TOKYO, Oct 27, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Fukushima Winery, located in Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture in northeastern Japan, today held a ceremony to mark to start of wine-making operations. The winery was built with support from the Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation (MCDRF).
In February of this year, MCDRF entered into a partnership agreement with Koriyama City towards helping to speed up post-disaster recovery in the region. Under the partnership, an initiative dubbed the "Sixth Industry Fruit Farming Project" was set up to promote cultivation, processing and sale of products made from locally grown fruits. The winery will make use of peaches, pears and apples grown in Fukushima and cultivate its own grapes to make wine and other liqueurs.
Today's ceremony marks that start of production, with the first batch of wines and liqueurs scheduled for release onto the market during early 2016. The winery will produce some 12,000 liters of wines and liqueurs per annum, with a target to reach an annual volume of 25,000-30,000 liters per annum in the coming years.
In addition to wine and liqueur production and sales, the winery plans to open wine-tasting facilities to the public by March 2017, and to set up facilities where community members can obtain training in wine-making.
Four years and seven months have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, but areas in northeastern Japan that suffered severe damage are still on the way to recovery. MCDRF remains committed to working with local authorities and the farming community in the execution of this "Sixth Industry Fruit Farming Project" as part of broader objectives to propel recovery in areas affected by the disaster and to stimulate economic revitalization in the region.
Reference Information
Fukushima Winery
1. Location: Ose-machi, Koriyama, Fukushima, Japan
2. Site Area: Approx. 9,000 m2
3. Floor Area: Approx. 1,400 m2
4. Production Volume: 12,000 liters per annum (plans to reach 25,000 - 30,000 liters in the coming years)
Agreement between Koriyama City and Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation
Koriyama City and Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation (MCDRF) reached a partnership agreement on the provision of support for recovery efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake on Tsumani, as follows.
Objective:
Koriyama City and MCDRF agree to pool their resources on initiatives that effectively support post-disaster recovery following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011, particularly in areas related to agriculture, tourism and manufacturing, with a view to stimulating the recovery of industry in the area.
Main Focus Areas:
1) Dispelling of negative rumors and sales promotion
2) Development of "sixth-industry" agriculture and strengthening agro-industrial linkages
3) Tourism industry recovery
4) Overall recovery of local industry
5) Product development based on local resources
6) Other initiatives that contribute to regional revitalization
Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation
Mitsubishi Corporation set up a 10-billion yen "Mitsubishi Corporation East Japan Earthquake Recovery Fund" in April 2011 with the purpose of making concerted efforts for supporting restoration and recovery for the afflicted regions over the next four years. The Fund provided donations for emergency support and equipment, delivered scholarships for students and grants for NPOs working in disaster relief and recovery. The Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation (MCDRF) was established nearly a year later, in March 2012. In addition to support already provided by the pre-existing Fund, MCDRF has been working with local financial institutions to provide financial support to initiatives aimed at industry recovery and employment generation. In 2015, Mitsubishi Corporation injected an additional 3.5 billion yen into the Foundation as a way of continuing its support for recovery efforts in the region.
1) Headquarters: 2-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
2) Founded: March, 2012
3) Endowment: 10 billion yen
4) Purpose:
To contribute to the recovery of regions affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake through the provision of scholarships and 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, Yasuhito Hirota (Executive Vice President, Mitsubishi Corporation)
- Executive Director, Yoshiyuki Nojima (General Manager, CSR and Environmental Affairs Department, Mitsubishi Corporation)
About Mitsubishi Corporation
Mitsubishi Corporation (MC; TSE: 8058) is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, foods, and environmental business. MC's current activities are expanding far beyond its traditional trading operations as its diverse business ranges from natural resources development to investment in retail business, infrastructure, financial products and manufacturing of industrial goods. With over 200 bases of operations in approximately 80 countries worldwide and a network of over 500 group companies, MC employs a multinational workforce of nearly 60,000 people. For more information, please visit www.mitsubishicorp.com.
Source: Mitsubishi Corporation
Contact:
Mitsubishi Corporation Telephone: +81 3 3210 2171 Facsimile: +81 3 5252 7705
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