Re: Participation in an Agricultural Fund (Kyoto Noshoko Cooperative Support Fund)

　We are pleased to inform you that Hitachi Capital Corporation will participate in an Agricultural Fund founded to foster related industries in Kyoto.
　This agriculture-related financial service is one of the businesses we are concentrating on, and with the establishment of this new business model, we will help to promote community-based agriculture business in Kyoto.

— Description —

1. Outline of the fund

(1)Fund name: Kyoto Noshoko Cooperative Support Fund

(2)Purpose of establishing the fund

This fund is intended to promote agricultural business leading to new economic activities utilizing the agriculture, forestry and fisheries products from Kyoto, and focus on supporting businesses contributing to the increase of workers in agriculture.

(3)Total amount of fund: 2,520 million yen

Of which,

Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN

: 2,000 million yen

Kyoto prefecture

: 200 million yen

Local financial institutions

: 300 million yen

Hitachi Capital Corporation

: 20 million yen

(4)Fund Operation Structure

* Agricultural Business Center Kyoto (tentative name)

This organization will manage the agricultural business creation platform and was established to perform business matching between agriculture workers and distribution and processing companies.

Kyoto Industrial Support Organization 21

Established to promote the foundation and fostering of new business venture companies and perform business matching between them. With this comprehensive support organization related to management innovation, developing new business, fostering and creating new industries for small- and medium-level companies through Industry ・Academia ・Government collaboration, we aim to contribute to the development of business activities for companies and industries in Kyoto.

2. Purposes for investment

• (1) Contribution to agricultural development in Kyoto through fortifying cooperation with respective companies and organizations in Kyoto that participate in this fund
• (2) Acquisition of business opportunities between the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries workers targeted for this fund and small- and medium-level companies (Food and distribution companies)
• (3) Promoting the business models and production know-how accumulated through this fund throughout Japan

3. Others

As we have previously invested in the “Ehime Gaia Fund” in November 2006, this is our second time to participate in an agricultural fund.