November 2011  Toyofuji Exhibits at Messe Nagoya 2011

Toyofuji participated in Nagoya's biggest cross-industrial trade show, the four-day "Messe Nagoya 2011" held November 9-12 at Port Messe on Nagoya's Kinjo Pier. This was Toyofuji's sixth appearance at this trade show since the event began.

Launched in 2006, Messe Nagoya is a comprehensive international trade fair where innovative ideas and information on products, technologies, and services from a wide range of business and industries is disseminated from Nagoya to the rest of Japan and around the world. This year’s fair attracted 514 exhibitors and 50,753 visitors.

Toyofuji Shipping introduced visitors to the company's focus on safety and environmental considerations in ship design, featuring video presentations of "Transitions in Car Carrier Loading" and "Steps in the Building of a Ship," technologies used in our very newest Eco-Ship "TRANS FUTURE 11," and other informational offerings.

We'd like to thank the many visitors who stopped by the Toyofuji booth.

October 2011  Toyofuji Holds Bon Voyage Concert 2011

On October 13th, the 2011 Toyofuji Bon Voyage Concert was held at Aichi Prefectural Art Theater's Concert Hall, the thirteenth such concert that Toyofuji has sponsored.

This year's invited soloists featured Aichi-born soprano Sanae Kachi and tenor Masatake Yamada, performing along with the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Yoko Matsuo, who was making her second appearance on the podium for this event since the 2008 Concert.

The first half of the program featured opera works which was the first ever time presented in the concerts.

The latter half of the concert focused on well-known and -loved selections from famous German composers (Bach, Brahms, Beethoven) in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Japanese-German relations.

An exhibit on the facility's 5th floor lobby featured a display of over twenty valuable photographs recording moments in the history of Japanese-German relations, generously furnished by Kyodo News and Deutsche Presse Agentur (German Press Agency) especially for this concert.

The numerous concert attendees' enjoyment of both the history shown in the photo exhibit and the music provided by the orchestra's performance of famous works all went into making this event a major success.

September 2011  Notice of the Reopening of Toyofuji's Tohoku Office

Following a temporary closure due to the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster, Toyofuji Shipping's Tohoku Business Office has reopened as per the following.

July 2011  Awards Ceremony Held to Honor Achievement of "Zero Accidents"

Toyofuji's was commended by Toyota Motor Corporation for achieving the company's goal of "zero accidents" last fiscal year at a ceremony held Monday, July 12 in the worker's anteroom of the I-2 Workers' Wing at Toyofuji's Meiko Center.

Toyota Motor Corporation's award honors Toyofuji's realization of zero accidents in activity on the company's vessels and in terminal operations at the Meiko Center, Tahara Center and company premises in Japan for the year-long period from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011, the first time this has been accomplished in the 46 years since the company's establishment.

Attending the ceremony were Toyota Vice President Atsushi Niimi and Safety & Health Promotion Division General Manager Kyoichi Mano, along with Toyofuji President Kunio Komada and other company executives and top officials from partner companies in terminal and shipping operations and supervisors of the terminal operations firms located at the Meiko Center, bringing the total attendance at this major award ceremony to approximately 100 individuals.

At the award ceremony, Vice President Niimi presented a letter of appreciation praising the constant, daily effort put forth by Toyofuji and our partnering companies, including the ongoing program to ensure thoroughness in standard daily operations and education and training, and the progress made in risk management and training on company vessels. Further acknowledging the risk of heat stroke that workers face during the hot summer days, Mr. Niimi also presented Toyofuji with a supply of sports drink on behalf of Totoya Motor Corporation.

The award ceremony closed with all attendees gathering in front of the Logistics Dojo for a commemorated group photograph.

Toyofuji pledges to implement further safety activities with our partnering firms with the aim of maintaining this goal of "zero accidents."

June 2011  Announcement Regarding Transfer of Directors

Toyofuji has made the following provisional changes in the Board of Directors.

The final decisions will be determined at the 59th annual shareholders meeting to be held June 13, 2011 and the subsequent meeting of the Board of Directors.

May 2011  Toyofuji Shipping Holds 2011 Safety Convention

The 2011 Toyofuji Shipping Safety Convention was held on May 16, 2011.

Special guests in attendance included top executives of our partner companies in the harbor transport and shipping industries.

Reports were delivered on the results of terminal operation and vessel safety activities from the previous fiscal year, and plans for safety activities for FY2011 were announced during the Convention.

The program also included the presentation of awards for harbor transport operations and vessels with zero accidents in the last fiscal year, as well as awards to vessels with outstanding achievements in energy conservation.

The Convention closed with an announcement that Toyofuji achieved "zero accidents" in all areas of our business for the first time since the company was founded, confirmed by all members in attendance that we will continue to pursue our goal of "zero accidents" in all areas of our business.

We will continue to work together with our partner companies in promoting thorough measures to create a safe workplace.

April 2011  New Vessel "TRANS FUTURE 11" Enters Service

In April, the new overseas car carrier "TRANS FUTURE 11" enterd service.

The ship is the fourth in a series of four 2,000-vehicle vessels planned for China and other Asian routes.

With the introduction of this ship, Toyofuji is now initiating regular service in East Asia using four vessels of the same type, enabling the company to offer more stable transport services to major client Toyota Motor Corporation and other customers.

With this vessel and its sister ships TRANS FUTURE 8, which went into service last year, TRANS FUTURE 10, and TOCHO, Toyofuji Shipping will continue to strive to meet the needs of our customers.

April 2011  Tokyo Office Reopens

Following a temporary suspension in operations since March 22, business at our Tokyo office resumed as announce in the following schedule. We thank you for your continued patronage.

April 2011  "Zero Accidents" Achieved

Toyofuji realized the goal of "zero accidents" in activity on the company's vessels and in terminal operations at both the Meiko and Tahara Centers and company premises in Japan and abroad for the year-long period from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011.

Furthermore, the company achieved "zero accidents" on its transport vessels for the two-year period starting April 1, 2009.

This is the first time Toyofuji has achieved this remarkable feat of zero accidents both in terminal and shipping operations since the company's establishment.

We'd like to express our deepest gratitude for this accomplishment, the result of our entire company's vigorous efforts to ensure safety in operations and shipping as well as the safety activities conducted by our partner companies.
We pledge to implement further safety activities with our partnering firms with the aim of maintaining this goal of "zero accidents."

April 2011  Soba Noodle-Making Party Held at Children's Nursing Home

A customary soba noodle-making party was held on 4 April at Akatsuki Gakuen, a local children's nursing home in Tokai city, which Toyofuji has continually provided with support.

The party is held annually as an important part of Toyofuji's social contribution activities.

Together with Toyofuji executives and employees, the children once again experienced noodle-making, kneading the buckwheat flour into dough, rolling it out, and then cutting it with a knife.

The participants then had an enjoying time eating the noodles they had diligently made.

March 2011  Relief Activities Following the East Japan Earthquake

As requested (*1) by Tokai City, Aichi Prefecture, Toyofuji Shipping Co., Ltd. is participating in activities to support areas suffering damage in the East Japan Earthquake Disaster of March 11, 2011 by providing free marine transport of emergency supplies collected by local residents to Tokai's sister city Kamaishi City in Iwate Prefecture.

The relief supplies (4,246 boxes), consisting of clothing, drinking water, and other goods brought by Tokai City residents and other donors, were collected at the Nippon Steel Nagoya Gymnasium on March 24, sorted by city employees, local volunteers, and employees of Toyofuji, then taken to the port in five trailers.

One of Toyofuji's shipping vessels, the coastal ship "Tosho Maru," took on the five trailers loaded with relief supplies, along with one vehicle provided by Tokai City to be used in further support operations, then seen off by Tokai mayor Atsuo Suzuki and other wellwishers, set sail for Kamaishi Port at 5:00 p.m. March 24. The ship was scheduled to reach Kamaishi at 9:00 a.m. March 27.

We at Toyofuji Shipping offer our symapathies to all in the affected areas fervently hope for the area to recover as soon as possible.


(*1) Disaster Preparedness Agreement
In June of 2006, Toyofuji concluded a disaster preparedness agreement with Tokai City and Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture to transport needed supplies and aid equipment using Toyofuji's fleet in the event of either city suffering an earthquake or other major disaster.

(*2) Hosho Maru
Overall length: 165.0 meters Gross tonnage: 12,692 tons Car carrying capacity: 2,000 vehicles (1,450 vehicles + 50 trailers)

February 2011 Support for Areas Stricken by New Zealand Earthquake (Donation of Drinking Water)

Toyofuji Shipping Co., Ltd. (Head Offices in Tokai City, Aichi Prefecture; Kunio Komada, President), a marine shipping firm affiliated with Toyota Motors, announced its New Zealand corporation, Toyofuji Shipping New Zealand, Limited (TFSNZ), has donated 10,080 liters of drinking water (2,520 4-liter bottles) to support the victims of the New Zealand earthquake that struck the country on February 22.

TFSNZ purchased the water jointly with Maruha (N.Z.) Corporation Ltd. (Maruha (N.Z.)) and transported the water on a Toyofuji Shipping vessel (the M/V "TRANS FUTURE 7"). The shipment was loaded at the North Island's Aukland Port on the 24th and delivered on the 26th to Littleton Port near Christchurch, the site of the disaster. After unloading, the water was transported by a Maruha (N.Z.) affiliate to the Civil Defense Base in charge of general management of relief supplies. From there, it was brought to the disaster victims. The earthquake visited tremendous damage on the local waterworks infrastructure, leaving numerous households with their water supplies cut off. Toyofuji plans to cooperate in further relief efforts with the aim of restoring affected areas.