored a clam digging excursion to Shirahama beach for children living in the Shinwa Gakuen and Dojin Gakuin foster home facilities. This event has been held once a year since 2004. In fiscal 2008, about 70 children and 20 staff members participated.
Kobelco Community Contribution Fund
Providing Support to 10 Cities and Towns under the Theme, "Children of the Future"
The Kobelco Community Contribution Fund was established in June 2006. Continuing work in fiscal 2007, the fund continues to provide support for children, in ten locations where the Kobe Steel Group has operating facilities and laboratories: Kobe, Kakogawa, Takasago, Harima, Ibaraki, Fujisawa, Higashihiroshima, Moka, Inabe, and Shimonoseki.

More specifically, the fund provided support to: 1) children's special care centers and welfare facilities for the disabled; 2) nursery schools, day-care centers and other facilities that provide childrearing support; 3) groups that enable children themselves to contribute to their local communities; 4) groups that engage educational activities for children in the fields of art, culture and sports; and 5) groups that help ensure the safety and healthy growth of children.
Projects Supported by the Kobelco Community Contribution Fund in FY2008
City Recipient Type of Support
Kobe Children's educational program on traditional Japanese arts (1) Funding for the repair of musical instruments and the purchase of textbooks
Children's groups (2) Funding for transplanting and planting trees in nearby parks
Funding for the purchase of storage lockers
Association for the nurturing of youth (1) Funding for the manufacture and distribution of safety patrol plates attached to the front basket of bicycles
Environmental conservation group (1) Funding for the creation and distribution of a River Safety Handbook for children
Kakogawa Childrearing support circles (5) Funding for the purchase of activity materials
Volunteer group that enables children themselves to contribute to their local communities (1) Funding for the purchase of equipment for river and canal clean-up activities
Takasago NPO that supports childrearing (1) Funding for the purchase of educational materials, toys, and supplies used for childrearing
Harima Group that fosters youth through the arts, culture and sports (1) Funding for the purchase of articles used in a Christmas event
Ibaraki (Osaka) Children's special care facilities (3) Funding for outdoor activities
Funding for retreats
Funding for the purchase of a video player
Childrearing support center (1) Funding for the purchase of toys
Fujisawa Childrearing support center (1) Funding for the purchase of a PC and peripheral equipment
Higashihiroshima Daycare centers (4) Funding for the purchase of digital height measurement devices and infant length measurement devices
Moka Elementary schools (15) Funding for the purchase of materials for English-language education
Inabe Childrearing support centers (6) Funding for the purchase of picture books and playground equipment, as well as for the dispatch of lecturers on childrearing
Shimonoseki Childrearing support center (1) Funding for the purchase of toys, infant length measurement device, and equipment used in safety circles
Social Contributions through Rugby
Special Support for National High School Rugby Tournament
The number of young rugby players is falling in Japan, in part because of declining popularity for the sport and also because of a lower national birthrate. To fight this trend, it's important to mount rugby booster programs and nurture talented young athletes. To that end, the Kobe Steel Group provides special support for two high school rugby tournaments in an effort to contribute to society and to the welfare of local communities.

From December 27, 2008 to January 7, 2009, the Kobe Steel Group served as a special sponsor of the 88th National High School Rugby Tournament held at the Hanazono Rugby Ground, the "rugby Mecca" of Japan. Fifty-one high school teams from around the country vied for the championship title. This is the fourth year the Kobe Steel Group has provided major support for the event, with the aim of promoting rugby as a sport and enhancing the level of play among high school athletes.

On January 7, 2009, just before the championship match, we held an East-West Match for the U18 combined teams. Players were chosen from the teams that participated in the Kobelco Cup 2008 4th National High School Combined Team Rugby Tournament held in the summer of 2008. The chosen athletes were divided into Eastern and Western teams, with current members of the Kobelco Steelers participating as coaches. This event received favorable attention not only among rugby fans but among a wider circle of sports enthusiasts.
The 88th National High School Rugby Tournament
The 88th National High School Rugby Tournament

The Kobelco Cup 2008
The Kobelco Cup 2008
Activities of Kobe Steel's Rugby Team
Kobelco Rugby Festival 2008
"It's hot today, but let's go out there and enjoy ourselves!" With these words, spoken by then-team captain Shota Goto of the Kobelco Steelers in his opening address, Kobelco Rugby Festival 2008 got underway on July 6, 2008. Once a year, this event permits fans and athletes to freely interact, with many enthusiastic people filling the Nadahama Ground from the early hours of the morning.

Attractions at the festival included the traditional touch-football game, a "mini-friendship" rugby game for kids, a photo corner, and the main Nadahama Golympic sports meet, where athletes and fans could share the field in a fun-filled, active, and highly satisfying event.
About 4,000 people braved the heat to participate in Kobelco Rugby Festival 2008
About 4,000 people braved the heat to participate in Kobelco Rugby Festival 2008
Donation to the Japan Spinal Cord Foundation
From their first season match in October 2007 until their final match in February 2008, the Kobelco Steelers collected donations for the Japan Spinal Cord Foundation at all of their 13 games. To these they added part of the receipts from Kobelco Rugby Festival 2008 for a total of ¥300,645, which was donated to the Japan Spinal Cord Foundation on August 23, 2008 in the group activity room of the Aiai Hall operated by the Center for the Mentally and Physically Disabled, located in Meguro Ward of Tokyo.
Then-team captain Shota Goto participates in the donation ceremony for the Japan Spinal Cord Foundation
Donation to the Japan Committee for UNICEF
The Kobelco Steelers also collected donations for the Japan Committee for UNICEF. On November 11, 2008, Daisuke Yamamoto of the Kobelco Steelers joined with Keisuke Takeshita and Masafumi Uchiyama of the World Fighting Bull at a donation ceremony to present the collected money, which totaled \119,171. Donated at the Hyogo Prefectural Office of the Japan Committee for UNICEF, the money will be used to assist victims of the great earthquake in Sichuan, China and the cyclone in Myanmar.
Donation ceremony held at the Hyogo Prefectural Office of the Japan Committee for UNICEF