Across Japan, we seem to be emerging from the pandemic-era constraints of the past few years. Restrictions on the movement of people and gatherings have been lifted, and thankfully, Sanrio's shops and theme parks are again bustling with customers.
Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict in Europe and the uncertain outlook of the dispute in the Middle East cast a dark shadow over the world.
I think the significance of Sanrio's corporate philosophy shines particularly bright in times like these. Our philosophy of minna nakayoku expresses our goal for everyone to get along, and based on our corporate vision of One World, Connecting Smiles, we are committed to activities that bring joy and smiles to people around the world.
We are now in the final stage of our Mid-Term Management Plan (FY3/2022 to FY3/2024), which defines Sanrio's current direction. Thanks to our shareholders and other supporters, we expect to achieve excellent results and significantly surpass the targets of this three-year plan. In addition to sales and profits, we have also been making steady progress on various initiatives we proposed to achieve our "second founding."
Even after the current Mid-Term Management Plan is complete, Sanrio will maintain its solid footing and continue to set high goals for meeting future challenges. Meanwhile, we have set a non-financial target we call "Sanrio Time" (which represents how close we come to achieving our vision). In May 2024, we plan to announce our next Mid-Term Management Plan, which will focus on achieving further growth while continuing to contribute to society. During the past three years, we have focused on "corporate culture reform," "structural reform," and "planting the seeds for regrowth." Going forward, we hope to demonstrate how these efforts have taken shape and are growing.
The year 2024 is an important milestone for Sanrio, as it marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of our beloved Hello Kitty. Through Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters, we aim to continue bringing smiles to the faces of people around the world.
Even as we move forward with new reforms, we will steadfastly uphold our corporate philosophy of minna nakayoku as we move toward our goals. I ask for your continued support in these endeavors.
December 2023
