Tree-Planting Ceremony Held at Yokohama Tire Philippines

Yokohama Rubber’s commitment to all things environmental continued on August 23 with another tree planting ceremony, part of its “Yokohama Forever Forest” project at Yokohama Tire Philippines. The August ceremony was the first staged by the company outside of Japan, and will be followed by further such events in China (Hangzhou Yokohama Tire) in November and Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) in December. In Japan, the entire initial phase of tree planting has been completed except for at Yokohama’s Shinshiro facility, which will host a tree planting ceremony in May 2009.

Approximately 800 people attended the Philippines event, including local residents, workers from other Japanese companies, and employees of the Yokohama Rubber Group and their families. Mr. Yasuo Tominaga, senior adviser of Yokohama Rubber travelled from Japan to attend, and supervising the planting was Dr. Akira Miyawaki, a noted ecologist and professor emeritus of Yokohama National University. After a welcome message by from a number of dignitaries, including Hikomitsu Noji, president of Yokohama Tire Philippines, Dr. Miyawaki explained how to plant the trees. The participants were divided into groups and planted about 6,000 trees of 40 varieties, including native species.

The “Yokohama Forever Forest” Project is intended to green areas over a ten-year period at production sites in Japan and around the world, in anticipation of the company’s 100th anniversary in 2017. A total of 500,000 trees will be planted at seven domestic plants and eleven group companies overseas.