Number

120thIssue date

24-Dec-20

Thank you all for everything this year （this section has been quoted from President Komaba'smessage.）
The year 2020 saw the start of the novel coronavirus, and it has now come to an end.
This virus was first detected in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China, inDecember 2019, and as of December 22nd, 2020, a total of 201,762 people have been infected in Japan
with 2,978 fatalities, and 77,307,971 people have been infected worldwide with 1,701,085 fatalities.
There have been many horror stories, such as Europe repeatedly enacting lockdowns and enforcing stayat-home restrictions, America seeing widespread contagion after its leaders failed to grasp thesignificance of the pandemic, and Japan experiencing trouble in discovering a way to fight COVID-19, etc.,
but there have also been certain success stories in handling contagion in certain parts of Asia (Taiwan,Thailand and others).
In the world of politics, America went through an extremely arduous presidential election that split thecountry into two. I hope that president-elect, Joe Biden, can breathe new life into the world, if only on asmall scale. Europe is now facing the final stage of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union,
which still appears to be bogged down with difficulties. Japan elected a new prime minister, althoughultimately it is difficult to believe that this will result in the enactment of effective policies, making thefuture difficult to predict.
From an economic perspective, the spread of the coronavirus has delivered a severe hit on a wide rangeof industries centered around BEACH industries (B = Travel industry, E = Entertainment industry, A =Airline industry, C = Cruise industry, H = Hotel industry). Although it is impossible to compare this year tolast year, advanced and advancing nations remain unable to restore their economies while they
frantically struggle to find measures for controlling COVID-19.
KSK has adopted various measures for combatting the coronavirus, and despite the fact that we havebeen forced to face three surges in infections since February, the company continues to record zero
infections. We have also revised our organizational policies in anticipation of the future, reformed ourproposal system and small-group Kaizen activities, and have begun to prepare for the adoption of metal
3D printers and start-up activities, and we are also quietly moving ahead with putting our technology topractical use in air-filtration functions as part of the tasks we are capable of performing to ensure SDGs,etc.
We will also continue to do everything within our power to come together in harmonious cooperation inorder to create a company that contributes to industry.
And finally, I would also like to thank everybody for the efforts they put in during 2020. I appreciate itfrom the bottom of my heart.
I look forward to your continued support and cooperation in 2021.

Automotive area (Three major convenience store operators, Toyota and Hino seek verification for theadoption of fuel-cell compact trucks)
Five companies consisting of Seven-Eleven Japan, Family Mart, Lawson, Toyota Motors and Hino Motors
announced the start of initiatives aimed at adopting fuel-cell compact trucks (FC company trucks) on
December 8th. In addition to aligning their sights on adopting FC compact trucks in order to ensure asustainable society capable of supporting diversity, etc., these five companies have agreed to enact
initiatives to create an environment that facilitates widespread distribution in the future. In further detail,the three convenience store operators were considering adopting the FC compact trucks (maximum loadof 3 tons) jointly developed by Toyota Motors and Hino Motors, and they have now decided tocommence road verification tests in 2021 to verify usability and convenience. Once the results of the roadverification tests have been evaluated, the three companies will consider whether or not the FC company
trucks can be put to practical use by multiple distribution centers and for deliveries between stores froma business and social standpoint in 2022.
In order to cope with future widespread distribution, efforts to isolate all issues will be continued fromIn order to cope with future widespread distribution, efforts to isolate all issues will be continued from2022, such as establishing more hydrogen stations in alignment with actual market use, the convenienceof hydrogen supply, refilling capacities and opening hours, etc., as well as vehicle purchases and the costof hydrogen. At the same time, the central government, autonomous local authorities and hydrogenstation operators, etc., will collaborate to provide suggestions for improvements with regard to theseissues, and investigations will move ahead into the support and collaborative organizations, etc., required
to create effective systems that promote reductions in CO2 emissions caused by the large-scale adoptionof FC trucks in the future.
The FC compact trucks developed by Toyota Motors and Hino Motors will target a traveling distance ofaround 400km, and they are aiming at satisfying the needs for environmental performance andtransportation efficiency as commercial vehicles at high levels. With regard to expanded demand forhydrogen, although the trucks consume more hydrogen in comparison to FC vehicles, expectations arehigh for the adoption of commercial FC trucks, buses and other vehicles that can be operated inaccordance with plans that take traveling distance and hydrogen refills into account during general usage.
The issues that remain unsolved in order to achieve full-scale distribution include reducing the cost of thevehicles and the cost of hydrogen, as well as improving the levels of convenience offered by hydrogenstations.

The five companies involved have established ties
with the central government, autonomous local
authorities and hydrogen station operators, etc.,with regard to these initiatives, with investigations
into various measures to improve and solve theseissues through the operation of FC compact trucks in
distribution situations moving ahead, and thecreation of an environment that supports thewidespread use of not only compact trucks but alsocommercial vehicles, passenger vehicles and otherFC vehicles is currently being promoted.

Source: Kankyo Business Online

Keihin Seimitsu Kogyo (2020 Kaizen Convention awards ceremony)This year’s 2020 KSK Kaizen Convention, due to have been held in July, was cancelled owing to the spreadof the novel coronavirus, and instead we held the presentations, screenings, selection of the best teamand award ceremony in August via video in accordance with the itinerary shown below to commemorate
the hard work the selected teams had put in over the course of the year.
- Filming of videos for the circles giving presentations: Mid-August through to September 18th
- Screening by the president, the managing director, advisors, the general manager and department
directors: September 22nd through to October 5th- Winning circles decided: October 12th
- Award ceremony: October 21st (at the head office for the top three winners, and at each regional officefor the other teams)
The videos were filmed under time restrictions at each office, but despite this, each circle made splendid
efforts and the presentations were as good as we always enjoy.
The results ensured that the first prize was awarded to the Casting Section, Hokkaido Plant (Improving
the Working Environment from a Female Perspective), the second prize to Manufacturing Section No.1,Kanuma Plant (Improving Handling of Heavy Objects), and the third prize to Manufacturing Section No.3,
Hokkaido Plant (Achieving Zero Residual Shavings).
The 2020 Kaizen activities were carried out by small groups in order to place the priority on preventing
the spread of infection amid the COVID-19 crisis, and we look forward to expanding the success weachieved in this by evolving KSK Small-Group Kaizen after the pandemic has died down so that we canshow you the regular KSK Kaizen Convention.

Post-editorial Notes: (A moment amid COVID-19: when we meet in dreams)
We humans follow customs that help familiarize us to various environments, and even during the current
infuriating coronavirus crisis, we are learning to adapt to a new environment. I became aware of this dueto two different matters.
Before we came under attack by COVID-19, the author used to love breaking a sweat at the gym on
weekends and following this up with a daytime drink. It is difficult to find anything to beat the taste of agood hamburger or salt-grilled mackerel when you are hungry or the sense of happiness generated as anice-cold beer quenches a powerful thirst, and then visiting a bookstore or sitting on a park bench with a
red face following this guaranteed an extremely relaxing day.
Unable to follow this routine since February, I instead go jogging along the coastline to refresh my soul by
the Pacific Ocean in the afternoon sunshine, and then drink a beer on my deck while gazing at the distant
Enoshima Island after returning home, and this is now my favorite routine.
As Yumi Matsutoya once sung in one of her old songs, “Someday time will be a generous friend who willturn the past yesterday into a story,” I get the feeling that in a few years when COVID-19 has disappeared
from our lives, we will feel somewhat nostalgic about the period we are currently going through.
Incidentally, I’m not sure if it is an effect of the current period or not, but the number of opportunities I
get to meet up with some of the girls from the past when I loved them relentlessly, even if sometimes it
was a one-way street, have increased (in my dreams). This is favorable development, and I now lookforward to going to sleep every night.
They appear to me exactly as they were at that time. And I, who was new to parenting then, still had mypure heart… I remember their cute faces in blushing pink as they chatted cheerfully with me… They werein their low teens and embodied pure health at that time, and as they drew close to me, I noticed thesweet fragrance of their breath… and then… Ahhh…
Why is it that dreams like that stop suddenly midday and move onto a different scene? It’s crazy!
Suddenly, I found myself back in my own student days dancing frantically with a girl I really liked at thattime at a dance club (well, she was rather gorgeous!)
The lights then dimmed and a slow song came on, and the couples around us moved into close embraces
and began to sway slowly to the music.
Here was my chance! A cheek dance! And, just as I placed my hands on her hips, I woke up… The dream…
It was fading… The moment I tried to do something naughty (although it felt pretty good to me), thescene suddenly changed.
A long time ago, the late Eiichi Ohtaki wrote a song that I liked entitled When We Meet in Dreams, andalthough it never occurred to me that the lyrics may have been slightly improper (or maybe it did on alower level…), these lyrics slowly emerged from my memory.
Wouldn't it be beautiful if I met you in my dreams, so until we meet up, I will remain asleep  I began
to hear a different voice…
It sounded like my late father was saying, “Stop being stupid and go and reflect on your sins in hell!”