On September 20, North Energy (NE) signed a public works contract with Higashikagura Town, Hokkaido. This was North Energy's first attempt at public works! The Marketing Planning Department, which was newly established this year, also had zero experience in proposals! Despite this, they obtained the qualifications to participate in the proposal, conducted on-site surveys, prepared planning materials, and made proposals to the project manager. As a result of the screening, we were selected as a priority candidate, and after several meetings we were able to successfully conclude the contract! We will continue to work hard together with our NAKAMA so that people will think of North Energy when it comes to solar power in Hokkaido!

Makani Golf Club, a subsidiary of the UNIVA Group, has been selected as the No. 1 course in the 2024 Best of West Hawaii! Located on the cool slopes of Mount Hualalai, this wonderful course was designed by Perry Dye, the son of Pete Dye, known to professional golfers as the "Devil's Golf Architect." You can enjoy golf while taking in the breathtaking ocean, expansive mountain vistas, and fresh island breeze. Wide fairways, challenging water holes and a tranquil Hawaiian atmosphere provide the perfect experience for golfers of all levels.

On October 1st, UNIVA Japan (UJP) opened its Hokkaido branch in Sapporo. Following the completion of the interior and construction work, UJP is now rapidly preparing to obtain a specific construction electrical engineering license, which will enable it to undertake solar power plant construction projects worth over 40 million yen. With the opening of the Hokkaido branch, Takanobu Okamura, a certified first-class electrician and first-class electrical construction management engineer with ample experience in installing solar power generation equipment in schools and public facilities, has been appointed head of the construction department. As we continue to strengthen our collaboration with North Energy, including UJP's Future Project, we will be building a construction system in Hokkaido.

On October 1st, UNIVA Japan (UJP) held a job offer ceremony to welcome two successful applicants for the 2025 academic year. On the day, the department heads conducted a training session on the theme of "the meaning of work." We also had the opportunity to experience making your own original business card holder at Minamisenju Station. We sent a message of encouragement to the accepted students, who will officially become NAKAMA from April next year, saying, "Enjoy the rest of your student life, and do your best in your new lives as working adults from April!"

On October 2nd, UNIVA Paycast (UPC) held a job offer ceremony for four new employees joining the company in fiscal year 2025 at its Tokyo headquarters. After receiving messages from executives and senior employees, the successful applicants spoke passionately about their expectations for their lives starting in April next year and their goals for their working lives. We also had candidates participate in the kickoff event for the second half of the year. During the second part of the kick-off, the accepted candidates could be seen in a relaxed atmosphere, enjoying conversation with senior employees over light refreshments. All of our employees are looking forward to working together to make UPC a success starting next April!

On October 2nd, UNIVA Paycast (UPC) held a kickoff meeting for the second half of fiscal year 2024. After reviewing the results for the first half of the year, representatives from each division and project announced their goals and specific actions for the second half of the year, as well as the company's overall goals. All of the content was challenging, and each participant's passion was conveyed, boosting morale throughout the company. In addition, at the "Celebration of Heroes Creating the Future," one NAKAMA from the management division and three NAKAMA from the general employee/leader division were recognized. In the second half of the year, all of our employees will continue to work together to provide better services to more affiliated stores and users.

On October 5th, Naturally Plus held its largest global convention of the year, "FESTA 2024 ~ ANSWER Unwavering Will," at Yokohama Arena, with 6,316 participants from 9 countries. The theme of this year's event is based on the idea that "unwavering belief in yourself is the driving force behind achieving your dreams and goals. If you act with determination, new paths will open up and you will find the answers to living your life as you want." While the event was filled with excitement with business strategy presentations and VIP speeches, the highlight was the Euglena Company corner and the awarding of the new 20 millionaires. Achieving a lifetime cumulative bonus of $20 million is the best answer to unwavering determination.

UNIVA Japan (UJP) is conducting a demonstration experiment of bifacial solar power generation in Horokanai Town, Hokkaido. On October 8th, UJP President Ubatani appeared at the Hokkaido Kamikawa Northern Municipal Mayors' Conference and announced the results of an experiment on the reflection of light from the ground by double-sided panels in the summer. Between June and August of this year, double-sided panels were divided into four sections and the amount of electricity generated was compared. The results showed that the buckwheat field produced the most electricity, followed by aluminum sheets, crushed concrete, and exposed soil, in that order. "We had high hopes for the light reflected by the white buckwheat flowers, but we never imagined it would have such an effect!" The results were so surprising that they exceeded expectations. The results were also published in the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper on October 10th.

From Wednesday, October 9th to Thursday, October 10th, UNIVA Japan (UJP), North Energy (NE), and Suichoku Solar jointly exhibited at the Hokkaido Energy Technology Innovation EXPO and introduced examples of solar power generation equipment construction projects. The aim of this exhibition is to promote a correct understanding of energy issues and create innovations to realize a decarbonized society. On the day, many people stopped by our booth and listened to our explanations.

On October 10th and 11th, UNIVA Gyro-n held a two-day, one-night company trip to Yuzawa in Niigata. The main purpose of this company trip is to communicate with NAKAMA who we don't usually have a chance to meet and talk with in person because of remote work. However, since participation was voluntary, about half of the employees took part. Gyro-n's company trips are unique in that the participants are in charge of everything from planning to booking, and the management's only roles are to act as "wallet keeper" and "driver." Because we planned it ourselves, including meal reservations, evening game events, and outdoor activities, it was a company trip that everyone was very satisfied with. Hopefully next time we'll have even more participants!

On October 16th and 29th, North Energy (NE) and UNIVA Japan (UJP) participated in the Zero Carbon Promotion Seminar hosted by the Hokkaido Prefectural Government's Zero Carbon Promotion Bureau, Department of Economic Affairs. UJP, as the project implementation body, and NE, as the construction company, introduced a demonstration experiment of vertical double-sided solar panels that they conducted in Horokanai Town, Hokkaido. The results of this demonstration experiment were 20% better than expected, and it is hoped that vertical double-sided solar panels will be introduced in areas with heavy snowfall in the future. NE and UJP will continue to work hard to realize a zero-carbon society.

Uni Marche (UML) is accepting reservations for its popular Christmas cakes at a special employee-only price of 15% off! The popular Christmas cakes from Uni Marche are additive-free and gluten-free (*), so they're delicious and good for your body! They're made with rice flour, so they're light and fluffy and delicious enough that you can eat a whole cake by yourself. We offer five varieties, including the classic "Rich Basque Cheese," delicious White Double Chocolate with melt-in-the-mouth cheese, and new products "Strawberry Christmas Cake" and "Ruffle Cheesecake." *Only the Double Chocolate & Ruffle Cheesecake uses organic wheat in addition to rice flour. Reservation deadline is December 9th!

UNIVA Paycast (UPC) actively shares information about its services, the daily lives of its employees, and updates on company events through its official social media accounts. We hope that this will help raise awareness of UPC among people outside the company, such as students and service users, which will lead to new graduate and mid-career recruitment and the acquisition of new customers. In fact, this year's new graduates joined the company after becoming interested in UPC through Instagram. We will continue to operate UPC in order to spread the appeal of the service to more people. We encourage all members of your group to check out UPC's official social media accounts.

Last month we welcomed four new NAKAMA.
Congratulations on joining the company, Okayama-san, Musha-san, Takeno-san and Okamaura-san!