Suntory Ltd. is to officially sign a contract with the Kanto Regional Forest Office on Tuesday 30 November upon the approval of its "Corporate Forest" * application to the Forestry Agency.

Owning Tonegawa Brewery and Haruna plant in the region, the company plans to take an active role in maintaining Suntory "Forest of Natural Water," approximately 5 ha national forest that spreads around Mt. Komochi in Kita Gunma County, Gunma Prefecture, while preserving water source and promoting tree-planting activities.

On the same day, Suntory signs another agreement on "Forest of Volunteers" activities with the Gunma Regional Forest Office, that approximately 4 ha forestry adjacent to "Forest of Natural Water" can be utilized as Suntory "School of Forest and Water." Suntory employees are also actively involved in this forest preservation project.

Suntory "Forest of Natural Water" promotes maintaining headwater forests as water sources through appropriate fostering and thinning, while setting up the facilities in the area such as pavements and benches for people to interact with nature. The first water source preservation activity began with the 102 ha national forestry at the southern outer rim of Mt. Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, in 2003, followed by an opening of Suntory "School of Forest and Water" as a focal point of environmental education with a theme of forestry and water.

Suntory has been involved in continuous conservational activities to enhance forestry's water source function based on a corporate philosophy of "resonating with people and nature," since most of the products' raw materials are derived from such natural wealth as barley, hop, fruits, water, etc. Highly esteeming "water" in particular, Suntory has strengthen resource protection activities with the slogan of "Living with water: Suntory." For the forestry protection activities, various effects are expected including water source cultivation, global warming measures, land conservation, and ecological protection, in which Suntory will continue to promote actively.

"Forest of Natural Water"

Location

No. 317 National Forest, Mt. Komochi, Oaza Kami Shirai, Kita Gunma County, Gunma Prefecture

Area	approximately 5 ha

* "Corporate Forest" program

The program, promoted by Forestry Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is set up to develop the forestry resource. Currently two types are available: a fostering share and a tree-planting share. Suntory applied for the former, which is to become a co-owner of the natural or the developing artificial forest at the state-owned forestry. The Forestry Agency implements and manages thinning of the forestry and other maintenance activities.

For enquiries, please contact

Suntory Customer Center Toll free number0120-139-310

(Osaka) Dojimahama 2-1-40, Kita-ku, Osaka,530-8203, Japan

(Tokyo) Moto-Akasaka 1-2-3, Minato-ku, Tokyo107-8430, Japan

Suntory HPhttp://www.suntory.co.jp/