Kazuhito Fujiwara, President

Since its founding in 1877, the Bank has maintained sound operations and continued to develop alongside the regional economy. With steady improvement in business performance, we have succeeded in establishing our corporate base as the core financial institution in the region. We are grateful for the long-term support from our shareholders, customers and business partners that have made this achievement possible.
   Japan’s socio-economic structure has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, and there has been a growing demand for a stable and trustworthy financial system. With the ongoing reform of Japan’s financial institutions brought about by the Big Bang deregulation process, the financial industry has been significantly reorganized and new businesses have entered the industry from other sectors. Thus, the environment in which the Bank operates is changing rapidly and dramatically.
   While responding to these circumstances, the Bank will maintain the soundness of its management and expand its line-up to cover a comprehensive range of services. We intend to redouble our efforts to contribute to the economic development of the region. We have prepared this annual report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001, to provide our stakeholders with a better understanding of the activities and performance of the Bank.

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