After years of strong economic growth, Thailand is today more prosperous than ever. Yet, the country’s potential is held back by a number of problems, including severe wealth disparities between regions, environmental destruction and lack of education.
      To help remedy this situation, Nikon is contributing to the country’s progress by supporting those who will be in charge of its future development—its youth. In honor of the 90th anniversary of Nikon’s founding on July 25, 2007, the company launched the Nikon Scholarship Program to help young Thais to receive a solid education.
      The Nikon Scholarship Program, administered in cooperation with the Shanti Volunteer Association of Japan and the Sikkha Asia Foundation of Thailand, will initially give scholarships to some 150 junior and senior high school students and about 20 university students. In addition to supporting education within Thailand, the
The Nikon Scholarship Program awards about
170 students every year
program also enables one university graduate per year to study at a graduate school in Japan in cooperation with Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. Through this, the company aims to foster people who can serve as bridges between Japan and Thailand.
      Nikon has been involved in Thailand for many years, and in 1990 established Nikon (Thailand) Co., Ltd. as a production base in Ayutthaya City.
      The company sees social contribution as a key corporate activity and plans to run the scholarship program continuously as part of these efforts.
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This autumn, Japan welcomed a very special guest amid the celebration of the 110th anniversary of the signing of the 1897 Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Chile—a genuine Moai statue from Easter Island. Standing three meters tall and weighing six tons, the statue certainly made a big impression.
      To mark the anniversary, a number of joint public and private-sector exchange activities were held in Chile and Japan to further strengthen their relationship of trust and friendship.
      The Easter Island Moai Statue Exhibition, held in the MARUCUBE atrium of the Marunouchi Building in Tokyo, was hosted by the Chilean Embassy in Japan and the Chile and Japan 110th Anniversary of Friendship Commemorative Events Committee, with special support from Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi
An imposing guest; the Moai statue in Marunouchi, Tokyo
Estate, and additional support from Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance and Mitsubishi Electric.
Pedro Edmunds Paoa, mayor of the Easter Island village of Hanga Roa, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the exhibition’s first day.
      The statue is made of basalt from the Rano Aroi volcano and infused with mana (spiritual power) in a traditional ritual. Many Moai statues made between the 10th and 17th centuries were inlaid with eyes, and this example has eyes made of coral. This and other information was presented on photo panels to give visitors an opportunity to appreciate Chilean culture.
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To kids, big construction machines like tractors and excavators are just pure excitement—but, sadly, all too often they’re just toys! To give the little ones a chance to see these machines for real, Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi organizes the annual Summer Holiday Children’s Construction Machines Fair in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture.
      At the fair, which first opened in 1988, children not only get to watch the machines in action, they can also experience their size and power up close and sometimes even climb into the operator’s seat.
      In April 2007, after the spectator stands were renovated earlier in the same month, visitors could enjoy the demonstrations from inside a comfortable,
The construction machines fair is lots of fun for the kids—here, a tug of war!
air-conditioned room while seated in the same type of seats as those used in mini-hydraulic excavators. Also this year the company ran the fair as a multi-day event for the first time—drawing bigger crowds than ever before.
      In addition to about 650 families with children drawn by lottery, some 7,800 people signed up on the company’s website. While most came from the Kanto region, the six-day event drew people from as far away as Hokkaido and Fukuoka.
      The children shouted excitedly at a special demonstration involving twenty vehicles, ranging from the super-large to the very smallest, and put a heroic effort into a tug-of-war with a mini-hydraulic excavator. Afterwards, the parents photographed the children beaming with joy in front of their favorite machines.
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