PRESS RELEASE
September 4, 2015
LIXIL Corporation

LIXIL Wins Japanese Government Award for Two Projects to Improve
Hygiene in Developing Countries
Tokyo, Japan – LIXIL Corporation (“LIXIL”), a global leader in housing and building materials,
products and services, is today proud to announce that it has been recognized by theJapanese Government for two projects in developing countries, one to improve toilet
conditions, and the second to address menstruation-related issues for young girls. The award the Women’s Empowerment / Gender Equality Minister’s Prize in the Activities Division(Assistance to Developing Countries / International Contributions) of the Japan Toilet Awards –was established by the Japanese government in 2015.

Kenyan girls relaxing in front of the clean toilets

SaTo hygienic toilet pans

Children receiving education on menstruation

The Japan Toilet Awards were established to contribute to the creation of “a society in which
all women shine” by recognizing exceptional initiatives related to toilets, a symbol of the efforts
to create spaces easily accessible to all women. A total of 378 submissions were received forthis first year for the award.
LIXIL Activities Recognized by the Japan Toilet Awards1) Project to improve toilets in developing countries
LIXIL is conducting a project utilizing its proprietary technologies (“Green Toilet System”, andSaTo (SAfety TOilets) Hygienic Toilet Pans) to improve toilet conditions for more than three
million people in nine countries around the world. In Kenya, LIXIL is focusing on schools inslum districts and residences in urban city suburbs, helping to improve peoples’ lives with
better hygiene utilizing its Green Toilet System, which can be installed without the need forsewage systems.
LIXIL also donated SaTo hygienic toilet pans to Bangladesh, Uganda, Haiti, Malawi, and thePhilippines, making a significant contribution to improving hygiene in developing countries.
Further, as part of its project for better hygiene in schools, LIXIL is working to improve school
toilets in developing countries around the world (Kenya, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, India),and to provide children with clean and safe toilet environments, which also serve as brightcommunication spaces where girls can attend to their personal appearance, as well as healtheducation.
2) NEXT DOOR Project(Project to address menstruation-related issues for young girls in developing countries)
Girls in developing countries, as well as boys, often do not receive proper education fromadults regarding menstruation, leading to a range of problems including erroneous informationand prejudice, as well as the spread of disease due to a shortage of sanitary products. LIXIL isconducting an employee initiative to provide sanitary goods and education regarding
menstruation for girls in the countries and regions where it is working to improve hygiene
conditions.
As of March 2015, LIXIL provided sanitary goods and education to 155 girls in Kenya. As aresult of the program, girls in these areas have acquired proper knowledge regarding
menstruation, giving them pride and confidence in being a woman. By helping to resolve
menstruation-related issues in developing countries, and providing a clean and safe living
environment, LIXIL is contributing to the future of a full, comfortable life for women throughout
the world.
Reference Material(Additional Detail on Activities that Received the Japan Toilet Award)
1) Project to improve toilets in developing countries
Basic infrastructure development has not kept pace with rapid economic growth in developing
countries, and health concerns have become a serious social issue. Many regions also suffer
chronic water shortages, prohibiting the use of flush toilets. In areas without public facilities,
open defecation further degrades sanitation. This causes diarrheal diseases, and many
children with weak immune systems have died. For women, open defecation and using
outdoor toilets at night places them at risk of sexual violence.
The Green Toilet System can be used without sewage infrastructure, improving peoples’ liveswith better toilet conditions, as well as by composting excrement to enhance agricultural
production. SaTo hygienic toilet pans are easily installed and can be flushed with small
amounts of water, while a drain valve over the outlet prevents flies and odor from the cesspool.
As part of LIXIL’s project for better hygiene in schools, we are working to improve school
toilets in countries around the world (Kenya, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, India), and toprovide children with clean and safe toilet environments. In areas where schools essentiallyhave no toilet, girls are uneasy about going to school, failing to receive an education andfalling into poverty. LIXIL’s project helps to break this vicious cycle, resolving issues of botheducation for girls and poverty.
LIXIL will continue to improve toilets, with the aim of selling Green Toilet System and “MicroFlush Toilet System” to assist developing countries.

Design Conditions
1. Does not use valuable water resources
2. Low cost - resource recycling
Features of the Green Toilet System
Separate collection of liquid and solid waste→ Controls odor→ Easy resource recovery

Left - Garbage dump strewn with plastic bags for excrement
Right - Mechanism of the Green Toilet System2) NEXT DOOR Project(Project to address menstruation-related issues for young girls in developing countries)
LIXIL employees began conducting a voluntary effort to address problems associated with alack of education regarding menstruation, launching the NEXT DOOR Project, an employee
initiative to provide girls with sanitary goods and education regarding menstruation. Learning of
the issues surrounding toilets and menstruation in developing countries, employees heldworkshops to discuss what they could do to help, and raised funds to send sanitary goods tolocal areas. In Kenya, in alliance with the NPO Huru International, girls were given “Girls’ Bags”
containing a set of sanitary goods, and educational programs conducted with correct
information regarding menstruation. Boys as well as girls participated in these lessons, helping
to eliminate erroneous information and prejudice.
Through an employee network that extends across barriers of gender, employment, workplace,and nationality, in just one year since the launch of this project (as of March 2015), sanitarygoods and education have been provided to 155 girls in Kenya. As a result of this initiative,
girls in these areas have acquired proper knowledge regarding menstruation, giving them prideand confidence in being a woman.

About the Japan Toilet Awards
The Japan Toilet Awards is a new program established to contribute to the creation of “asociety in which all women shine” by recognizing measures to improve the quality of life forwomen, in particular exceptional initiatives related to toilets, a symbol of the efforts to create
spaces easily accessible to all women.
Award Categories
Spaces Division-General Facilities
1) Commercial and customer facilities (such as stores, restaurants, theaters, hotels)2) Offices and other workplaces-Public Facilities
3) Transportation and traveler facilities(such as train stations, airports, service and parking areas, roadside rest areas)
4) Public toilets
5) Schools and cultural / education centers
Activities Division
1) Assistance to developing countries / International contributions(such as establishing toilets in developing countries)2) Disaster relief / Environmental consideration(such as improvement or development of emergency toilets for evacuation centers)3) Community development / Tourism assistance(such as installation of toilet maps, and toilet assessment systems)4) Other(such as education and measures to promote awareness regarding food and defecation)
Evaluation Method
The Japan Toilet Awards Review Committee (provisional name) reviews the content ofsubmissions from the application documents (including photos), and based on the results,selects the best examples for each facility and activity category.
*****Contact:
LIXIL -- Global External Communications
John Shortjohn.short@lixil.com / Tel: +81-3-6268-8801

Yoko Ushioda

yoko.ushioda@lixil.com / Tel: +81-3-6268-8801

About LIXIL Group Corporation
LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company containing LIXIL Corporation,
LIXIL VIVA CORPORATION and LIXIL Housing Research Institute, Ltd. The Group is involved in a broad
spectrum of housing-related businesses, ranging from the manufacture and sales of building materials andhousing equipment to the operation of home centers and a network of homebuilding franchises, and acomprehensive real estate service. Led by President and CEO Yoshiaki Fujimori, the Group posted 1.6
trillion JPY in consolidated sales in FY March 2015.
For more information about LIXIL Group and LIXIL, please visit: http://www.lixil-group.co.jp/e/About LIXIL Corporation
Headquartered in Tokyo, LIXIL Corporation is a global leader in housing and building materials, products
and services business. The foundation of LIXIL’s success is our constant investment in technologicalinnovation to improve people’s lives. Drawing on a heritage of over 100 years of technological innovation,
LIXIL is grouped into four technology businesses, LIXIL Water Technology (brands include: LIXIL, INAX,GROHE, American Standard, and JAXSON), LIXIL Housing Technology (includes Tostem, Shinnikkei, andTOEX brands, etc.), LIXIL Building Technology (including the Permasteelisa Group) and LIXIL Kitchen
Technology. LIXIL Japan Company is the fifth business of the LIXIL Corporation and operates as acustomer-focused sales organization with the most comprehensive range of products and services from all
four technologies to customers and business partners in Japan. LIXIL produces some of the world’s mostfundamental and innovative products and services, and our solutions are an integral part of some of theworld’s most iconic and cutting-edge living and working spaces LIXIL brands are present in 150 countries
and our businesses employ more than 80,000 people worldwide. LIXIL brings together technology, quality,
design and sustainability to enhance people’s lives around the world.