The Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Response by the Ajinomoto Group

• Kawasaki Plant, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Kawasaki Administration & Coordination Office (Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture):
  Production facilities sustained only minor damage. However, production and shipments were delayed owing to damage incurred to an automated warehouse at the Kawasaki Distribution Center, which stores and ships major retail products, as well as raw materials and ingredients for restaurants and food processing companies. As a result, supply problems were experienced by a large number of purchasers across the country. With the resumption of operations at the center in the latter half of May, products are being supplied stably.
• Fukushima Plant, AJINOMOTO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD. (Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture):
  Located in an area affected by the disaster, the plant sustained partial damage, with shelves collapsing inside its warehouse. Amid concerns that production may not be able to resume, the company committed itself to carrying out repairs. As a result, production of the plant's product, ELENTAL®, resumed on April 1.

• Kawasaki Distribution Center, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Kawasaki Administration & Coordination Office (Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture):
  The automated warehouse sustained damage that caused stacks of products to collapse. Consequently, products and raw materials could not be loaded for storage or delivery, resulting in problems extending across numerous operations. The company immediately responded by setting up storage tents and utilizing other warehouses as it worked to repair the facility. Restoration was completed in the latter half of May and normal deliveries have resumed.
• Sendai Distribution Center, AJINOMOTO LOGISTICS CORPORATION (Iwanuma, Miyagi Prefecture):
  The center was severely damaged by tsunamis. In response, distribution facilities in the greater Tokyo region began making deliveries from March 22 to six prefectures in Japan's northeastern Tohoku region normally handled by the center. Repairs were undertaken and partial operations commenced in May. Operations have been progressively restored, and the center is now almost fully functioning as normal.

• A total of 200 million yen was donated to Japan Platform, an international aid organization, by Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Ajinomoto Frozen Foods Co., Inc., Calpis Co., Ltd., and Ajinomoto General Foods, Inc.

• Information and support provided to volunteers going to disaster-affected areas.
• Employees prepared meals for evacuees at the AJINOMOTO STADIUM, which was provided as an emergency shelter.
• Employees prepared the group's product assortments for evacuees moving to temporary housing, and created messages of support.
• Employees prepared meals at evacuation shelters in Miyagi Prefecture.
• Employees assisted cafeterias at the head office of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and the Kawasaki Administration & Coordination Office, serving meals using ingredients from the disaster-affected areas to help support farmers in those areas.

• Ⅰ. Support to improve the nutrition of evacuees in areas affected by the disaster
• Ⅱ. Smart Energy measures based on an appropriate and intelligent use of electric power
• Ⅲ. Improvements to the supply chain to address wide-ranging risks and ensure a stable product supply in Japan

1. Employee assigned as local support manager

• From August 2011, an employee has been dispatched to the disaster-affected areas to serve as liaison between the group and local governments, NPOs, NGOs, dietetic associations, and other organizations, in an effort to create a collaborative framework for addressing local needs.

2. Provision of information to promote healthy and nutritionally balanced diets

• The group is working with local dietetic associations to distribute food recipes and conduct health and nutrition seminars at temporary housing facilities.

3. Donation of food products to assist people with cooking as they return to their normal lives

• 52,000 boxes of the group's product assortments are being donated to people leaving shelters and starting anew in temporary housing in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures.

4. Provision of support to employee participating in volunteer activities

• The group provided support to employees who volunteered to help cook meals at emergency shelters and prepare the abovementioned boxes of product assortments for donation.

• Procurement of main raw materials: To secure supplement systems for main raw materials, the group will facilitate sharing the same ingredients across numerous product formulas, simplifying product formulas, and developing substitute ingredients.
• Production: To maintain a stable supply of products in times of emergency, the group is developing a flexible and decentralized production system, whereby plants can fill in for each other, and formulating plans to ensure the availability of necessary personnel.
• Distribution: To reduce risks related to distribution, the group is moving inventory from central distribution centers to local centers, establishing multiple distribution routes, and designing flexible information systems.