Following is a summary of the comments expressed by the President and CEO of Mori Building, welcoming new employees at a company initiation ceremony held April 2.

This fiscal year, the Mori Building Group welcomed 46 new employees (at Mori Building Co., Ltd.: 34 general staff members and eight administrative staff members; at Mori Building Ryutsu System Group: four general staff members).

Summary of welcome remarks

Welcome to Mori Building. This year, I am very happy to be able to welcome all of you, 46 members of an elite group. Although in most years we are concerned about when the cherry blossoms will bloom at Hills project, this year the blossoms have bloomed on schedule, as if to welcome you all.

Just the other day, Tokyo Midtown opened. The synergy of this development with Roppongi Hills has been even greater than we had expected, and as a result it looks as if the Roppongi area is poised to grow even stronger. Through robust coordination with the various cultural facilities in Roppongi Hills, including the Mori Art Museum, the area is likely to become even livelier as a center of urban culture. I would ask that we all work together to continue transmitting the ideas and information, to develop Roppongi—and by extension, Tokyo—into a world-class Asian hub of culture.

At the same time, as an overseas project the frame of the Shanghai World Financial Center will hold the topping off ceremony this fall, with construction of the entire project slated for completion next spring.

This project is fully in line with our declared mission ?safety and security?, ?environment and greenery?, and ?culture and art?. We have high expectations for the project, which we believe will quickly stand out as a world-leading financial center in Asia.

Today, society is undergoing a massive transformation from the industrial society to a the knowledge-based society. The domain of our work here at Mori Building is also expanding and becoming more diverse. Under these circumstances, I hope that each of you will adopt an approach that is both realistic and passionate, with a sharp eye on effective management at all times. I have great expectations for the future of all of the new employees gathered here today, as Mori Building builds on its strengths to make an even greater contribution to society.