CSR Report 2009

Emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Management
The Yamaha Group seeks to implement our corporate philosophy, pursue sustainable business, leverage our core technologies and assets and deepen communication with all stakeholders. Constantly creating ‘kando*’ and enriching culture—that is the Yamaha Group’s CSR.
* ‘Kando’ (is a Japanese word that) signifies an inspired state of mind.

Customers

Contribute toShareholders

a Sustainable Society

Uniquely Yamaha CSR· Activities related to core business operations· Voluntary activities extending beyond core

Creating ‘Kando’ Together

business operations

Creating ‘kando’ andBasic CSR to Enhance Corporate Valueenriching culture

Earn the Trust of
Stakeholders· Improve corporate governance· Enhance compliance and reinforce corporate
ethicsThose Who WorkkWith YamahaSociety

Contents

Editorial Policy

Emphasis on Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR)
in Management

01

Message from the President

02

Feature03

The Yamaha Group issues the CSR
Report in order to communicate our
CSR vision and initiatives to our
broad stakeholder base. Since wefirst published the report in 2000, we
have worked to prioritize informationthat is of greater interest based on
our ongoing dialogue with stakeholders. After reviewing our format
this year, we decided to take a
two-pronged approach, postingdetailed information and environmental performance data on thewebsite (http://www.global.yamaha.
com/about/csr/group/2009/) andpresenting key points more concisely
in the printed report to make it easierto read and digest.
In preparing this report, wereferred to the Ministry of the Environment’s “Environmental Reporting
Guidelines (2007 Version)” and the
Global Reporting Initiative’s

With Our Customers

07

With the People We Work with

09

With Our Shareholders

12

Environmental Initiatives

13

Management Structure

16

Third-Party Opinion

17

Company Outline

18

About the Cover:In the spirit of “making
sound and music together,”
this year’s cover expresses
the Yamaha Group’s desire
to work in harmony with its
four key stakeholder groups
with an artist’s rendering offour sweeps of a baton, inthe spirit of “making soundand music together.”

01 Yamaha Corporation

Enhance
Corporate Value“Sustainability Reporting Guidelines(v. 3.0).”

the scope of reporting on Group
company activities.

Organizations Included in
Scope of Reporting

Regarding Environmental
Performance Data

It is Yamaha Corporation’s intention
to report to the fullest extent possibleon activities carried out by the organizations that fall within the scope of
Yamaha’s consolidated financial
accounting. The environmental
protection activities discussed in thisreport cover the 27 business sites(21,426 total employees, 80% ofconsolidated employees) that haveobtained ISO 14001 certification.
Reported items other than environmental protection and social contribution activities are primarily activities
by Yamaha Corporation, althoughcertain items focus on activities
carried out by Yamaha Group companies. We will continue to expand

Environmental performance data notincluded in this report can be foundon our website.
http://www.global.yamaha.com/
about/csr/group/2009/data

Reporting Period
April 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009
• The above period is referred to as “fiscal
2008” in this report.
• Certain initiatives underway from before
fiscal 2008 and information from April
2009 onward are also included in thisreport.

Next Issuance
We plan to issue the next CSR
Report in September 2010.

Message from the President

Yamaha Group CSR

Working with Stakeholders

Through business activities founded on sound and music, the YamahaGroup strives to achieve its corporate objective of “Creating ‘Kando*’
Together.” As a basic management policy, Yamaha places a strongemphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, expressing this commitment through a variety of activities and themes including product quality, customer satisfaction, procurement, environmental
protection and public relations activities. In this way, we have continued to fulfill our role as a good corporate citizen. Going forward,
guided by the Yamaha Group’s philosophy of management that iscustomer-oriented and quality-conscious, transparent and sound, andthat values people and is in harmony with society, we remain dedicated to meeting our responsibilities and contributing as a corporation
by working as a Group to raise CSR consciousness and tackle a rangeof social concerns.
The Yamaha Group’s CSR activities are distinguished by theiremphasis on using core business activities to contribute to the development of musical culture around the world. By making the most of
Yamaha’s strengths to provide products and services that satisfy all
customers who love music, we can contribute to the development ofmusical cultures and enrich lives worldwide.
In tandem, as the Yamaha Group develops operations on a global
scale, we believe it is vital to view this as a springboard for doing ourpart to address the issues faced by local communities, as well as
worldwide concerns such as global warming and biodiversity. The
Yamaha Group will continue promoting efforts to address social problems in a variety of ways, focusing on those activities best suited to theparticular nature of our businesses. To this end, we will make efforts to
support cultural expression and educational development in eachregion, will pursue more efficient use of raw materials, and will reduce
the environmental impact of our development and production activities.
Among other measures, we will also support forest revitalization as acompany that utilizes wood materials to manufacture its products.

The Yamaha Group is currently in the final year of its “YGP2010”
medium-term management plan. The sluggish global economic conditions that we now confront have made achieving the numerical targetsof the plan difficult. Nevertheless, we made progress in implementing
measures outlined in “YGP2010.” In addition to the restructuring of ourmusical instrument manufacturing bases carried out to date, particularly our piano factories, we also enacted various initiatives in our music
software business. Moreover, we have achieved growth in key emerging markets, most notably in China, where the figures are in the double
digits. Even in an adverse operating environment, the Yamaha Groupwill continue to create ‘kando’ that exceeds our stakeholders’ expectations. The key to realizing this aim will be our unequivocal commitment
to customer-orientation, with concepts, research, debates and decisions always made with the customer’s perspective in mind; andquality-consciousness, in which high quality is never compromised inany product price range.

2009 CSR Report
For this year’s report, we have highlighted Group social contribution
activities in the areas of “Sound and Music,” “Local Communities,”and “Social Welfare” as feature sections of the report, compilingexamples of specific activities. The policies and systems underlying
these activities, as well as environmental data and other basic information, can be found in the digital version of the report available on
Yamaha’s corporate website.
We hope that you will take the time to read this report and provide
your unreserved opinions and feedback, to help guide us in our future
CSR activities.
October 2009* ‘Kando’ (is a Japanese word that) signifies an inspired state of mind.

Mitsuru Umemura
President and Representative Director, Yamaha Corporation

CSR Report 2009 02

Feature

Contributing to Society Through Sound and Music Always
The Yamaha Group undertakes a wide range of social contribution activities based on
the theme of “sound and music” to create and share inspiration and richness with our
stakeholders, and to enable us to grow side by side together.
In this feature, we present some of the Group’s major initiatives on the themes ofcontributing to society through sound and music, contributing to local communities, andcontributing to social welfare.

Contributing to Society Through Sound and MusicWeb http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/society

Wow! Why? Yokocho Science Avenue:
Conveying the Fun of Sound and Music to Children■ Wind, String & Percussion Instruments Division, Yamaha Corporation
Yamaha Corporation sponsored a booth at the 13th Wow! Why? Yokocho
Science Avenue held in December 2008 at the Hamamatsu Science Museum in
the Company’s home city of Hamamatsu. For this event, companies and groups in
Shizuoka Prefecture sponsor experiment and industrial arts booths that take advantage ofthe unique features of their operations. The purpose of the event is to nurture scientific curiosity
by stimulating interest in science and manufacturing among visitors.

These are the moments when
we connect with the kids

Imaginative and inventive booth befitting of Yamaha
For Yamaha’s fourth and latest entry in the event, the Company sponsored three booths centered on soundand music. At one booth, called “See and Touch Sound!,” microphones were used to pick up voices and othersounds, which were then converted into visible electrical signals. This process enabled children to enjoy
seeing the sounds that they make, as well as gain an understanding of the underlying scientific principle
based on actual experience. At a second booth, called “Try Playing an Instrument!,”
ment!, visitors had the
Cool!
opportunity to try playing some of the less-common musical instrument
uments. Aside from the joy of being
This makes a noiseable to produce sound and the fun of performing with musicalsical instruments, the booth provided achance for visitors to learn about how musical instrumeuments really work.
For the third booth, called “Make Instruments!
s! MakeM
It With Instruments!,” booth visitors crafted functional musical instruments out of commonly
nly available materials, and used leftover materials from clarinet production (material: grenadilla wood) to craft
aft accessories. In crafting musical instruments, visitors used small milk cartons toomake whistles and other instrumen
ments. Many children squealed with delight to hear sound coming from their handma
ade
instrument, handling with grea
eat care their one-and-only, completely unique instruments. In the accessory corner,r, in addition
to the grenadilla wood used
us for instrument bodies, we introduced a variety of materials typically used to accecent instruments
and in the productio
on process, including violin strings, to stimulate children’s interest.

Employees’ Passion Resonates With Visitors

Young program participants take aserious approach to their projects

03 Yamaha Corporation

Behind the abundant creativity of the booths was the enthusiastic desire
reof Yamaha employees to develop enjoyable content for visitors thatt wouldw
top that of last year. The members involved, assembled independe
ndently
from various departments across the divisions, leveraged their
the specialist
knowledge and settled on booth content after brainstorm
storming ideas and an
exhaustive process of creating prototype exhibits
xhibits. Their efforts resonateddeeplyply with visitors, making Yamaha bbooths number one among visitors for
Making use of leftover woodthe second straight year. The Company was also awarded a certificate ofappreciation from the Hamamatsu Cultural Foundation.
Along with contributions to local communities through activities of this kind, Yamaha will strive going
forward to realize its Corporate Objective—“Creating ‘Kando’ Together”—by creating moments that inspire
people everywhere.

Has Been, and Always Will Be, at the Core of Yamaha
Japan Band Clinic—Assisting in the Development of Music Culture■ Wind, String & Percussion Instrument School Sales Department

Domestic Sales & Marketing Division, Yamaha Corporation
Yamaha Corporation has contributed to the development of brass band inJapan through its joint sponsorship and operation of the Japan Band Clinic
mainly for school band instructors.
A total of 1,090 people from Japan and abroad attended the clinic, which took placein May 2009 at Hamamatsu Act City in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture—a record-breaking
size as the clinic celebrated its 40th anniversary. Featuring a host of instructional sessions,
including lectures on the art of conducting by leading Japanese conductors and composers, and sessions by “Yamaha Clinician Artists” from across the country, the event had
participants eager to receive direct instruction from their top-flight teachers.
Some 950 musicians from 12 organizations, including leading Japanese bands, performed at the clinic concert. The audience was mesmerized by the diverse programthat included a joint performance by the Yamaha Symphonic Band and Christopher
Martin, trumpet chair for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Yamaha Corporation plans to maintain its support for this activity going
forward, with the hopes that the joy and inspiration of learning and performance made possible through the clinic will be shared among
those responsible for supporting the musical activities ofyoung people.

Passionate instruction fromworld-class instructors

Providing Opportunities for RealWind Instrument Lessons at
Public Schools in Germany■ Yamaha Music Europe (YME)

Since 1994, YME has been conducting a program for teachers in German public schools called “Brass in Class,” offering themtraining in how to use mainly brass instruments in the classroom. To
date, “Brass in Class” has been instituted in some 1,500 classrooms,
and more than 35,000 students have performed with Yamaha instruments
throughthe program’s classes.
A concert given byprofessional musiciansOnce a year, a “Brass in Class” Conference is held, composed ofteachers enacting the program. In fiscal 2009, the conference was held
outside of Frankfurt, with 250 educators in attendance. The rich content
of the conference offered much to assist teachers in future class management. In addition to exchanging information at the conference,
participants attended workshops by Toni Scholl, Jan de Haan
and other famous conductors, as well as workshops by
Hamamatsu Jazz Week—A Public-Private
Yamaha specialists on the proper use and mainteSponsored Community Cultural Eventnance of brass instruments.
■ Yamaha Corporation
Since 1992, Yamaha Corporation has sponsored “Hamamatsu
Jazz Week” in cooperation with the city of Hamamatsu, where theCompany is headquartered.
Many jazz musicians were invited and a variety of events unfolded
during the festivities in fiscal 2008. Along with concerts by professionalmusicians, the sponsors created a schedule that allowed visitors to enjoy
jazz to their heart’s content, and included celebrations joined by talented
student jazz bands from elementary, junior and senior high schools fromacross Japan, as well as lectures on jazz.
From the collection of activities and the cooperation of both musicfans and musicians, this event is becoming recognized as one ofJapan’s premier jazz music events. Yamaha Corporation,for its part, will continue to assist in the developmentof local culture through sound and music.

Students perform as part of theBrass in Class program

Hamamatsu Jazz Week
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/event/hjw/index.html (Japanese only)04

Contributing to Local Communities
Web http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/society/area.html

Accepting Students for On-the-Job
Experience in Crafting Musical Instruments
Staff of the Headquarters Security
Services Center■ Yamaha Music Craft Corporation

Helping Ensure the Safety ofLocal Residents Through “Blue
Patrol Crime Prevention Activities”■ Factory at Yamaha Corporation Headquarters

Yamaha Music Craft Corporation, a subsidiary involved in the
production of high-quality, classical guitars, continues to accept
junior high school students in the region as participants in its on-thejob work experience program. For Yamaha Music Craft, this program
embodies its desire as a company engaged in manufacturing arts locallyto offer a goal that promising youth in the region can aspire to attain.
Celebrating its sixth year in fiscal 2008, the program accepted 17
students from five area schools. Participating students concentrated oneach individual production process, experiencing firsthand both thejoys and challenges in crafting musical instruments. During an
explanation of the company’s environmental protection activities, students showed a keen interest in zero emissions,
enthusiastically sharing their opinions and asking questions on
the subject.

The factory at Yamaha Corporation’s headquarters conducts“Blue Patrol Crime Prevention Activities” to help ensure the safety of
local residents. These activities involve twice-weekly patrols of parking
lots near Yamaha’s headquarters and factory, as well as common routes
that students take to local elementary, junior high, and senior highschools. A company car with a revolving blue light attached to the roof
and a designated sign on the door is used for patrols, while patrol staff
wear official hats. First launched in January 2005, the General Administration Division continues to enact these activities today, andreceived a letter of appreciation from the local police department
for its work in June 2008.
Going forward, the division will continue to focus on
activities beyond headquarters and factory
security to assist in keeping community residents safe.

A student involved in
the on-the-job experience

Second Round of Tree-planting
Activities as a “Shizuoka Forests of
the Future Supporter”■ Yamaha Corporation

As part of its environmental protection activities, Yamaha Corporation in
March 2007 was first to sign on to the “Shizuoka Forests of the Future Supporter”
Tree-planting work

Group photo ofparticipants

05 Yamaha Corporation

system of support activities to revitalize the Enshunada coastal forest. Under a partnership agreement with Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture and the city of Hamamatsu, Yamaha
is pursuing initiatives under a five-year plan of support activities to revitalize the coastal
forest, which has been hit hard by damage from pine-eating worms.
In October 2008, some 120 Yamaha Group employees and family members participated in
the second round of tree-planting activities under the system, planting 180 trees consisting of
wax myrtle, Ubame oak, and other indigenous tree species. Despite the fact that the saplings
used were already a well-developed 1.5 meters in height, and the tree-planting required a large
amount of soil transportation, digging, and other physical labor, the children that took part were
determined to keep pace with the adult participants.
Once work was completed, participants checked the condition of saplings planted in fiscal
2007 during the system’s inaugural year, listened to talks on the environment by speakers
from the city of Hamamatsu and Shizuoka Prefecture, and learned about the recent
die-off of pine trees and protected coastal forests. Going forward, Yamaha iscommitted to supporting the creation of coastal forests, which serve both adisaster prevention function, including as wind breaks and storm surge
barriers, and as sites for rest and recuperation, through treeplanting, forest enhancement, and other activities inwhich employees can take part.

Supporting Sound Nurturingof Children Through Baseball■ Yamaha Baseball Club

Youth Baseball Class and Baseball Health
Examination
Courtesy of Chunichi Shimbun Tokai(Headquarters)

In fiscal 2008, the Yamaha Baseball Club celebrated its 50
anniversary. The club has an illustrious history that includes threenational titles won at Japan’s Intercity Baseball Tournament. Meanwhile,
members of the Yamaha Baseball Club are working to support the soundgrowth of local children through baseball.
In December 2008, the club helped sponsor the “Youth Baseball Class andBaseball Health Examination” in cooperation with the Kakegawa-City Amateur
Sports Association, a local NPO. In addition to offering hands-on instruction on
baseball techniques to the roughly 320 children taking part in the event, abaseball health and fitness exam was conducted to help prevent sports
injuries during adolescence. The meticulous, hands-on instruction covered
areas such as pitching form, catching stances, and batting, andenabled children to experience the fun and challenges of baseballby concentrating on each of the actions necessary in the sport.
Members continue to serve as instructors and umpires
even after leaving the team to help contribute to
the life of the community.

Contributing to Social Welfare
Web http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/

group/2009/society/welfare.html

Students
sing out at Yamaha Gospel
S
Night
2008
N

Using Proceeds From MusicalCharities to Donate MusicalInstruments to Schools for Disabled Children■ Eastern Japan Keyboard Promotion Department,
Domestic Sales & Marketing Division, Yamaha Corporation
Yamaha Corporation, using charity proceeds from the “Yamaha Gospel
Night 2008” concert held at Pacifico Yokohama’s National Convention Hallof Yokohama in September 2008, donated Clavinova® instruments to schools
for disabled children in Japan. Proceeds came from the sale of commemorative
stickers, T-shirts and other items at the concert hall as part of charity activities.
The concert itself was performed by adult students taking gospel-singing
courses offered in the Yamaha Music Lessons for Adults curriculum. Proceedsfrom the sales were paid for the instruments, which were donated to schools
for disabled children across Japan through the Kids Earth Fund, an NPO.
Approximately 2,000 students took part in Yamaha Gospel Night 2008, theeighth concert of its kind held regularly each year. Divided into ninegroups, the students performed before a sold-out audience,
demonstrating to those present how their lessons have paid
off. As a finale, the student members joined with theaudience in singing a rousing chorus thatbrought down the house.

Young people enjoy playing
Yamaha instruments

Teacher Yasumasa Awano andKids Earth Fund representative
Harumi Torii (right)

Sharing the Joy of Music
With Ill Children■ Yamaha Music UK Ltd. (YMUK)In fiscal 2008, YMUK provided musical instruments for an event sponsored by the Teenage
Cancer Trust (TCT), a U.K.-based charity group that
supports young people in their teens to early 20s who arebattling cancer and cancer-related illnesses.
At workshops attended by YMUK employees Felicity
Gregory and Joseph Emsden, currently hospitalized andrecently discharged patients took on the challenge ofplaying instruments they had never seen before,such as Yamaha’s PACIFICA model guitar and
DTXPLORER digital drum, and performed
with the instruments in front offriends and family.

CSR Report 2009 06

With Our Customers
Yamaha works hard to improve quality, convenience and provision of information to enhancesafety and customer satisfaction.

Group-wide Quality Assurance Structure

Creating more opportunities to interact with customers
Quality Improvement Measures
Web

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/customers/action.html

Measures to Improve Usability■ AV Products Division, Yamaha Corporation
Many products are becoming more sophisticated and multifunctional
each year. While this trend may enhance convenience, the operationof these products is also becoming more complex. For this reason,
creating easy-to-use products has emerged as an important theme inproduct development.
To provide products that are intuitive and easy for customers touse, the AV Products Division performs regular usability tests* acrossall product categories. All sections involved with a target product,
including design and development sections, take part in these tests,
where they observe test subjects as they attempt to operate theproduct in a test booth. In particular, required hand movements andother details are video recorded for careful examination of any operational issues. The results of this analysis allow the division to confirm
the success of improvements to earlier products, while incorporatingin the planning and development of later models improvements
gained from resolving identified issues. By repeatedly enacting initiatives of this kind, Yamaha is looking to further improve usability.
At the same time, Yamaha is using information analyzed andextracted from user questionnaires and inquiries received from customers, as well as efforts to verify levels of customer satisfaction, to sort out
issues pertaining to product intuitiveness and ease of use from a varietyof angles, and as feedback in the development of new products.
Going forward, the Yamaha Group will continue to take steps toimprove product usability, while utilizing feedback from customers in
product development with the goal of creating satisfying products.

YPAS Activities: All for the Sake of Customers■ Golf HS Division, Yamaha Corporation
Since April 2006, the Golf HS Division has conducted “YPAS” activities
as a service to provide customers with truly satisfying products. Shortfor “Yamaha Pro Analyzing System,” YPAS specifically refers to asystem that measures customers’ golf swing and quickly provides
them with custom-created clubs optimal for their playing style andneeds. All of the equipment required for measurement and production,
including measuring devices, test clubs and machine tools, are loaded
on a tour bus that visits a new golf retailer across Japan every week.
YPAS measuring equipment offers more accurate head trajectoryand point of impact measurements than conventional equipment formeasuring golf swings found at most golf retailers. These advantages
have earned plaudits for YPAS from customers and golf retailers alikefor making it easier to provide customers with the proper club, and formaking it possible for them to return home with an adjusted club thevery same day.

YPAS measuring machine* Usability tests: Tests to confirm product usability by recruiting expected users to actuallyoperate the product on a trial basis.

Scene from an actual usability test

07 Yamaha Corporation

Sample Products Developed With Usability in Mind
Micro-component system

YPAS fitting service

Tianjin Yamaha Employee Awarded China Skills Prize■ Tianjin Yamaha
Chen Shi Yun, an employee of Yamaha digital musical instrument
manufacturer Tianjin Yamaha Electronic Musical Instruments, Inc.,
was awarded the China Skills Prize by the Chinese government inrecognition of his contributions to the corporate sector and the nation
as an advanced engineer. This award, established by the Chinese
government to promote the development of advanced engineers in
China, is presented once every two years to just 20 people nationwide
possessing advanced engineering skills. Award recipients are selectedfollowing a comprehensive evaluation of candidates chosen fromevery part of China, who must pass a test, take part in a technology
contest, and pass a document screening.
Since joining Tianjin Yamaha in July 1994, Mr. Chen has supported portable keyboard production sites as a specialist in electrical-

related technology. As supervisor for the Production Division’s
Production Promotion Department, Mr. Chen currently directs a teamresponsible for everything from the design of keyboard inspection
devices to adoption for production. Mr. Chen’s recent receipt of theaward was in recognition of his contribution to this work, as well as
his high degree of knowledge and engineering skill in the field.

Mr. Chen adjusting machinery at
a production site

(left) Trophy and medal(right) Mr. Chen at theceremony

Stronger Customer Support System

Seeking a more usable support system through ongoing improvements
Improving Convenience by Standardizing
Customer Helpdesks
Web

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/customers/convenience.html■ Customer Support Department, Domestic Sales &Marketing Division, Yamaha Corporation
The Yamaha Group has numerous business divisions, and has taken
steps to put a robust support structure in place. Among otheractions, in April 2008, the Group reorganized the Customer Support
Department within the Domestic Sales & Marketing Division, coupledwith the opening of a Customer Communication Center, as a meansof integrating product-specific helpdesks in an effort to improvecustomer convenience.
Moreover, in fiscal 2008, we took steps to improve our support
structure, building a unified nationwide support system by clarifying
helpdesk names and installing a standardized phone system*1 usingnavi-dial, among other means. For customers, these changes haveresulted in more intuitive helpdesks for each product, and enabled asmoother customer service response. Similarly, helpdesk info is now
featured more prominently on product catalogs, owner’s manuals andwarranty certificates, which has led to improved customer support.

New Flow of Operations
Customer Support Department
Piano and Electronic
Instruments*3
Service Network

CustomerCommunication Center
Piano Helpdesk
ElectoneTM &D-Deck Helpdesk

Customer

Digital Piano &Keyboard Helpdesk

Hokkaido
Sendai

Directive forcustomer
supportTokyo Metropolitan Area
Hamamatsu

AV Helpdesk

NagoyaWind, String & Percussion
Instrument Helpdesk
Music Production
Equipment Helpdesk

OsakaElectronic
Instruments

Request forcustomer
support

Steinberg*2 Helpdesk
Repair Consultation Center

On-site service

KyushuPianosPiano dealer
service network*2 Steinberg: Music production software*3 Electronic instruments includes electronic and electric acoustic instruments*1 “Phone system using navi-dial”: A phone system that utilizes a “navi-dial” number, which
automatically connects callers to helpdesks at local dialing rates wherever they call from inJapan, resulting in more efficient delivery of guides and services to customers.

Service Network Development
Web

http://www.yamaha.co.jp/about/csr/group/2009/customers/network.html■ Customer Support Department, Domestic Sales &Marketing Division, Yamaha Corporation
The Customer Support Department under Yamaha Corporation’s
Domestic Sales & Marketing Division has developed a “Wind Instrument Service Network” to assist customers who have experienced
trouble in receiving the necessary support due to sales channel diversification in recent years.
In order to offer hassle-free service to customers in need of wind
instrument repairs, this network features a telephone-based manufacturer repair helpdesk, as well as a nationwide network of walk-in repair
service sites enabled through the introduction of a cooperative support system. A total of 12 of these repair service sites (as of March 31,2009) are in place across Japan, with plans to further expand thisnetwork going forward.

Web For more information

Group-wide Quality Assurance Structure■ Company-wide Quality Assurance System■ Product Risk Management

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/customers
http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/customers/risk.html

CSR Report 2009 08

With the People We Work withThrough a wide range of initiatives, Yamaha seeks to uncover the potential of the many
employees who help the Group run and grow along with them.

Initiatives for Employees

Promoting measures to discover the potential of a diverse workforce
Job-Tailored Training and EducationWeb

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/workers/education.html

Yamaha believes that creating a mutually beneficial relationshipbetween the employee and the Company inspires motivation, andtherefore focuses its efforts on cultivating human resources.
Each training program is tailored to a specific objective in one of
the following categories: Strategic Personnel Development, FunctionSpecific Training, Stratified Training, and Self-Development Education.
The Strategic Personnel Development program includes theflagship Yamaha Management School, which aims to mold the personnel who will be the backbone of the Company in the future, as wellas the Yamaha Advanced Skill School at production facilities in Japan.
The Function-Specific Training program is based on the twin foundations of Monozukuri Education seminars and international awareness,
as well as career development. The Stratified Training program, meanwhile, provides training at career turning points, such as when an
employee has been promoted or made a manager. Finally, in the
Self-Development Education program, Yamaha provides support for
employees’ voluntary studies, such as the Yamaha Business School(distance learning-based) and other programs.
Yamaha also provides employees approaching the age of 50
opportunities and information to aid in considering their individual life
paths, and in fiscal 2007 inaugurated “Life Design” seminars to support their future careers in addition to Stratified Training.

Initiatives for a Better Work-Life BalanceWeb

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/workers/worklife.html

The Yamaha Group considers cooperation between labor and management to achieve a better work-life balance to be fundamental torealizing corporate growth and a fuller life for all employees. Based on
this philosophy, Yamaha Corporation has for many years worked on a
range of initiatives to shorten total work hours and provide support for
both work and family.
In order to help employees combine work with caring for a family,
Yamaha has made proactive efforts, including the introduction of childcare and nursing care leave ahead of statutory requirements.
In April 2006 Yamaha established the Work-Life Balance Committee to provide individual employees with support for both work and afuller life outside of work, and to help them combine the two.
Specific measures focused on reducing working hours and implementation and improvement of work/family support systems for thevariety of circumstances encountered by employees.

Principal Measures for Better Work-Life Balance(from fiscal 2005)■ Fiscal 2005
Revision of programs for childcare leave and shortened
work hours for childcare
Flexible work hours introduced for employees raising small children.

Receipt of the Fiscal 2005 Family Friendly Company Award
from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare
The award recognized Yamaha’s programs to provide broad support forwork and family, and to create a friendlier work environment.

■ Fiscal 2006

Extensive revision to employee benefit programs
Lifestyle-related benefits were newly established or revised, providing
expanded support to employees struggling with economic burdens
arising from childcare, education, disability or nursing care. A wide
range of membership-based welfare benefit services were also
introduced.

■ Fiscal 2007

Introduction of Company-wide vacation
The Company has established a labor agreement stipulating threedays per year when all workers take paid vacation, two days morethan in the previous fiscal year.

■ Fiscal 2008

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Recognition for
Yamaha’s support for the development of the next
generation• Extension of period of eligibility for shortened work hours for
employees with small children• Introduction of system for shorter work hours for parents to participate in school events• Introduction of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)• Introduction of a system for reemployment of spouses of employees on overseas assignment

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
mark recognizing Yamaha’s support forthe development of the next generation

09 Yamaha Corporation

Assisting Women’s CareersWeb

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/workers/woman.html■ Principal Indicators Related to Female Employees

at Yamaha Corporation
Ratio of Female Employees
Women
1,130

Female Ratio
26.2%
Men
4,071

Men
158

Average Age and Number of Years ofContinuous Employment (as of March 2009)
Number of Years of Continuous Employment

Average Age(Figures in parentheses represent nationwide averages*)

Female42 years and
10 months

22 years(9 years)Male

44 years and
11 months

22 years and 3 months(13 years and 1 month)

Overall

44 years and5 months

22 years and 2 months(11 years and 7 month)

0

10

20

30

40

50

0

5

10

15

20

25

* Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Female Manager Ratio (as of March 2009):
2.9%

Number of Employees Receiving Childcare Leave (FY2006–FY2008)
Women: 78

COLUMN

Women
56

Female Ratio
21.7%

Positive Action Projects—Establishment of the Diversity Planning Department
Yamaha Corporation inaugurated the Positive Action Project in May
2004 by seeking applications for a position on the project from within
the Company. Over the course of a year, the project group examined
the situation of women at Yamaha and other companies, held lecturesand created an internal website in an effort to create a comfortableworking environment for women.
The results of these activities were compiled into a recommended
action plan.
In order to further accelerate support for women’s careers, basedon this action plan, in March 2006 Yamaha established the Diversity
Planning Department as a dedicated organization within the Human
Resources Division. The department is carrying out a number of measures aimed at broadening opportunities for women to develop theirabilities and creating a more comfortable working environment.

Ratio of Female New
Graduate Hires (fiscal 2009)(as of March, 2009)

The Yamaha Group holds the diversity of its employees in high regard,
and aims to be a place where all employees can make the most of
their abilities, regardless of their gender, nationality or other factors.
Measures implemented in the past have resulted in nearly equal average number of years of continuous employment for male and female
employees at Yamaha Corporation, and the proportion of women
returning to work after childcare leave is nearly 100%.

Men: 9EMPLOYEE REPORT

Receipt of Fiscal 2008 Ministry of Health, Labor andWelfare Award for Corporate Promotion of Equality
and Work-Life Opportunity

A Father’s Work-Life Balance

In October 2008, Yamaha Corporation received the Shizuoka Labor
Bureau Chief’s Excellence Award in the Corporate Promotion of
Equality category at the Fiscal 2008 Corporate Promotion of Equality
and Equal Opportunity Awards presented by Japan’s Ministry of
Health, Labor and Welfare.
The awards are reserved for those companies that the Ministry of
Health, Labor and Welfare identifies as vigorously promoting positive
action to encourage female laborers to achieve their potential, as wellas measures that equally support both work and child and nursing
care needs. The recent awards recognize localized efforts by Yamaha
to expand its hiring, job categories, recruitment, and improve working
conditions for female laborers, as a company dedicated to actively
promoting steps that enable working women to bring their full talents
to the fore.
Previously, Yamaha received the Fiscal 2005 Family Friendly
Company Award from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. This
most recent award underscores that Yamaha has made similar
progress with respect to equality and its support for both the working
and home lives of its employees. Going forward, we intend to pursue
initiatives that will promote more extensive
efforts in these areas.

Planning Group
Planning Management Department
Pro Audio & Digital Musical Instruments Division
Yamaha Corporation

Last year, I took childcare leave when my third child was born. When I
decided to take leave I didn’t think too deeply about it at the time, I
simply thought, “Let me try to take a little more active role in childrearing
this time around.” But actually becoming more involved, I learned
firsthand that taking care of a child every day is a lot more demanding
than I ever imagined. For the first time, I understood in a visceral way
why there is such a strong push in Japan to make leave for childrearing available to men as well.
My sense now is that when a person has to bear the brunt of
nursing or childcare alone, the presence of someone who understands how tough their situation is and can support them is important. In Japan, many men typically work at a company for about 40
years, which overlaps with the same period of time that we create ourfamilies. Over that span, there are times when lending your strength
as a father at home trumps doing so as an employee at work. As
times arise when families need to pool their strength, I feel that companies too, as much as possible, need to have the mindset, systems
and management that will allow a father to give his all at home.
I’m grateful that, thanks to vision and efforts of a lot of people,
we have a system at Yamaha that enabled me to take time off to carefor my new baby. What I was able to experience because of it issomething that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

CSR Report 2009 10

Employee Health and Safety Policies andAdministrationWeb

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/workers/safety.html

Striving for Accident-Free Workplaces
To ensure employee safety, the Yamaha Group not only has safety measures in place related to machinery and equipment, but also promotes
programs to identify and remove potential causes of accidents and arange of other activities designed to heighten employees’ perception ofdanger. Actions here include hazard prediction exercises and efforts toshare knowledge of incidents that could have ended in disaster.
In fiscal 2008, we conducted training at each business site tostress the importance of occupational health and safety. Carried out
at Yamaha Corporation’s headquarters and factories from May to
September, the program targeted new employees with few years on
the job and those who had recently transferred to new positions, aswell as the 488 temporary employees working at Yamaha Corporation
at the time. Elsewhere, we joined worksite managers in inspecting the“Occupational Health and Safety Work Standards Checklist*1,” a tool
designed to enhance work safety, making improvements with reference to the actual work being conducted.
Yet despite these efforts, Yamaha Corporation headquarters andfactories, sales offices and domestic Group companies were not successful in holding health and safety issues to below targeted levels.

In fiscal 2009, we will promote a wide array of occupational healthand safety activities. Yamaha Corporation headquarters and factories
will continue to pursue activities that prioritize safety (occupational
health and safety education, safety patrols, etc.) and inspections
based on the Occupational Health and Safety Work Standards
Checklist. Sales offices, for their part, will enact measures targeting
actions by sales staff while in the field, on business trips and whenaway from the office. Domestic Group companies, meanwhile, arepositioning programs to reduce workplace-based risk via risk assessments and other activities as a priority theme for action.
*1 Occupational Health and Safety Work Standards Checklist: A document listing criticalpoints for performing each work procedure more safely as well as rationale for action.
Particularly for production sites, this list is in place for every work procedure.

Fiscal 2008 Work-Related Accidents
Frequency*2
Prevention
TargetResultSeverity*3
ResultHeadquarters / Headquarters Factory 0.3 or less

0.97

0.009

Yamaha Corporation Sales Offices

0.5 or less

1.56

0.006

Group Companies in Japan

1.0 or less

1.96

—

*2 Frequency = number of work related deaths/injuries ÷ total man hours x 1,000,000*3 Severity = number of days lost ÷ total man hours x 1,000

Initiatives for Business Partners

Making the concept of CSR more prominent than everFair Evaluation and Selection in Partner
Relationships
Web

Survey of CSR Measures of Business Partners
Webhttp://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/workers/research.html

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/workers/evaluation.html

The Yamaha Group considers suppliers and subcontractors to be
partners in our effort to live up to our business philosophy. As such,
we strive to ensure fair dealings based on mutual trust.
In our business dealings we adhere strictly to the law, and ensure
impartial selection and proper evaluation in accordance with internal
regulations and standards. Further, under the banner of “open procurement” we take care to ensure that business dealings are open,
fair, and unbiased, and maintain a basic policy of conserving natural
resources and protecting the environment.
In fiscal 2008, along with drafting a new procurement policy thatincorporates the promotion of CSR-based procurement, we publicized the policy, called the Yamaha Material and Component Procurement Policy, on our website. Fiscal 2009 also saw the unveiling of our“Green Procurement Standards,” a document comprising specificGroup standards pertaining to our basic policy of conserving natural
resources and protecting the environment. In this way, Yamaha isadvancing initiatives designed to conserve resources and reduce
environmental load with respect to procurement.

Yamaha has begun requesting improvement measures from suppliers(including, in the case of trading companies, the actual manufacturers
in Japan and overseas) who scored low on the survey of CSR measures taken by business partners conducted by Yamaha’s Procurement Division in fiscal 2008. A rating of CSR-related initiatives was also
added to criteria for determining whether to initiate business transactions with new suppliers. When requesting improvement measures, wemeet directly with suppliers to explain and gain their understanding of
Yamaha’s policies, and solicit their feedback on score results.
In fiscal 2008, we began surveying suppliers relevant to green
procurement as part ofefforts aimed at conserving
resources and protecting
the environment. In launching the survey, we held an
explanatory meeting for
suppliers attended byrepresentatives from some160 companies.
Meeting to explain Green Procurement Surveys tosuppliers

Web For more information

Initiatives for Employees■ Basic Employment Policies

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/workers
http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/workers/harassment.html■ Measures to Prevent Harassment

11 Yamaha Corporation

With Our Shareholders
Yamaha strives to enhance communication as well as ensure strong performance through highquality management and return appropriate profits to shareholders.

Proactive IR* Efforts to Promote Understanding of the Company

Enhancing mutual understanding through deeper communication
Web http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/shareholders/ir.html

Yamaha Corporation adheres to a disclosure policy that ensures alevel playing field with regard to the timely disclosure of information to
institutional and individual investors around the world. In addition toholding quarterly results conferences for institutional investors inJapan, Yamaha conducts factory tours and strategy conferences forindividual business segments on occasion. For institutional investors
in other countries, along with making English translations available of
all information provided to institutional investors in Japan, we visit withinvestors overseas several times a year to encourage mutual understanding through direct communication.
For individual shareholders Yamaha is implementing a special
benefit plan designed to encourage more people to become loyal fansand shareholders of Yamaha. Additionally, we utilize our website toprovide corporate information in an easy-to-understand format, andare stepping up other activities, including Yamaha’s active participation in fairs and other events for individual shareholders.

Through these initiatives, we work to enhance communication withinvestors, and use the results of feedback and other information gained
to improve investor relations activities and management performance.
* Investor Relations

Major IR Activities in Fiscal 2008
Regular Events
Quarterly results conferences

Each quarter (4 annually)

One-on-one meetings
Visits to overseas investors

220 times
3 times annually (U.S., U.K., Asia)

Impromptu Events
Strategy conference for Musical Instruments Business
Tour of facilities

July
November

Addressing Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Funds

High marks for continuous effort
Web http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/shareholders/sri.html

Yamaha Corporation continues to be listed in some of the world’s
most prominent SRI indexes, including the FTSE4Good Global Index(managed by Britain’s FTSE), and the Morningstar Social Responsibility Index (MS-SRI). In fiscal 2008, Yamaha was newly listed in Universe, an index managed by ASN Bank, the largest Dutch bankspecializing in SRI.

As one way of measuring financial soundness, each year Yamaha
requests a long-term bond credit assessment from bond ratings
agencies. The results are shown below.

Credit Ratings (As of March 31, 2009)
Rating and Investment Information, Inc. (R&I)

A

Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd. (JCR)AA–Web For more information■ Policies for Retained Earnings and Returns to Shareholders■ Annual Reports

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/shareholders
http://www.global.yamaha.com/ir/publications/index.html

12

Environmental Initiatives
Yamaha prioritizes environmental considerations and promotes environmentally friendly
measures at all stages of the product lifecycle, from materials procurement to development,
production and disposal.
Environmental Management

Setting goals for steady progress toward environmental management
Goals and Achievements
Goal● Extend ISO 14001 certification across the

Yamaha Group● Expand the Yamaha Environment-

Related Information System (Yecos)
within the Yamaha Group

Achievements in FY2008● Preparation and planning related to ISO 14001 integration● After considering compatibility with new operating

systems, and decided to maintain Yecos

StatusCompleted

112 employees qualified giving a current total of 947
qualified auditors● Promote environmental training andeducation activities● Held brush-up seminars for internal environmental

auditors

Yamaha Group in Japan by fiscal 2011

Completed ● Examine compatibility with new OS● Provided internal environmental auditor training:

Environmental
Management
SystemFuture Initiatives● Complete ISO 14001 integration throughout theCompleted

Completed● Continue with internal environmental auditor training

seminars● Hold brush-up seminars for internal environmental

auditors in response to ISO 14001 integration● Conducted environmental seminars (370 participants)

Theme: “Global Warming: Thinking about the Future interms of Environmental Archaeology”

Completed ● Continue to conduct environmental seminars● Educated employees about hazardous materials in

products● Promote environmentally friendly productdevelopment

instruments● Complied with Chinese, South Korean and U.S.
● Comply with RoHS Directive and similar

standards

Preventionof global
warming

Protectionof the ozone
layerManagementof chemical
substances
Groundwater
purification

Biodiversity

standards similar to the RoHS Directive

Completed● 6% reduction* in CO2 emissions on

FY1990 levels by FY2010● 1% reduction in CO2 emissions per unit of● Maintain Zero Emissions and improverecycling quality● Maintain elimination of CFCs and HCFCs

from manufacturing processes*● Reduce VOC emissions by 30% on

FY2000 levels by FY2010*● Continue ongoing purification of ground-water (2 sites)● Consider relationship between businessactivities and biodiversity● Make environmentally friendly design a regular part of

employee educationin products that could be subject to stricter international
regulation (survey of parts and components in Japan)

Completed● Reduced CO2 emissions per unit of sales by 3.6% on

FY2007 (22.5 tons CO2 per year per ¥100 million)

and similar standards● Continue to implement management of hazardous

Completedchemical materials in products that could be subject tostricter international regulation (survey of parts andcomponents outside of Japan)● 6% reduction* in CO2 emissions on FY1990 levels by● CO2 emissions volume down 26% compared to FY1990(79.9 thousand tons of CO2 per year; 20% reduction
year on year)

electronic musical instruments● Continue to manage compliance with RoHS Directive● Voluntarily expanded application of RoHS Directive

standards to non-specified products and exports toregions outside the EU● Implement recycling of packaging materials for large

Completed● Implement management of hazardous chemical materials● Promote green procurement

sales on FY2007
Waste
reduction

Completedthe environmental impact of diverse Yamaha products● Implemented recycling of used electronic musical

Product
developmentGreenprocurement● Investigated LCA methodologies for effectively measuring

Completed

FY2010● Consider targets for CO2 emissions reduction for

FY2010 and beyond
Completed● 1% reduction in CO2 emissions per unit of sales on

FY2008● Achieved 0.07% landfill disposal, compared to Zero

Emissions target of under 1%

Completed ● Maintain Zero Emissions and improve recycling quality● Conversion of wood waste into mulch, etc.
● Completely eliminated in April 2005, not used since then

● VOC emissions volume reduced by 44% compared to

FY2000 (278 tons per year, 27% reduction year on year)● Reported completion of purification at one site togovernment authorities

Completed ● Maintain complete elimination

Completed

Completed

FY2010● Continue using pumped water aeration and activatedcarbon absorption methods for groundwater purification● Continue to promote procurement based on Timber● Promoted procurement based on Yamaha Timber

Procurement and Usage Guidelines● Reduce VOC emissions by 30% on FY2000 levels byCompleted● Continued participation in Musicwood Campaign

Procurement and Usage Guidelines● Continue participation in Musicwood Campaign● Promote internal education about biodiversity● Conservation of forests outside of Japan:

Plant 150,000 to 200,000 trees on 120
hectares in “Yamaha Forest,” Indonesia
between FY2005 and FY2009
Socialcontribution● Conservation of forests in Japan:

Provide support for regeneration of the
Enshunada coastal forest between
FY2007 and FY2011● Conduct and participate in local cleanup

campaigns● Disclose information through CSR report

and website
Environmental
communication ● Disclose information through participationin environmental events● Planted 30,000 trees in “Yamaha Forest,” Indonesia● Plant 150,000 to 200,000 trees on 120 hectares in“Yamaha Forest,” Indonesia by FY2009● Yamaha employees and their families planted 180 trees● Volunteer planting of trees by Yamaha employees (support
as part of the “Shizuoka Forests of the Future Supporter
Completed
System” to support the regeneration of the Enshunada
for the regeneration of the Enshunada coastal forest)
coastal forest● Approximately 820 people participated in local cleanup

campaigns● Disclosed environmental information by publishing a

CSR report● Exhibited at EcoProducts 2008
● Exhibited at “Shizuoka Environment and Forests Fair”● Participated in “Shizuoka STOP Global Warming Action

Campaign”● Concluded Kakegawa STOP Global Warming Partner-

ship Agreement (Kakegawa Factory)* Yamaha Corporation Headquarters and factories, and Yamaha Group manufacturing companies in Japan

13 Yamaha Corporation

Completed

Completed ● Continue participation in local clean-up campaigns
Completed● Publish CSR report in printed form (introduction toactivities) and on the Web (all information)

Completed ● Disclose information through participation in various eventsGlobal Warming Prevention

Reducing CO2 emissions by 20% year on year
Global Warming Countermeasures
Web

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/countermeasure.html

The Yamaha Group recognized early on that global warming is aparticular problem, and has worked to reduce its greenhouse gas
emissions through improvements to production and air conditioning
equipment and extensive energy management, including through the
adoption of highly energy efficient equipment. To this end, the Group
has also introduced cogeneration systems and converted to moreenvironmentally friendly fuel sources.

Graph of CO2 Emissions (from energy consumption)(10,000 tons-CO2)15
CO2 emissions (left axis)
23.5
10

10.8

10.6

(tons-CO2/100 million yen)
CO2 emissions per unit of sales (right axis) 30
25.2

24.6

10.6

10.6

23.3

22.5
20

9.98

Enacting Measures to Reduce CO2 Emissions
at the Kakegawa Factory
Introduction of a cogeneration system■ Kakegawa Factory, Yamaha Corporation
In conjunction with the consolidation of grand piano production at the
Kakegawa Factory, Yamaha Corporation has introduced a cogeneration system. In conjunction, the heavy-oil-fired boiler formerly used as
the heat supply system was replaced by a natural-gas-fired boiler thatuses LNG as fuel. The new system came onstream in February 2008.
Compared to the previous fiscal year, this system will enable the factory to reduce primary energy consumption by roughly 420 kiloliters incrude oil equivalent per year, cutting annual CO2 emissions by approximately 2,900 tons. This improvement
will go far in helping the Group reach its
CO2 reduction target.

7.99
5

10

0

0
1990

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

LNG satellite facility

FY

Waste Management

Making strides in waste reuse and recycling
Waste Reduction, Recycling andResource ConservationWeb

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/recycle.html

From Wood Waste to Free Mulch for Public Facilities■ Yamaha Livingtec Corporation (YLT)YLT generates approximately 3,000 tons of wood waste per year.
Until now, that amount has largely been reused as a material for wood
plastic and as fuel, enabling the company to achieve Zero Emissions by
reducing its total volume of waste disposed of at landfills to less than
1%. The decision to rechannel the wood waste into gardening materials
represents an effort by YLT to shift to more effective materials recycling.

In an effort to make effective use of wood waste materials and contribute to society, YLT began an initiative in which it processes 300
tons of wood waste generated annually from the production of system
kitchens into gardening mulch. The mulch is then offered free ofcharge mainly to facilities in the city of Hamamatsu responsible for
operating public gardens.
A plum garden in Hamamatsu Fruit
Park that uses mulch from YLT

Mulch from YLT is used at Hamamatsu
Flower Park

Management of Chemical Substances

Getting results through slow and steady efforts
Management of Chemical SubstancesWeb

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/risk.html

Curtailing Emissions of Chemical Substances by
Improving Tools■ PT. Yamaha Music Manufacturing Asia (YMMA)
YMMA worked to reduce the amount of black glaze coating used increating the casings for ClavinovaTM products. By placing parts as close
together as possible on the conveyer belt of the reciprocating coatingmachine, we were able to minimize the area that would be coatedunnecessarily. Although there were many hurdles, such as adjusting to

production and insufficient testing tools and a lack of pre-existing data,
we experimented with a variety of combinations of parts dimensions,
coating areas and conveyer belt bar adjustments. After a process oftrial and error, we achieved a coating of sufficient quality together with amajor reduction—42%—in the amount of coating used. This reduction
in coating volume curtailed emissions ofchemical substances such as organic
solvents and generated less coating
sludge, as well as helping to achieve
further cost reductions.
Employees apply coating materials

CSR Report 2009 14

Environmentally Friendly Products and Services

Developing new technologies
Preventing Depletion of Wood Resources
Web

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/dry_up.html

Among the instruments that the Yamaha Group makes, including
pianos, string and percussion instruments, and woodwind instruments, many need to be made primarily of wood for acoustic reasons.
Large amounts of wood are also used when making electronic musical instruments, speakers, soundproof rooms, and lifestyle accessories due to the merits of wood in terms of acoustic performance,
function, design, and texture.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air as they grow, meaningthat wood can essentially be used in a manner that enables sustainable coexistence with the global environment. In order to contribute toa more harmonious relationship between society and nature, theYamaha Group practices sensitivity to biodiversity issues and works toprevent depletion of the wood resources used in products.

and industrial purposes. At the same time, the development of technology to artificially modify wood quality to a condition suitable for
instruments has been a long-term theme for the Company as part ofits social responsibility as a corporation to do its part to safeguard
the environment.
Along these lines, Yamaha Corporation has developed A.R.E.*, a newtechnology that modifies wood materials to an ideal condition for use.
Moreover, since no organic solvents or chemical substances are required,this technology will reduce Yamaha’s environmental load even further.
* A.R.E.: Acoustic Resonance Enhancement

Major Environmentally Friendly Products(left) A.R.E Guitar L36ARE(right) Wooden Electric Guitar RGXA2

Environmentally Friendly Use of Timber Resources in Products
The depletion of timber resources makes it more difficult each year tostably acquire wood materials in good condition. The Yamaha Group is
striving to make maximal, efficient use of timber resources and proactively introduce wood materials cultivated specifically for commercial

For information on other environmentally friendly products, visit the website foundat the following URL.
Product assessment examples by the Association for Electric Home Appliances
http://www.aeha.or.jp/assessment/example.html (Japanese only)

Environmental Communication

Pursuing activities in cooperation with community members
Web

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/communication.html

Report on the Fourth Year of “Yamaha Forest”
Tree-Planting Activities in Indonesia“Yamaha Forest” tree-planting activities in Indonesia, co-sponsored by
Yamaha Corporation and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., marked their fourthyear in fiscal 2008. The “Yamaha Forest” initiative is designed as asocial contribution activity in areas such as environmental protectionand educational support in Indonesia, a vital production and sales site
for both companies. The aim of the project is to restore land devastated by logging to as close to its original state as possible by planting
150,000 to 200,000 trees on roughly 120 hectares of land over a
period of five years. In promoting “Yamaha Forest,” Yamaha andYamaha Motor have been assisted by OISCA, an NGO with years ofexperience supporting agriculture, local development, and environmental protection activities in the Asia-Pacific region.
In fiscal 2008, the Company hosted its tree-planting event in the
town of Pelabuhan Ratu in Sukabami, Indonesia in November. The

number of participants at these planting events has grown each year.
This time some 2,350 people took part in planting trees, including
students from local elementary, junior and senior high schools, local
residents, and government officials. Approximately 470 people fromboth Yamaha companies also joined in, including directors responsible
for environmental activities, staff members from environment-related
divisions, and the presidents and employees from Indonesian subsidiaries. Together, the participants planted a total of 5,000 saplings. In
fiscal 2009, plans call for planting some 30,000 mahogany, teak, andeucalyptus saplings on 30 hectares of land.

A group shot of tree-planting participants

Pausing for a snapshot while planting saplings

Web For more information

Environmental Management

Environmentally Friendly Products and Services■ Environmental Management Promotion Structure

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/greensupply.html

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment■ Material Balance

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/balance.html■ Environmental Accounting

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/account.html

Global Warming Prevention■ Initiatives at Business Sites

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/office.html

15 Yamaha Corporation

Management of Water Resources
http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/water_manage.html

Environmental Risk Management
http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/risk_management.html

Environmental Education and Training Activities
http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/environment/education.html

Management Structure
Corporate GovernanceYamaha seeks not only to pursue efficient management and to ensure global competitivenessand a high level of profitability, but also to fulfill its social responsibility through fair and sustainable management.
In keeping with its corporate philosophy, Yamaha is working to develop an organizational
structure and mechanisms for management that will form the basis for transparent and highquality corporate governance.
Creating a Management Structure Throughthe Board of Directors and Executive Officers
Web

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/commitments/governance.html

As of June 25, 2009, Yamaha’s Board of Directors comprises nine
directors, including one outside director. The Board convenes once
monthly in principle, and is responsible for the Group’s management
functions, including proposing Group strategy and the monitoring anddirecting of business execution carried out by divisions. Directors areappointed for a term of one year. Yamaha also employs an executive
officer system, with the purpose of strengthening consolidated Groupmanagement and business execution functions by divisions. As ofJune 25, 2009, the executive officer system comprises 17 executive
officers, including two managing executive officers, who support the
President, the chief officer in charge of business execution. Recognizing the importance of accountability, executive officers, who double asCompany directors, are principally responsible for overseeing groupsof business and administrative divisions. As group managers, they are
responsible for the performance of groups within the Company, andmanage and direct in a manner appropriate for bringing the functionsof each group to the fore.

An Audit System to Ensure Fair andTransparent Business Practices
Yamaha is a company with a board of auditors as defined underJapanese law, and has worked to enhance governance functions byintroducing an executive officer system and also by setting up Companywide Governance Committees and an internal control system.
These actions, in conjunction with consistent audits conducted by theCompany’s system of full-time auditors, combine to raise the effectiveness of governance. As of June 25, 2009, Yamaha has five auditors, including three outside auditors. In principle, the Board ofAuditors convenes once monthly. Based on audit plans, auditors
periodically perform comprehensive audits of all divisions and Group
companies, and participate in Board of Directors’ meetings and otherimportant meetings such as management councils. With respect toaccounting audits, the suitability of such audits is determined basedon periodic progress reports from the accounting auditors of theiraudits of the Company’s financial statements. Yamaha has also established a Corporate Auditors’ Office (with one staff member as of June25, 2009) as a dedicated staff for the auditors, to ensure an environment conducive for performing effective audits.
The role of the Internal Auditing Division (11 staff members as ofJune 25, 2009) is to closely examine and evaluate systems pertaining
to management and operations, as well as operational execution, forall management activities undertaken by the Company from theperspective of legal compliance and rationality. The evaluation results
are then used to provide information for the formulation of suggestions and proposals for rationalization and improvement. In parallel,
Yamaha strives to boost audit efficiency by encouraging close contact and coordination among the corporate auditors and theaccounting auditors.
Please refer to the website for a detailed diagram of the corporate
governance system.
Web http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/commitments/governance.html

Promoting Compliance in ManagementWeb

http://www.global.yamaha.com/about/csr/group/2009/commitments/compliance.html

Yamaha began conducting compliance activities in Japan in 2003
with the establishment of a Compliance Committee and the formulation of the Compliance Code of Conduct*. Revisions were made to
the Compliance Code of Conduct in fiscal 2006, including additions
regarding the prohibition of forced and child labor, and other information essential for Group Companies with overseas business interests
in order to contribute to the establishment of a structure suitable for
global business development.
In April 2008 we enhanced this structure to incorporate unified
principles and guidelines for the entire Yamaha Group, including
completion of codes of conduct that reflect the various local laws andregulations governing overseas Group companies.
* For details on the Compliance Code of Conduct please see:
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/about/corporate/compliance/index.html(Japanese only)

COLUMNBusiness Continuity Plan (BCP)
From fiscal 2008, Yamaha has embarked on the development of aBusiness Continuity Plan (BCP), designed to enable it to quickly
resume operations in the event of an earthquake in Japan’s Tokai
region or other major natural disasters that could cause damage to its
structures or facilities. Yamaha has formulated its “BCP Guidelines” asa fundamental Company-wide policy in this regard. In April 2009,
Yamaha established the BCP Strategy Committee, chaired by the
President and Representative Director. With this step, the Company
has begun developing its BCP policy among all operational sites andat Group companies, all while putting the necessary systems andcountermeasures in place to respond to new flu strains and various
other risks.

16

Third-Party Opinion
The Yamaha Group believes that better communication with stakeholders is vital in meeting thehost of challenges that arise with respect to corporate social responsibility (CSR).
This year once again, CSR specialist Ms. One Akiyama shares her opinion on how the Groupcan improve its performance in this area.

One Akiyama
President, Integrex Inc.
Biography
1983 Graduated from the Economics Department of Keio University.
1998 Completed a Master’s degree in Finance from the Graduate School of Business at
Aoyama Gakuin University.
Worked as a foreign bonds trader in a US securities company after graduation.
2001 Established Integrex Inc., a company that promotes Corporate Social Responsibility
and Socially Responsible Investment.

I believe that a CSR Report serves to articulate a company’s commitment to the P/D/C/A (Plan, Do, Check, Act) initiatives necessary
to realize its corporate philosophy, and it is through this lens that I
offer my opinions regarding Yamaha’s report this year.

1. Points for Evaluation
Last year I wrote that I hoped for another report that reflects the pride,
dreams, and wishes of the employees of Yamaha as related to soundand music. I was deeply impressed by how the activities highlighted inthis year’s special feature connected with sound and music, and by
the passion of the employees implementing these programs. I felt thetrue spirit of Yamaha.
This years report presents the key points in a concise format,
providing relevant Web addresses where interested readers can findmore detailed information and data. I think this linkup with the website
is an indication of where the report will go in the future.

I got the sense that the P/D/C/A cycle is implemented
throughout all initiatives, and that the Group works to make improvements based on stakeholder feedback.
In terms of compliance promotion activities, the report shows that
Yamaha has been making steady, multi-year efforts. These include,
among other examples, pursuing activities under the uniform global
framework that was developed over the past three years and completed in 2008, and beginning to request that business partners make
improvements based on the results of last year’s survey on CSR
initiatives.
In terms of the environment, this year’s report once again presents
the P/D/C/A cycle in an intuitive manner in the “Goals and Achievements” section, with extensive data also available through the website.

2. Areas for Improvement
The amount of information on operations outside of Japan has
increased over last year, but I would still like to see more information
reporting on specific Group-wide activities, including efforts to share a
global Group philosophy.
Also, although the comments about application of the P/C/
D/A cycle in activities is impressive, in future Yamaha should strive fora reporting format similar to that of the more intuitive “Goals andAchievements” layout used to report its environmental data. Then, at a
glance the reader can grasp the goals, achievements and assessments of activities together with the goals and plans for next fiscal year.

3. Expectation for the Future
The global economy and social environment are changing rapidly, andI believe that only companies that pursue the business activities thatare the best for society will be able to survive going forward. I hopethat Yamaha will continue to pursue its social good of “Creating‘Kando’ Together” through sound and music.

RESPONSE

Tsutomu Sasaki
Director and Executive Officer,
General Manager of General Administration Division,
Finance and Administration Group
Yamaha Corporation

We are very glad to have Ms. Akiyama share her opinion with us again
this year.
Yamaha’s aim as a company is to create ‘kando’ together, andcontributing to society through sound and music lies at the core of our
CSR efforts. We introduced some of these activities in our featuresection, and I am very glad to hear that Ms. Akiyama considers them to
be in the true spirit of Yamaha.

17 Yamaha Corporation

Going forward, the entire Group will continue to make contributions
through business that only Yamaha can accomplish.
In this year’s report, we acted on Ms. Akiyama’s feedback from lastyear and enhanced the information available on our website. Withfocused topics in the report and detailed information posted on thewebsite together with links to other related pages, we have tried tocommunicate a range of relevant information to readers.
I take seriously Ms. Akiyama’s recommendations about reporting onGroup-wide activities and presenting the P/D/C/A aspect of activities in an easy-to-grasp manner, and will work continuously to make
improvements in our activities and reporting.

Company Outline
Background Information (As of March 31, 2009)
Company name: Yamaha Corporation
Headquarters: 10-1, Nakazawa-cho, Naka-ku,
Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 430-8650, Japan
Date of establishment: 1887
Date of incorporation: October 12, 1897
Representative: President and Representative Director
Mitsuru Umemura

Stated capital: ¥28,534 million
Number of employees: Consolidated: 26,803
Unconsolidated: 5,201
Yamaha Group: Number of consolidated subsidiaries: 88(including companies located outside Japan)
Number of companies
accounted for by the equity method: 2

Business Segments
Musical Instruments
Yamaha produces and sells musical instruments,
and professional audio equipment, and is expanding
its business lines to include the operation of music
schools, music media creation, and content distribution for personal computers and mobile phones.

Lifestyle-Related Products
Yamaha supplies system kitchens and systembathrooms for the home, positioning its brandas “The World Leader in Marble Craft.”

AV/IT Products
Yamaha produces and sells commercial online
karaoke systems, routers, IP conferencing systems,
and a range of AV (Audio and Visual) equipmentthat includes AV amplifiers, receivers, speaker systems, and Digital Sound
ProjectorTM surround sound systems.

OthersYamaha’s other businesses include the Golf
Products business, the Automobile Interior Wood Components business, the Metallic Molds and Components business, the Factory Automation (FA) business, and theRecreation business.
* Following the transfer of four resort facilities on October 1,
2007, the Recreation segment was included in the Others
segment from the fiscal year ended March 2009.

Electronic Devices
Yamaha produces and sells semiconductors for mobile
phones, home theater AV amplifiers, communications
devices, amusement devices, and other applications.
* Following the transfer of the electronic metal products business on November 30, 2007, theformer Electronic Equipment and Metal Products segment was renamed the Electronic
Devices segment from the fiscal year ended March 2009.

Key Financial Indicators (Consolidated)
Net Sales by Segment and Net Income (Loss)

Consolidated Net Sales by Region(Million Yen)

(Million Yen)

600,000

300,000

Musical Instruments (left axis)
AV/IT Products (left axis)
Electronic Devices (left axis)
Lifestyle-Related Products (left axis)
Others (left axis)
Net Income (Loss) (right axis)
100,000
41,84742,844
69,04877,720302,617

42,68445,21456,16775,939314,078

50,16546,57354,80972,823
325,989

47,39745,52045,00070,814340,021

19,69728,123

27,86639,55830,833
43,121
21,97556,722306,630

50,000

0

0

Japan

North America

EuropeAsia, Oceania & Other Regions

600,000
49,971
84,48386,717300,000

0

312,906
2004

68,157
97,29993,676

56,68187,494
94,694295,214
2005

78,121
104,11489,903291,228
2006

71,237
86,81066,392

276,6142007

234,8442008

FY–20,615
2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

–50,000
FY

The Relationship Between Yamaha Corporation andYamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. produces and sells motorcycles, marine products,
snowmobiles, and other related products. The company separated from
Yamaha Corporation in 1955, becoming an independent business, and as aresult is not included in the scope of this report. Yamaha Motor was previously
associated with Yamaha Corporation by the equity method. This association
was dissolved in May 2007 after a reassessment of the capital relationshipbetween the two companies. In December 2007, however, the two companies established the Joint Brand Committee to ensure optimal positioning of

the shared Yamaha brand. Looking ahead, both companies are working tosubstantially increase their corporate value in their respective businesses andfulfill their missions and responsibilities to society on a global basis.

CSR Report 2009 18

CSR Section, General Administration Division
URL: http://www.global.yamaha.com/

Printed in Japan using soy-based inks on FSC-certified paper.
This document uses a waterless printing method that generates
no harmful waste liquid.
October 2009