Time flies like a golf ball and it's autumn again. Yes, in this issue we cover the 53rd "Kyokuyo Open" - a golf tournament we hold every year to express our thanks to the company's stake holders. This year, a total of 120 players, from suppliers, subcontractors, various service providers, gathered at the prestigious Shimonoseki Golf Club, to play the game in 31 groups.

There were some good news and some bad news. The good news was that we had a reasonable and windless weather, with a powerful typhoon called Danas having just passed over Western Japan 2 days before. The bad news was that the Club had replaced korean grass on the greens with bermuda grass - making them much faster and more difficult. The very bad news (to some players) and very good news (to the others) was that a sudden torrential rain shower hit the courses toward the end of the tournament.

At the prize-giving party, Satoshi Saeki, who was recently assigned to lead Kyokuyo's material purchasing team, announced the 2013 winners one after another. The 'near-pin' prize winner was Mr. Ihara from JFE Steel, with an impressive record of 2cm. He admitted that he had gone completely blank after the shot as he rightfully thought it was a hole-in-one. The best gross score prize winner went again to Mr. Matsuba from Mansei. Winner of the same prize last year, he performed outstandingly well this time too, despite the difficult conditions. Can anybody snatch this prize from him in 2014?

And the 2013 overall winner was Mr. Yamaguchi from Nippon Hakuyo Electronics. It was obvious that he had a mild and modest personality. "I have never thought that I could win such a big tournament", said Mr. Yamaguchi. His speech, full of compliments and gratitude to other players in his group and tournament organizer (= Kyokuyo), made every attendee warm and happy.

Katsuhiko Ochi delivered his speech at end of the event. Kyokuyo's president first expressed his thanks, like the tournament winner. He then reported that the company had secured several new orders thanks to recent yen depreciation and explained some of the actual corporate strategies : its focusing on technically challenging energy saving products ; proper currency exchange risk management ; and reenergization of organizations by way of personnel reshuffle. Ochi ended his speech by calling on the guests to work together to create a long-standing relationship and a win-win.

The 54th Kyokuyo Open will be held at the same Shimonoseki Golf Club on the 10th of October, 2014.

[2013/10/18]