September 21, 2000 Joint Establishment of a Company in Defined Contribution Pension Plan The Sakura Bank, Ltd. The Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. The Sumitomo Bank, Ltd. The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. The Chuo Mitsui Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. Mitsui Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. Mitsui Mutual Life Insurance, Co.,Ltd. The Sakura Bank, Ltd. (Akishige Okada, President), The Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (Hiroyuki Uemura, President), The Sumitomo Bank, Ltd. (Yoshifumi Nishikawa, President), The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. (Atsushi Takahasi, President), Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. (Koichi Yoshida, President), The Chuo Mitsui Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. (Kiichiro Furusawa, President), Mitsui Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (Takeo Inokuchi, President) and Mitsui Mutual Life Insurance, Co. (Akira Miyake, President) jointly established a company dealing with the operation and administration of defined contribution pension plan, today. The new company utilizes existing know-how and functions that the Mitsui Group and Sumitomo Group have and is able to offer highly qualified and substantial services to firms and plan beneficiaries.