We have once again been able to welcome in a new year. We are very grateful to be able to spend our daily lives like this. There are people all over Japan who are unable to welcome in a peaceful new year. There are also people all over the world who are unable to live peacefully due to the never-ending conflicts and poverty. I pray that the day will come when all people can live in peace.

In recent years, I have been unable to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so last year I traveled to many different countries. I also went to the Middle East and India, which at first glance seem unrelated to our work. This is because there is no country that is not related to our lives these days. Needless to say, the world's food situation has changed dramatically due to the Ukraine-Russia war. The Middle East issue has made energy and resource problems obvious. India's presence is changing the state of the world economy. African countries are having an unknown impact on the world's power balance. South America now supports the world's grain production.

Seeing is believing. We can't predict the future, but we can make predictions by looking at the world. Information on the Internet, no matter how accurate it is, is only a simulated experience. There are some things you can only understand by going to the place, talking to the local people, and experiencing the place for yourself.

The future of Japan is connected to the future of the world. How will Japan be able to compete with other countries in the world from now on? What role will Japanese agriculture play at that time? ARK Group would like to play a part in this.

This year too, we will continue to move forward, one step at a time. Thank you for your continued support this year.

Representative Director Shinei Hashimoto

First sunrise from Ark Tategamori "Shining Hill"