This month we witnessed the tragic attacks in Israel, and the ensuing conflict in Israel and Gaza is ongoing. The Sony Group has two locations in Israel, Sony Semiconductor Israel (SSI) and our Image Sensor Design Center (ISDC). In total, nearly 400 of our colleagues are based at these locations, and at present we have been able to confirm the safety of our colleagues and their families.

Last week, we announced the donation of a total of 2 million US dollars to the Japanese Red Cross Society and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to provide humanitarian aid to those affected. In addition, various Sony Group companies have matching programs and have also shared ways employees can donate individually to relief organizations.

Acts that threaten human life, livelihood, and dignity, such as terrorism, violence against civilians, and hate, cannot be tolerated. I pray for the swift restoration of peace in the region.

■ Visits to Singapore and Thailand

Singapore
In this blog, I would like to share my thoughts on a business trip I took at the end of September. On this occasion I visited Singapore and Thailand, together with Terushi Shimizu, President and CEO of Sony Semiconductor Solutions, and Naoya Horii, Senior Vice President of Sony Group Corporation. In Singapore, during the brief time we had before our investor meetings, we were able to visit the offices of Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore and Sony Music Entertainment Singapore. These two offices share a reception area, and I could see that they work closely together on a daily basis. I was also able to meet Singaporean singer-songwriter Sezairi at the SME office, which once again brought home to me the importance of supporting local artists.

At the office entrance	Together with Sezairi
With Sezairi and the team at SME Singapore	With everyone at SIE Singapore

Thailand
In Thailand, we visited Sony Technology Thailand's (STT) Bangkadi site and Sony Device Technology Thailand (SDT). When I previously visited SDT in December 2019, the facility was dedicated mainly to manufacturing image sensors for cameras and also display devices, but they have since expanded into the production of automotive image sensors and micro OLEDs, and seeing their progress I have high expectations for the new building to be completed there next year. At STT, in addition to Xperia™ smartphones, they are also engaged in the production of imaging products, and have achieved an efficient and high level of production through efforts in areas such as automation and DX.

With the team at STT	Viewing the manufacturing of imaging products, which has commenced at the STT Bangkadi site
SDT is responsible for back-end processing of image sesors. Pictured is the new Building 4, currently under construction

Following the tours of the manufacturing facilities, I held a town hall meeting with the teams at STT and SDT. In my speech, I touched on the direction of "creative focus" that I have advocated since becoming CEO in 2018, and stated that the digital cameras produced at STT are truly products for creators, while the image sensors that undergo back-end processing at SDT are "creation semiconductors" that support the Sony Group's product lineup. In addition, I explained that micro OLEDs, which can be used in AR and VR to connect the virtual and the physical worlds, and automotive sensors, which provide safety within the mobile environment, are also essential technologies for fulfilling Sony's long-term initiatives. Finally, I asked everyone to continue to support our direction of creative focus through the power of technology and manufacturing.

In my next blog I plan to share my experiences at the SIE town hall meeting that took place at San Mateo in the US on October 18.

As always, I look forward to receiving your thoughts and feedback.