Mitsubishi Corporation

Press Room

November 28, 2013
Ekimae Store, K.K.
Kesennuma Shinkin Bank
Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation

Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation Supports Post-Disaster Expansion of Kesennuma Retailer

Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation announces plans to provide 50 million yen to support the expansion of local supermarket chain, Ekimae Store, located in Kesennuma City in northeastern Japan. This contribution complements financing already being provided by Kesennuma Shinkin Bank, a local credit union, and will assist Ekimae Store to open “Kurie Miura”, its new branch at Matsukawa, also in Kesennuma. This forms part of the retailer’s ongoing efforts towards full recovery, following the devastation suffered during the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
 
The new store, Kurie Miura at Matsukawa, will occupy about 1,800 m² of floor space inside the Matsukawa Mae Shopping Center, the biggest mall to operate in Kesennuma since the disaster (total area about 28,000 m²), and is expected to employ some 60 persons. This new branch, together with another already open in Hashikami, also in Kesennuma, brings Ekimae Store’s employment numbers to 140, a notable contribution to employment generation in the region. The branch at Matsukawa is conveniently located along Route 284, a major transit point between Kesennuma and Ichinoseki City in neighboring Iwate Prefecture, which also means added convenience for users of the thoroughfare.
 
A leading supermarket in Kesennuma, Ekimae Store was established in 1973. Its two branches at Hashikami and Matsuiwa employed around 140 people and provided an array of products and services that sought to satisfy the needs of local customers. However, the base of this stable enterprise was severely interrupted as a result of the destruction brought about by the 2011 tsunami. Backed by the Kesennuma Shinkin Bank and other sources of support, Ekimae Store was able to reopen its Hashikami branch in September 2011, and now, with this additional support from the Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation, is able to re-open a second branch, which puts the local retailer in a good position to return to pre-disaster level performance.
 
Nearly a thousand days have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, but the Sanriku area of northeastern Japan, which suffered immense damage from the tsunami, is still recovering from the disaster. The Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation will continue to collaborate with local financial institutions such as Kesennuma Shinkin Bank as part of efforts aimed at employment creation and economic recovery in areas affected by the disaster.
Image of the New Shop
Reference Information
 
1Ekimae Store, K.K.
1)     Headquarters:   155-1 Hajikami Noda, Kesennuma City, Miyagi, Japan
2)     Date Established:   March 23, 1973
3)     Capital:  10 million yen
4)     Business Activities:  Sale of food products, liquor, soft drinks,cosmetics, books, daily essentials and other miscellaneous items
5)     Representative:   Takeshi Miura, President and CEO
 
2. Kesennuma Shinkin Bank
1)     Headquarters:  2-4-10 Yoka-machi, Kesennuma City, Miyagi, Japan
2)     Date Established:  September 1926
3)     Capital:   7.8 billion yen
4)     Business Activities:  Loans, deposits and other financial services
5)     No. of Employees:  121
6)     Representative:  Tsutomu Sugawara, President
 
3. Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation
1)     Headquarters:  2-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
2)     Date Established:   March, 2012 (Incorporated in May, 2012)
3)     Endowment:  6 billion yen
4)     Purpose:  To contribute to the recovery of regions affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake through the provision of scholarships, grants for NPOs and social welfare corporations, as well as for recovery of industry and job creation.
5)     Representatives:
-       Chairman, Ken Kobayashi (President and CEO, Mitsubishi Corporation)
-       Deputy Chairman, Hideyuki Nabeshima (Senior Executive Vice President, Mitsubishi Corporation)
-       Executive Director, Yasuhiro Hirota (Senior Vice President; General Manager, CSR and Environmental Affairs Department, Mitsubishi Corporation)

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