Throughout its 400-year history, SMBC Group has continuously upheld its commitment to sustainability. We hereby declare that we will drive forward our efforts to make sustainability a reality. SMBC Group defines sustainability as “creating a society in which today’s generation can enjoy economic prosperity and well-being, and pass it on to future generations.” For more than 400 years, we have consistently regarded sustainability as a cause fundamental to our business operations, and to this day it remains the foundation of our management. The predecessor to Mitsui began as a kimono merchant in Edo (present-day Tokyo) in 1673, bringing innovation to the conventional business practices of that time and establishing a new business model which took root in the communities of the townspeople of Edo. Mitsui entered the currency exchange business in 1683 and became one of the industry leaders in the Edo period. As a bank since the Meiji era, Mitsui has been an important player in the financial infrastructure which has underpinned economic activity in Japan and the world for over many generations.